Frances L. Boult | |
|---|---|
 Portrait fromFifty Years of Food Reform (1898) | |
| Born | Frances Sarah Louisa Morton (1856-04-28)28 April 1856 Wirral, England |
| Died | 29 April 1905(1905-04-29) (aged 49) Malvern, England |
| Occupations |
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| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Frances Sarah Louisa Boult (néeMorton; 28 April 1856 – 29 April 1905) was an English activist, magazine editor, and cookery instructor. She advocated fortemperance andvegetarianism. Boult was the founder of the Ivy Leaf Society and was the editor of its magazineThe Children's Garden. She also founded and served as vice-president of the Northern Heights Vegetarian Society.
Boult was born in theWirral on 28 April 1856.[1][2] As a young woman, she was involved with the women'stemperance movement. She became avegetarian to treat paralysis but converted to its ethics.[3]
Boult was the founder and honourary secretary of the Ivy Leaf Society, a vegetarian organisation that encouragedhumanitarian principles to young people under the age of 17.[4][5] She also served as president.[6] The Society advocated compassion to both human and non-human animals with its motto: "I will not kill nor hurt any living creature needlessly, nor destroy any beautiful thing, but will strive to comfort and protect all gentle life upon the earth".[5] Children from the Society went to Boult's house for meetings at Hilldrop Crescent,Camden Road, where they delivered songs and played games.[5]
The Society lectured at schools and offered prizes to children for vegetarian essays.[7] Boult was a speaker at theVegetarian Federal Union's 4th International Congress in 1897.[6] She was active in theLondon Vegetarian Society (LVS) which cooperated with the Ivy Leaf Society. In 1900, the Ivy Leaf Society publishedThe Children's Garden magazine which was edited by Boult.[5] After its first year, 32,000 copies of the magazine had circulated. It was published monthly until December 1905. The magazine featured fictional stories, poetry, and non-fiction articles focused on moral guidance and vegetarianism.[5]
Boult was the founder and a vice-president of the Northern Heights Vegetarian Society.[8]: 165 [9][10] In 1904, she lectured on "Substitutes: How the vegetable kingdom replaces the animal" and demonstrated the substitutes to her audience. Fats from nuts were used to replace lard and suet, there were vegetable substitutes for candles and soaps, boots without leather and imitation furs.[11] She created a vegetarianplum pudding recipe.[12]
Boult founded the children's section of the Vegetarian Society[13] and served on the General Council of theOrder of the Golden Age.[14] Additionally, she published the children's magazineRainbow.[8]: 149
Boult married Alfred Julius Boult on 24 August 1880.[15] He was the founder ofBoult Wade Tennant. They had two sons and one daughter. Their daughter Winifred Louisa Boult worked onThe Children's Garden in 1900.[3]
Boult died ofmeningitis at Swinmore House,Malvern on 29 April 1905. A memorial service was held at theRosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, on 3 May.[2]Sidney H. Beard commented that humanity had lost "one of its bravest and most devoted apostles".[5]
Following Boult's death, the Ivy Leaf Society and its magazine disbanded in December 1905. The Vegetarian Federal Union published a new magazine that debuted in January 1906 under the titleChildren's Realm in honour of Boult.[5] The magazine was managed byArnold Hills who promised to continue Boult's work.[5]