Mary Neal
Encyclopedia
Mary Neal CBE
(5 June 1860–22 June 1944), born Clara Sophia Neal, was an English
social work
er and collector of English folk dance
s.
She was born in Edgbaston
, Birmingham
to a prosperous family, but in 1888 began voluntary social work among the poor of Soho
and Marylebone
in London
, adopting the name "Mary". She began a girls' club – the Espérance Club
in Cumberland Market
– and seeing how much the girls enjoyed folk dances inspired her to begin collecting them. Her services to the preservation of these dances rather belatedly led to her being appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(CBE) in 1937.
Mary Neal was also a prominent socialist
and suffragette
and a leading member of the Kibbo Kift
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(5 June 1860–22 June 1944), born Clara Sophia Neal, was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
er and collector of English folk dance
Folk dance
The term folk dance describes dances that share some or all of the following attributes:*They are dances performed at social functions by people with little or no professional training, often to traditional music or music based on traditional music....
s.
She was born in Edgbaston
Edgbaston
Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
to a prosperous family, but in 1888 began voluntary social work among the poor of Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
and Marylebone
Marylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, adopting the name "Mary". She began a girls' club – the Espérance Club
Espérance Club
The Espérance Club, and the Maison Espérance dressmaking cooperative, were founded in the mid-1890s by Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence and Mary Neal in response to distressing conditions for girls in the London dress trade...
in Cumberland Market
Cumberland Market
Cumberland Market was a London market between Regent's Park and Euston railway station. It was built in the early 19th century and was London's hay and straw market for a hundred years until the late 1920s. An arm of the Regent's Canal was built to the market. The market was surrounded by modest...
– and seeing how much the girls enjoyed folk dances inspired her to begin collecting them. Her services to the preservation of these dances rather belatedly led to her being appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(CBE) in 1937.
Mary Neal was also a prominent socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and suffragette
Suffragette
"Suffragette" is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union...
and a leading member of the Kibbo Kift
Kibbo Kift
The Kindred of the Kibbo Kift was a youth organisation in England from 1920 to 1951.-Origins:The organisation was founded by the charismatic Englishman John Hargrave , artist, author and Boy Scout Commissioner for Woodcraft and Camping, who had become disenchanted with the increasingly militaristic...
.
External links
- "The Mary Neal Project", Mary Neal's grandniece recently unearthed Mary Neal's autobiography, Mary Neal Project documents Mary's life and donated her autobiography to the Cecil Sharp House
- "So who was Mary Neal anyway?", article by Janet Dowling
- Emmeline Pethick, Mary Neal and their work with young women
- Article on Mary Neal and morris dancing in America
- New Esperance Morris, Women's Morris Side in London, continuing the tradition of Mary Neal