Frances Power Cobbe was an Irish feminist writer during the late 1800’s, writing for newspapers in addition to becoming a published author. Her writing focuses on defying traditional female roles and expectations, while pushing for expansion and elevation of women’s rights (Caine 2006). Frances Power Cobbe wrote about bettering conditions for delinquent girls, the right to divorce from an abusive husband, autonomy within marriage, women’s right to vote, and women’s right to education. Furthermore, Cobbe defied the traditional roles of women during this time period by rejecting the role of women as wives to men, instead she independently pursued her education and career. She continued to defy societal expectations and norms, by never marrying a man, instead living with her partner Mary Lloyd (Hamilton 2006, Caine 2006). Cobbe's pieces on domestic abuse and women maintaining rights in marriage resulted in the Parliament passing a bill making divorce legal (Burk 1993)! 
 

Though Cobbe is known for her contributions to feminist rhetorical history and various legislative efforts, it is important to note Cobbe’s identity as a white, cis-gendered, upper-middle class, educated woman (Caine 2006). Her identity as a lesbian woman created struggles for her personally and politically, but she was also awarded great privilege. It is with that knowledge that we include Frances Power Cobbe in this digital anthology. We encourage readers to consider how Cobbe’s personal privileges might intersect when reading her lectures or legislation. How does her whiteness inform her audience and appeals and the things she places value on in her work? Does her class and education make her work inaccessible to women of color or women of lower socioeconomic statuses? We will reflect on this through our own analysis of Cobbe’s references to marriage rights and religion.

Frances Power Cobbe is known, in part, for her lecture series The Duties of Women. At a glance, this book contains a series of essays about ethical practices of feminism. Cobbe describes how women came to be the lesser sex and goes in depth describing the three major moral duties that women (and men) should uphold: Religious, Personal, and Social. This book was published in 1881, a revolutionary time for women because the British Parliament had just passed the Married Women Property Act so women could now inherit and own land. Throughout these essays, Cobbe urges her female audience to break out of the stereotypical role of women during that time period and become their own individual self. She targets women with higher social status to set the example for all other women to follow and specifically the women living in America, since Cobbe associated the New World with a hope for a better future for women. The focus of this entry is “Lecture IV. Duties of Contract: Wives. — Friends.”

Navigate next to "Lecture IV. Duties of Contract: Wives — Friends.” for a brief summary of the Lecture. Then continue to our Marriage or Religion sections to learn more about the influences on Cobbe's work and the nuances of her lectures!