Mills-Young, Miss Florence Ethel, Tordale, Totnes
Florence Ethel (1875-1954) Mills-Young[1] was a South African who had settled in South Devon with her sister Elizabeth. Florence was a prolific writer, author of South African farm novels such as The Bywonner (sic)[2] and also of popular books set in England, such as The Bigamist.[3]
Together with her sister Elizabeth they initiated the Totnes Branch of the NUWSS by holding a drawing-room [invitation only] meeting in their home, Tordale, in November 1911.[4] Florence Mills-Young became secretary and in fact presided at the first public meeting held on 19 December 1911 at the Seymour Hotel Assembly Rooms, addressed by Mary Willcocks (q.v.).[5] She also presided at a meeting of the Totnes branch of the NUWSS in support of the Conciliation Bill in March 1912, and spoke against the rise of militancy.[6] She was also present at an NUWSS meeting in Totnes addressed by Cameron Grant in November 1913.[7]
There are no subsequent references to the Youngs in Totnes and they appear to have moved away.
Entry created by Julia Neville, with thanks to Ken Prout.[8], August 2018
[1] Family and census information from www.ancestry.co.uk
[2] The word is usually spelt ‘bywoner’, and is the South African term for a squatter.
[3] For a discussion of her South African work see Snyman, J.P.L., Florence Mills Young. South African Writers Series No. 43. In Femina & Woman’s Life: 28 January 1965 (no page reference).
[4] Referred to in CC, 28 Dec 1911, p.9.
[5] CC, 1 Feb 1912, p.10.
[6] Western Daily Mercury, 19 Mar 1912.
[7] Western Times, 24 November 1913.
[8] Ken Prout, ‘The Totnes Suffragists’, The Totnes Review, June 2018, pp4-7.