Servants and gentlewomen to the golden land : the emigration of single women from Britain to Southern Africa, 1820-1939 / Cecillie Swaisland.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Swaisland, Cecillie.

Series:

Cross-cultural perspectives on women ; v. 6.

Cross-cultural perspectives on women ; vol. 6

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Women foreign workers--South Africa.

Women foreign workers.

Emigration and immigration.

South Africa--Emigration and immigration.

South Africa.

Great Britain--Emigration and immigration.

Great Britain.

Physical Description:

xii, 186 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; Providence : Berg ; Pietermaritzburg, South Africa : University of Natal Press, 1993.

Summary:

Too often, the emigration of women has been treated as an adjunct to that of men, especially in the case of families travelling together. The emigration of single women, though widespread - particularly in the British Empire - has too often been neglected, or seen as only part of a larger story. In significant ways, however, the emigration of single women from Britain in the 19th and early 20th centuries was distinct from the general movement. It was rooted, in the main, in those features of British society peculiar to their sex, and also in conditions in the colonies that made the venture possible for them. What factors would cause a woman to leave all she has known for the uncertainty and danger of a 'wild' colony half a world away? How did these women adapt to the unique circumstances of life in southern Africa? These are some of the questions addressed by the author, herself the daughter of an emigrant couple, in this fascinating book. The author not only explores the larger issues of single women's emigration to southern Africa, but also presents the compelling experiences of individual women, as seen through documents by them and people who knew them.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [171]-180) and index.

ISBN:

0854967451

0854968709

OCLC:

25787486