Written By Carol Small, Middlesex Centre Archives
Another influencer in society is the press. Cora Hind (1861-1942), who grew up helping her grandfather on a farm in rural Grey County, became agricultural editor of the Manitoba Free Press in 1901. Because of her agricultural knowledge, Hind earned the respect of farmers through her articles and expert crop predictions not only on the Prairies but around the world. She was a founding member of the Canadian Women’s Press Club. With her efforts and others such as Nellie McClung, Manitoba granted women the right to vote in 1916.
Women contributed through work and finances to the farm business. Property assessments were often in joint names, especially after women gained the right to vote. However, the assumption that women were equal partners in the farming business, came crashing down in the 1975 Murdock divorce case. The legal status of the property was the name on the deed. The Supreme Court of Canada upheld a lower court ruling that Irene Murdock, an Albertan ranch woman seeking divorce, was not entitled to a half-interest in the ranch which was in her husband’s name solely. Irene had worked the ranch along-side her husband, and also worked the ranch while he was away. The ruling stated she had done no more than “just about what the ordinary rancher’s wife does” and had no right to a share in it. Women’s groups and activists were outraged. The case contributed to changes in provincial matrimonial property laws across Canada.
As a result of the Murdock case, 22% interest rates and resulting farm foreclosures in the 1980s, several new farm women’s organisations were established. In Middlesex County, The Women For Support of Agriculture (WSA) encouraged farm women to become involved in off-farm agricultural policy decision-making, learn about their legal status within current laws and legislation, market agriculture to the public and act as liaisons to educators for agriculture-in-the classroom. In 1992-93, WSA was heavily involved and opposed to the London-Middlesex Act 1992 (Bill 75) whereby the City of London annexed land from Middlesex County to almost double its then current size. Middlesex WSA disbanded in the late 1990s.
Farm women were impacted by the history of the time. Rural women went off to urban centres to work. Many never returned. The depression years forced farm women to seek ways to support their families. It could be the extra money earned through an increased chicken flock, produce from the gardens, etc., (farm women had always secured some finances for themselves, whether it was the egg or cream money). Now they simply added to it. During the war years, when the males left the farms for the armed forces, some women managed the farms. After the War, as with their urban sisters, they were subjected to the same 1950s’ propaganda that women should give up their jobs so males could be employed. Television and radio shows such as “Leave It to Beaver” or “Father Knows Best” reinforced the message that women should stay at home and look after the family. Increased mechanization and specialisation changed farming. With it, farm women looked to work off the farm, and returned to the work force as their urban sisters did. In today’s agricultural world, the farm woman may be the farm owner and operator, part of a farm partnership or corporation, or have a career of her own off the farm. No matter what sphere, as a contributor to farm production, the farm woman has maintained her status, power and prestige.
A short, brief outline of farm women’s history cannot tell their story. Have you checked the history of the women in your family? Time to check your family archives where old letters, papers, etc. are tucked away. Time to check your local archives to see what personal stories are part of the collections. The Middlesex Centre Archives has a rich collection of primary source materials as well as a collection of farm history books in the Ken Veldhuis Reading Room. Come for a visit to discover more history about the farm woman.
