Fonds GB 0106 7CMS - STOTT, Catherine Mary Charlotte (1907-2002)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0106 7CMS

Title

STOTT, Catherine Mary Charlotte (1907-2002)

Date(s)

  • 1915-1995 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

9 A boxes and 3 objects

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Catherine Mary Charlotte Stott (1907-2002), known as Mary, was born in Leicester. She was the only daughter of two journalists, Robert and Amalie Waddington (née Bates), and had two older brothers. Her uncle, Henry Bates, was a local journalist. For nearly 50 years she worked in newspapers. Mary became interested in politics after accompaning her mother to meetings of local women Liberals during the First World War. Her first memory was of being driven around with a green ribbon in her hat, campaigning in the 1911 general election. After attending Wyggeston Leicester grammar school Mary worked as a temporary copyholder at the Leicester Mail, and then at the age of 19 she was appointed the women's editor. She was unable to join either the Typographical Association or the Correctors of the Press Association because neither accepted women members. In 1931 she moved to the Co-operative Press in Manchester, where she edited the two pages of the weekly Co-op News devoted mainly to reports of the women's co-operative guild, and children's publications. In 1945 she accepted John Beavan's offer of a sub-editing job on the Manchester Evening News. In 1950 she was sacked in order to protect the male succession to the post of chief sub-editor. She spent the next seven years mainly in 'domesticity'. In 1937, Mary married Ken Stott, a journalist at the News Chronicle, always known to her simply as 'K'. They lived in Heaton Moor, Cheshire until he died in 1967, at the age of 56. They had one daughter, a journalist named Catherine. Stott later moved to a flat in Blackheath, south London. In 1957 the then Guardian's editor, Alastair Hetherington, asked Mary to edit the paper's women's page, and she became the women's page editor of the 'Guardian' until 1972. Mary had a keen interest in equal rights for women, but also other forms of discrimination: poverty, unemployment or disability. She was particularly keen on women's financial independence. The Mainly For Women title became, in 1969, Woman's Guardian, which ran until 1973. After a two-year change of tack as Guardian Miscellany, Guardian Women re-emerged, with Stott still a contributor. Stott encouraged women - both professional and non-professional writers - to write articles that were published in her pages, often receiving over 50 unsolicited manuscripts per week. She was a founder member in 1970 of the pressure group Women in Media and last president of the Women's Press Club in 1970. She also established the National Association for Widows, of which she was president from 1993 to 1995. She chaired the Fawcett Society from 1980-1982. Her autobiography, 'Forgetting's No Excuse', was published in 1973 and it focused on her experience of widowhood. Her second volume of memoirs, 'Before I Go' (1985), contained reflections on old age. Stott's other books include: 'Organisation Woman: The Story of the National Union of Townswomen's Guilds' (1978), 'Ageing for Beginners' (1981), 'Women Talking: An Anthology From the Guardian Women's Pages 1922-1953 and 1957-1971' (1987). She was also interested in classical music and in painting. She received several honours: she won the Granada Award for the liveliest daily interest page in journalism in 1971; an honorary fellowship from Manchester Polytechnic in 1972; awarded the OBE for services to journalism in 1975; an honorary MA from the Open University in 1991; and an honorary doctorate from De Montfort University, Leicester, in 1996.

Repository

Archival history

GB 0106 7CMS 1915-1995 Fonds 9 A boxes and 3 objects Stott , Catherine Mary Charlotte , 1907-2002 , née Waddington , journalist and author x Stott , Mary x Waddington , Mary Charlotte

Catherine Mary Charlotte Stott (1907-2002), known as Mary, was born in Leicester. She was the only daughter of two journalists, Robert and Amalie Waddington (née Bates), and had two older brothers. Her uncle, Henry Bates, was a local journalist. For nearly 50 years she worked in newspapers. Mary became interested in politics after accompaning her mother to meetings of local women Liberals during the First World War. Her first memory was of being driven around with a green ribbon in her hat, campaigning in the 1911 general election. After attending Wyggeston Leicester grammar school Mary worked as a temporary copyholder at the Leicester Mail, and then at the age of 19 she was appointed the women's editor. She was unable to join either the Typographical Association or the Correctors of the Press Association because neither accepted women members. In 1931 she moved to the Co-operative Press in Manchester, where she edited the two pages of the weekly Co-op News devoted mainly to reports of the women's co-operative guild, and children's publications. In 1945 she accepted John Beavan's offer of a sub-editing job on the Manchester Evening News. In 1950 she was sacked in order to protect the male succession to the post of chief sub-editor. She spent the next seven years mainly in 'domesticity'. In 1937, Mary married Ken Stott, a journalist at the News Chronicle, always known to her simply as 'K'. They lived in Heaton Moor, Cheshire until he died in 1967, at the age of 56. They had one daughter, a journalist named Catherine. Stott later moved to a flat in Blackheath, south London. In 1957 the then Guardian's editor, Alastair Hetherington, asked Mary to edit the paper's women's page, and she became the women's page editor of the 'Guardian' until 1972. Mary had a keen interest in equal rights for women, but also other forms of discrimination: poverty, unemployment or disability. She was particularly keen on women's financial independence. The Mainly For Women title became, in 1969, Woman's Guardian, which ran until 1973. After a two-year change of tack as Guardian Miscellany, Guardian Women re-emerged, with Stott still a contributor. Stott encouraged women - both professional and non-professional writers - to write articles that were published in her pages, often receiving over 50 unsolicited manuscripts per week. She was a founder member in 1970 of the pressure group Women in Media and last president of the Women's Press Club in 1970. She also established the National Association for Widows, of which she was president from 1993 to 1995. She chaired the Fawcett Society from 1980-1982. Her autobiography, 'Forgetting's No Excuse', was published in 1973 and it focused on her experience of widowhood. Her second volume of memoirs, 'Before I Go' (1985), contained reflections on old age. Stott's other books include: 'Organisation Woman: The Story of the National Union of Townswomen's Guilds' (1978), 'Ageing for Beginners' (1981), 'Women Talking: An Anthology From the Guardian Women's Pages 1922-1953 and 1957-1971' (1987). She was also interested in classical music and in painting. She received several honours: she won the Granada Award for the liveliest daily interest page in journalism in 1971; an honorary fellowship from Manchester Polytechnic in 1972; awarded the OBE for services to journalism in 1975; an honorary MA from the Open University in 1991; and an honorary doctorate from De Montfort University, Leicester, in 1996.

Donated to the library by Mary Stott in 1986 and 1996. Acc 1996/09 came to the Library with 6WIM and 7HEF.

Papers of Mary Stott, 1915-1995, comprising manuscripts of books and research papers; papers accumulated as women's editor of 'The Guardian', and as a member of women's organisations; papers accumulated as a member of Women in Media; personal papers; campaign papers; information papers; papers relating to other organisations; papers relating to the Women's Liberation Movement; objects; audio visual materials and printed material.

The archive has been arranged into 9 groups:

7CMS/01 Personal papers

7CMS/02 Manuscripts and research papers

7CMS/03 Campaign papers

7CMS/04 Information papers

7CMS/05 Papers relating to other organisations

7CMS/06 Papers relating to the Women's Liberation Movement

7CMS/07 Objects

7CMS/08 Audio visual materials

7CMS/09 Printed material

This collection is available for research. Two files are closed in accordance with the Data Protection Act. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

English.

The Women's Library also holds: Records of the Women's Press Club (5WPC)(Stott was the last president of the Women's Press Club in 1970); Women in Media (6WIM) (Stott was a prominent member); Papers of Sylvia Hayman (7HAY ) contains correspondence between Mary Stott and Sylvia Hayman; Records of Action Opportunities collection donated by Mary Stott (5AOP). The Women's Library Printed Collections holds some publications by Mary Stott.

The collection contains working papers related to the publication of: 'Ageing for Beginners' (London , Blackwells, 1981) ISBN: 0631127771; 'Women Talking' (London, Harper Collin, 1987 ) ISBN: 0863580874; 'Forgetting's No Excuse' (London, Faber, 1973) ISBN: 0571098754; Organization Woman (London, Heinemann, 1978) ISBN: 0434748005; and 'Before I Go' (London, Virago, 1985) ISBN: 0860684091.

Collection description by Liza Giffen, Genesis Project Officer. Collection described by Gillian Murphy, Project Archivist, Oct 2008. Edited for AIM25 by Sarah Drewery. In compliance with ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, 1995; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. 24/06/2002 Stott , Catherine Mary Charlotte , 1907-2002 , née Waddington , journalist and author x Stott , Mary x Waddington , Mary Charlotte Journalists Communication personnel Women journalists Authors Women authors UK Western Europe Europe London England Personnel People by occupation People

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Donated to the library by Mary Stott in 1986 and 1996. Acc 1996/09 came to the Library with 6WIM and 7HEF.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Mary Stott, 1915-1995, comprising manuscripts of books and research papers; papers accumulated as women's editor of 'The Guardian', and as a member of women's organisations; papers accumulated as a member of Women in Media; personal papers; campaign papers; information papers; papers relating to other organisations; papers relating to the Women's Liberation Movement; objects; audio visual materials and printed material.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The archive has been arranged into 9 groups:

7CMS/01 Personal papers

7CMS/02 Manuscripts and research papers

7CMS/03 Campaign papers

7CMS/04 Information papers

7CMS/05 Papers relating to other organisations

7CMS/06 Papers relating to the Women's Liberation Movement

7CMS/07 Objects

7CMS/08 Audio visual materials

7CMS/09 Printed material

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

This collection is available for research. Two files are closed in accordance with the Data Protection Act. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English.

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

The Women's Library also holds: Records of the Women's Press Club (5WPC)(Stott was the last president of the Women's Press Club in 1970); Women in Media (6WIM) (Stott was a prominent member); Papers of Sylvia Hayman (7HAY ) contains correspondence between Mary Stott and Sylvia Hayman; Records of Action Opportunities collection donated by Mary Stott (5AOP). The Women's Library Printed Collections holds some publications by Mary Stott.

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Women's Library

Rules and/or conventions used

In compliance with ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, 1995; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area