Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia - papers concerning Margaret Watts, 1914-1982

MLMSS 7097
MLOH 454

fonds

1914-1982

Textual Records, Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Clippings, Photographs

412088

Partly Digitised

0.39 metres of textual material (3 boxes) - manuscript, printed, typescript, typescript, carbon, and typescript, photocopy
Clippings
Photographs
2 audiocassettes (2 hr., 6 min.) - 10 × 7 cm, 4 mm tape

Margaret Sturge Watts was born Margaret Sturge Thorp in 1892 at Liverpool, England, daughter of James Herbert Thorp a medical practitioner and his wife Anne Sturge, nee Eliot. The Thorp and Eliot families were Quakers and Margaret Watts was brought up and educated in the Quaker tradition. In 1912 Watts travelled to Australia with her parents. During World War I Watts was involved in peace movements in Australia and in 1919 travelled to Europe where she undertook post war relief work with the Society of Friends. After returning to Australia Watts was appointed first Welfare Superintendent at Anthony Hordern's department store. She was involved in the formation of the City Girls Amateur Sports Association and was the first President. In October 1925 she married Arthur Watts. In 1930 Watts was appointed Welfare Officer to the New South Wales Society for Crippled Children, a position she held until 1946. In 1947 Watts volunteered for service with the Quakers in the post war reconstruction of Europe and during 1948 she worked in Germany. On her return to Australia she was appointed Executive Secretary to the Good Neighbour Council, working for many years with migrant groups around Australia. In 1957 Watts was awarded an M.B.E. for her welfare work. Before her death in 1978 Margaret Watts donated her personal papers to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia. The papers relate to her work with the Society and with many other organisations working for women, peace, children's welfare and displaced persons. The papers include material about Margaret Watts which was collected by others interested in her work.

1914-1969; Correspondence, being ms. and ts. letters received and carbon ts. letters sent along with miscellaneous notes, cards and ts. reports. Letters sent include carbon ts. letters and reports written by Watts and sent from Germany during 1948 describing conditions in Berlin for the civilian population and describing relief work undertaken by Watts and others. (Call No.: MLMSS 7097/1)
1914-1973; Papers of Margaret Watts, being ms. and ts. notes, correspondence and miscellaneous photographs. Papers include family papers concerning Watts parents and brothers and sisters. (Call No.: MLMSS 7097/1)
1919; 1935; 1948; Diaries, being ms. diaries with detailed entries: diary, 1919, includes desription of peace work in Europe after World War I; travel diary, 1935, with notes and illustrations, includes detailed description of Watts travel around Europe and America; diary, 1948, includes description of post war reconstruction work in Germany. (Call No.: MLMSS 7097/1)
ca.1974; 'Faith My Shield', an unpublished autobiography by Margaret Watts, being three incomplete ts. and carbon ts. draft versions along with ms. and ts. fragments and notes. (Call No.: MLMSS 7097/2)
1920-1968; Passports and travel permits of Margaret Watts (Call No.: MLMSS 7097/2)
1945-1976; Printed material, including The History of the New South Wales Society For Crippled Children (Sydney, 1976) inscribed to Margaret Watts, Handbook of Practice and Procedure (Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia:Sydney,1967) and various printed brochures and booklets (Call No.: MLMSS 7097/2)
1917-1977; Scrap books of Margaret Watts, being 2 vols. including newscuttings, notes, letters and cards received (Call No.: MLMSS 7097/3)
1978-1982; Papers concerning Margaret Watts, including Quaker testimonies, newscuttings, letters sent to Eileen Barnard Kettle concerning Margaret Watts and a Memorial Service sheet. (Call No.: MLMSS 7097/3)
1973-1978; Biographical notes concerning Margaret Watts (Call No.: MLMSS 7097/3)

Margaret Watts reading chapters from her unpublished autobiography 'Faith My Shield', approximately 1970 (MLOH 454)

Partly restricted: Applies to MLMSS 7097

In copyright:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder

The description of this material has been supplied from the Oral History Digitisation Program, undertaken 2014 to 2017, of the Library's oral history collections.

This collection includes sound recordings. You may navigate to a more detailed description from this record.
State Library of New South Wales collection of World War I diaries