One Woman's Voice

Biography of Elizabeth Mansfield Irving (1852-1939), Elocutionist, Patriot, Women's Rights Pioneer

Elizabeth Mansfield Irving was born in New York State just before the Civil War, when elocution (speaking well and effectively) was a national pastime, and she loved to recite poems and speak. As a woman, she was somewhat limited in what she could do, but she was successful at reciting poetry at veterans' reunions and encampments, and made a national reputation as a reader, particularly the poetry of her friend Kate Brownslee Sherwood. She also ran her husband's insurance business and taught elocution in Toledo over many decades.

Through her life we can learn about the age of elocutionists (influenced by Delsarte) and the era when women found their voice, not only through suffrage but also through studying and learning elocution.

©2022 Thomas Leverett (P)2022 Thomas Leverett