Key Number:	HS 28375
Site Name:	Emily Murphy House
Other Names:
Site Type:	0101 - Residential: Single Dwelling

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			52	24	4

Address:	11011 - 88 Avenue
Number:	11
Street:	110
Avenue:	88
Other:
Town:	Edmonton
Near Town:

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:	L
Storeys:	Storeys: 2
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Concrete
Superstructure:	Nailed Frame
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:	Medium Gable
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:
Exterior:	Roofing is wood shingles.
Interior:	N/A
Environment:	Neighbourhood: Garneau
Condition:	Structure: Good. Repair: Fair.
Alterations:	N/A

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Residence	1912/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
Residence Co-operative student house.	1912/01/01 1974/09/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
Emily Gowan Murphy U of A	1912/01/01 1974/09/25

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	N/A
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	Previous legal description: Lot 29, Block 176, Plan 7239R. Home of Emily Gowan Murphy (1868 - 1933) author, police magistrate, and member of the famous 'Five Persons', who campaigned for the right of women to be considered 'persons' able to sit in the Canadian Senate. The legal battle was fought to the Privy Council in England, where, in 1929, the women finally won their case. She lived in this house from 1919 until her death in 1933. ******** Designated Provincial Historic Resource in 1977. First occupant was Samuel T. Mains, Manager of North American Collieries, in 1917. Prominent occupant was Emily Murphy, who lived at this address from c.1918 until her death in 1933. She was appointed first woman Magistrate in British Empire (1916) and was associated with the famous 'Persons' case (1929). She was a well-known author as 'Janey Canuck'. ********* Emily Gowan Murphy was born in Cookstown, Ontario in 1868, and in 1907 she and her husband moved to Edmonton. Murphy chronicled many of her adventures under the pseudonym of 'Janey Canuck', and was president of the Canadian Women's Press Club from 1913 to 1920. Her social activism was legendary; she was actively involved in the campaign to establish property rights for women, enacted by the Dower Property Act of 1911, inaugurated the movement to establish the Victorian Order of Nurses in Edmonton in 1910, and began a campaign for the election of women as School Trustees. In 1922 the Montreal Women's Press Club put Murphy's name forward for appointment to the Senate, but it was refused on the grounds that under the British North America Act, women were not considered 'persons' for rights and privileges. Murphy, with four other women (including Nellie McClung) fought this ruling to the Privy Council in London, where in 1929 women were finally ruled as 'persons' in Canada. Emily Murphy lived in this house from 1919 until her death in 1933, and is buried in the Mausoleum at Edmonton Cemetery. * * * Author, feminist leader and first woman Police Magistrate in the British Commonwealth. Responsible for women being legally regarded as people who are able to sit in Canadian Senate. Owned and occupied by Emily Murphy, 1919 - 1933. Classified Historic Site, 1976. * * * Home of Emily Gowan Murphy (1868-1933), author, police magistrate, and member of the famous 'Five Persons', who campaigned for the right of women to be considered 'persons' able to sit in the Canadian Senate. The legal battle was fought to the Privy Council in England, where, in 1929, the women finally won their case. She lived in this house from 1919 until her death in 1933. Typical frame construction of Edmonton residences of that class during the first quarter of the Twentieth Century. Presently used as a cooperative student house. Much of the interior of the house is in poor condition, since the leaking roof needs repair before interior refinishing can proceed. (September 25, 1974, Ken Perry). * * * SUFFRAGETTE'S HOME 'TYPICAL OF TIMES' By Gail Gravelines The brown and white two-storey home in Garneau where Alberta social activist and suffragette Emily Murphy lived until her death doesn't look that different from surrounding houses in the neighborhood. With the exception of the brass plaque on the house front commemorating the home's one time resident, Emily Murphy House at 11011 - 88 Avenue, appears at first sight to be just another older house that a handful of University of Alberta students call home. Though designated a provincial historic resource - the highest classification awarded a historic site by Alberta Culture - in 1977, Emily Murphy House was awarded the honor chiefly because the well known Albertan lived there. In fact, an Alberta Culture evaluation of the building concludes the home itself, built in 1912, is of the 'typical frame construction of the first quarter of the century in Edmonton', built with materials that are neither unique or unusual. But what does make Emily Murphy House unusual is the woman who lived there from 1919 to 1933. Emily Murphy, born Emily Ferguson in Simcoe County, Ontario in 1868, is best remembered as one of the five Alberta women who won the Persons Case. In 1929, Murphy and her four colleagues - Henrietta Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney and Irene Parlby - presented their case to the English privy council that women were legally 'persons' and as such should be able to sit in the Canadian Senate. Much of the preliminary planning and organizational work took place during meetings at Emily Murphy's home. Today their victory is marked with a plaque outside the doors of the Senate chamber in Ottawa. And, while it is perhaps the most famous of Emily Murphy's contributions, the Persons Case was but one accomplishment in her lifetime of social activism. Emily Ferguson married Rev. Arthur Murphy in 1887. They moved to Edmonton in 1907. The mother of two daughters, Emily Murphy soon found herself active in community concerns. She joined with other community members to push for more playgrounds in Edmonton. She started a movement for medical inspection of Alberta schools. She organized the first Alberta-Saskatchewan branch of the Canadian Committee of Mental Hygiene. She advanced the registration of women for war work, was a founding member of the Edmonton Equal Franchise League and prompted women to run for political office. When a group of Alberta women were asked to leave a court session they were watching because the male magistrate thought them too respectable to hear the prostitution charges about to be brought against several Edmonton women, the upstanding female citizens decided instead it was time to petition for a female magistrate. In 1916, Emily Murphy was named the first woman magistrate in the British Empire. A year later she was elected to the Alberta legislature - the first woman in the British Empire to take her seat in an elected assembly. Besides her social activism, Murphy also wrote a variety of books and magazine articles under her pen name Janey Canuck. Following her death in 1933, her home was purchased by a Hudson's Bay Co. employee. It was later owned by a civil servant, then in 1970 the University of Alberta purchased the building. Emily Murphy House is currently used as university student housing. (October 12, 1984). * * * EMILY MURPHY HOUSE (1912) Home of Social Activist This brown and white Garneau two-storey isn't distinguished by its architecture, as much as by the social contributions of former owner. This is where Alberta social activist and suffragette Emily Murphy lived until her death. With the exception of the brass plaque on the house front commemorating the home's one time resident, Emily Murphy House appears at first sight to be an unremarkable older house. Though designated a Provincial Historic Resource in 1977 - Emily Murphy House was awarded the honor chiefly because the well known Alberta lived there. Alberta Culture described its design as a frame house with a typical Arts and Crafts-influenced style of the early 20th century. It was built with materials that were neither unique or unusual. Emily Murphy, born Emily Ferguson in Simcoe Country, Ontario in 1868, is best remembered as one of the five Alberta women who won the Persons Case. In 1929, Murphy and her four colleagues - Henriette Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney and Irene Parlby - presented their case to the English Privy Counsil that women were legally 'persons' and as such should be able to sit in the Canadian Senate. Much of the preliminary planning and organizational work took place during meeting at Emily Murphy's home. Today their victory is marked with a plaque outside the doors of the Senate chamber in Ottawa. And, while it is perhaps the most famous of Emily Murphy's contributions, the Persons Case was but one accomplishment in her lifetime of social activism. Emily Ferguson married Reverend Arthur Murphy in 1887. They moved to Edmonton in 1907. The mother of two daughters, she soon found herself active in community concerns. She joined with other community members to push for more playgrounds in Edmonton. She started a movement for medical inspection of Alberta schools. She organized the first Alberta-Saskatchewan branch of the Canadian Committee of Mental Hygiene. Murphy advanced the registration of women for war work, was a founding member of the Edmonton Equal Franchise League and prompted women to run for political office. In 1916, Emily Murphy was named the first woman magistrate in the British Empire. Besides her social activism, Murphy also wrote a variety of books and magazine articles under her pen name Janey Canuck. During the 1920s she campaigned ardently against narcotics, and her book, The Black Candle, won international acclaim for alerting the world to the phenomena of drug addiction.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:
Municipal A List Provincial Historic Resource	1977/06/28

Register:	A59

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places:	4665-0512