Ruth Fry
Encyclopedia
Anna Ruth Fry, usually known as Ruth Fry (4 September 1878 - 26 April 1962) was a British
Quaker writer, pacifist and peace activist.
, London
, into a Quaker family - her father was Sir Edward Fry
, a judge and lawyer who became known worldwide for his skilled work as a negotiator at the Hague Tribunal
in 1907 - and she was educated at home. She then worked as a peace activist and a writer, serving as treasurer of the Boer Home Industries Commission during the Boer War
, as general secretary of the Friends War Victims Relief Committee (a committee organized by British Quakers to provide help for refugees and victims of the First World War) from 1914 to 1924, as first chairman of the Russian Famine Relief Fund
in 1921, as the secretary for the National Council for the Prevention of War in 1926-27, and as the treasurer of the London branch of the War Resisters' International
in 1936-1937.
's journal Reconciliation in 1935.
's 2008 play Fram
, played in its premiere at the National Theatre by Clare Lawrence
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Quaker writer, pacifist and peace activist.
Life
Ruth was born in HighgateHighgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
, 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...
, into a Quaker family - her father was Sir Edward Fry
Edward Fry
Sir Edward Fry GCB, GCMG, PC, FRS , was a judge in the British Court of Appeal and also an arbitrator on the International Permanent Court of Arbitration. He was a Quaker, son of Joseph Fry and Mary Ann Swaine....
, a judge and lawyer who became known worldwide for his skilled work as a negotiator at the Hague Tribunal
Hague Tribunal
Hague Tribunal is a popular name for the Permanent Court of Arbitration established in 1899.*Permanent Court of Arbitration, a permanent arbitration court*Permanent Court of International Justice , superseded by:*International Court of Justice...
in 1907 - and she was educated at home. She then worked as a peace activist and a writer, serving as treasurer of the Boer Home Industries Commission during the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
, as general secretary of the Friends War Victims Relief Committee (a committee organized by British Quakers to provide help for refugees and victims of the First World War) from 1914 to 1924, as first chairman of the Russian Famine Relief Fund
Russian famine of 1921
The Russian famine of 1921, also known as Povolzhye famine, which began in the early spring of that year, and lasted through 1922, was a severe famine that occurred in Bolshevik Russia...
in 1921, as the secretary for the National Council for the Prevention of War in 1926-27, and as the treasurer of the London branch of the War Resisters' International
War Resisters' International
War Resisters' International is an international anti-war organization with members and affiliates in over thirty countries. Its headquarters are in London, UK.-History:...
in 1936-1937.
Literary works
In the First World War she toured the war zones as a traveling commissioner, writing about the relief efforts in her book A Quaker Adventure (1926). She was appointed to the editorial board of the Fellowship of ReconciliationFellowship of Reconciliation
The Fellowship of Reconciliation is the name used by a number of religious nonviolent organizations, particularly in English-speaking countries...
's journal Reconciliation in 1935.
In fiction
She appears as a character in Tony HarrisonTony Harrison
Tony Harrison is an English poet and playwright. He is noted for controversial works such as the poem V and Fram, as well as his versions of ancient Greek tragedies, including the Oresteia and Hecuba...
's 2008 play Fram
Fram (play)
Fram is a 2008 play by Tony Harrison. It uses the story of the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen's attempt to reach the North Pole, and his subsequent campaign to relieve famine in the Soviet Union to explore the role of art in a world beset by seemingly greater issues...
, played in its premiere at the National Theatre by Clare Lawrence
Clare Lawrence
Clare Lawrence Moody is an English television and stage actor and producer. She is the daughter of English television director Laurence Moody...
.
External links
Further reading
- The Times, Saturday, Apr 28, 1962; pg. 12; Issue 55377; col B: OBITUARY-Miss Ruth Fry Relief Work With The Quakers.