Emily Murphy

A web of Emily Murphy (I made it.)

My hero is very special. She made many contributions for women, she changed the way we live today. For example she made sure women would not be left with nothing if their husbands left. She and the rest of “The Famous Five” changed the law so that women were considered persons, and she was the first woman Magistrate in the British Empire. My hero is Emily Murphy and I am proud to be a girl growing up in Canada because of her work.

Emily Ferguson was born in Cookstown, Ontario in 1868 and went to school at Bishop Strachan School in Toronto, a private girls’ school. She was lucky that her parents believed that girls should have an education too! She was married to Arthur Murphy in 1887. They had three daughters, Kathleen, Evelyn, and Doris. Sadly, Doris died of diphtheria while she was still young. After Doris died, Emily and her family moved to West Swan River, Manitoba in 1903. Then, they moved to Edmonton, Alberta four years later. In Edmonton she became interested in some of the problems women had to overcome.

One time, when Emily and her husband were traveling around the country, she met a woman who had no home or money because her husband sold their farm and left her and their children behind. Emily was in horror when she heard this story so she decided to do something about it. Emily worked hard to convince politicians to help her. In 1917, the Dower Act was passed in the Alberta Legislature giving a wife the right to one third of her husband’s money if he divorced her. Later, she asked for a female judge to listen to a case involving a woman’s rights. The government accepted the idea of a woman Magistrate and appointed Emily as the first female Magistrate in the British Empire.

The British Empire was made up of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, India, parts of Africa, parts of Southeast Asia, and more! Emily Murphy became the first female magistrate in any of these countries! It was a huge accomplishment. During her first case, the lawyers complained about Emily Murphy becoming a magistrate because women weren’t considered ‘persons’ under the law. Emily wanted to change that so she got the help of her brother, who was a lawyer. Emily needed four other citizens in order to take the issue to the Supreme Court. She found Henrietta Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, and Irene Parlby to help her. They became known as “The Famous Five”. They helped all the people of Canada by convincing the Supreme Court that women should be ‘persons’ under the law, and influencing other women in other countries.

Emily Murphy (I made it)

I think that Emily Murphy is a hero because she changed the way we live today! If Emily Murphy haven’t done so many amazing things, women wouldn’t be considered ‘Persons,’ women would be left with nothing when their husbands left, and women wouldn’t be allowed to be judges. I am glad to say that Emily Murphy was a Canadian. But even now in some countries women can’t leave the house without a man with them or even go to school.

Emily Murphy fought for twenty years for women's rights. She could have quit any time but she didn’t, she kept with it. Emily Murphy showed us that if you have a dream you should follow it. She taught us you should stick with what you believe in and one day you will accomplish your goals