Agnes Royden
Encyclopedia
[Agnes] Maude Royden, CH
(23 November 1876 - 30 July 1956) was a preacher
and suffragist.
Always known as Maude Royden, she was born at Mossley Hill
, Liverpool
, the daughter of Sir Thomas Bland Royden, 1st Baronet, of Frankby
Hall, Birkenhead
. She was educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College
and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
, and afterwards for some years did settlement
work in Liverpool.
She also lectured on English Literature for the university extension movement, and in 1909 was elected to the executive committee of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies
. From 1912 to 1914 she edited the Common Cause, the organ of the union.
She broke with the NUWSS over its support for the war effort. She became the secretary of the Fellowship of Reconciliation
with other Christian pacifist
s. Although unable to travel to the women's peace congress in the Hague in 1915, when the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
was established there, she became the vice-president.
Miss Royden became well known as a speaker on social and religious subjects, and in 1917 became assistant preacher at the City Temple
in London, being thus the first woman to occupy this office.
After World War I
, Royden's interest shifted to the role of women in the Church. In 1929 she began the official campaign for the ordination of women
when she founded the Society for the Ministry of Women. The first woman to become Doctor of Divinity
in 1931, Royden made several worldwide preaching tours from the 1920s to the 1940s.
In 1939, she renounced pacifism believing Nazism to be a greater evil than war.
In 1944, she married the recently widowed Reverend Hudson Shaw whom she had loved for more than forty years.
, ref 7AMR
Order of the Companions of Honour
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion....
(23 November 1876 - 30 July 1956) was a preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
and suffragist.
Always known as Maude Royden, she was born at Mossley Hill
Mossley Hill
Mossley Hill is a district of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. It is located to the south of the city, bordered by Aigburth, Wavertree, Childwall and Allerton. At the 2001 Census, the Mossley Hill ward had a population which was recorded at 12,650.-Notable...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, the daughter of Sir Thomas Bland Royden, 1st Baronet, of Frankby
Frankby
Frankby is a hamlet on the Wirral Peninsula, England and is located between Greasby and West Kirby. It is part of the Greasby, Frankby & Irby Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and is situated in the parliamentary constituency of Wirral West...
Hall, Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
. She was educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College
Cheltenham Ladies' College
The Cheltenham Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.-History:The school was founded in 1853...
and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Lady Margaret Hall is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located at the end of Norham Gardens in north Oxford. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £34m....
, and afterwards for some years did settlement
Settlement movement
The settlement movement was a reformist social movement, beginning in the 1880s and peaking around the 1920s in England and the US, with a goal of getting the rich and poor in society to live more closely together in an interdependent community...
work in Liverpool.
She also lectured on English Literature for the university extension movement, and in 1909 was elected to the executive committee of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies
National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies
The National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies , also known as the Suffragists was an organisation of women's suffrage societies in the United Kingdom.-Formation and campaigning:...
. From 1912 to 1914 she edited the Common Cause, the organ of the union.
She broke with the NUWSS over its support for the war effort. She became the secretary of the Fellowship of Reconciliation
Fellowship of Reconciliation
The Fellowship of Reconciliation is the name used by a number of religious nonviolent organizations, particularly in English-speaking countries...
with other Christian pacifist
Christian pacifism
Christian pacifism is the theological and ethical position that any form of violence is incompatible with the Christian faith. Christian pacifists state that Jesus himself was a pacifist who taught and practiced pacifism, and that his followers must do likewise.There have been various notable...
s. Although unable to travel to the women's peace congress in the Hague in 1915, when the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom was established in the United States in January 1915 as the Woman's Peace Party...
was established there, she became the vice-president.
Miss Royden became well known as a speaker on social and religious subjects, and in 1917 became assistant preacher at the City Temple
City Temple (London)
City Temple Church is a church on Holborn Viaduct in London, most famous as the preaching place of 20th century liberal theologian Leslie Weatherhead.Other notable preachers include Thomas Goodwin and Joseph Parker....
in London, being thus the first woman to occupy this office.
After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Royden's interest shifted to the role of women in the Church. In 1929 she began the official campaign for the ordination of women
Ordination of women
Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
when she founded the Society for the Ministry of Women. The first woman to become Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
in 1931, Royden made several worldwide preaching tours from the 1920s to the 1940s.
In 1939, she renounced pacifism believing Nazism to be a greater evil than war.
In 1944, she married the recently widowed Reverend Hudson Shaw whom she had loved for more than forty years.
Archives
Papers of Agnes Maude Royden are held at The Women's Library at London Metropolitan UniversityLondon Metropolitan University
London Metropolitan University , located in London, England, was formed on 1 August 2002 by the amalgamation of the University of North London and the London Guildhall University . The University has campuses in the City of London and in the London Borough of Islington.The University operates its...
, ref 7AMR
Books by Royden
- Downward paths (1916)
- Women and the sovereign state (1917)
- Sex and common-sense (1922)
- Prayer as a force (1923)
- Beauty in Religion (1923)
- Christ triumphant (1924)
- Church and woman (1924)
- Life's little pitfalls (1925)
- Here--and hereafter (1933)
- Problem of Palestine (1939)
- I Believe in God (1927)
- Women's Partnership in the New World (1941)
- The Threefold Cord (1947), autobiography