To continue the Deaf women of the 125 Years Suffrage

Looking more Deaf women’s lives and their works more than 125 years ago.

We have another Deaf woman is Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna of Norfolk, England. She born in Norwich,  October 1790. She was a novel-writer after her father died and to support her mother and the family. The family was not rich. Charlotte went deaf at the age of ten.

One of her books was the most utmost popular work “The Wrongs of Woman” exposed the deplorable living and working conditions of female labourers in London.

Extracted from the books she wrote – “The Happy Mute” and it was about one chap – John Britt of Kilkenny.

in truth, every one of us is born dumb, and must remain so until reason dawns, and we begin to imitate the words used by others.  But when a person is born deaf, he continues dumb because he hears no language spoken ; or, at best, he will only make strange noises, in attempting to imitate the movements that he observes in the lips of others, who can use their organs of speech.  Thus are the poor mutes shut out from communicating their ideas, except by such signs as they can devise to express themselves by ; and these are seldom understood or regarded, unless by those very nearly and tenderly interested in the welfare and comfort of the afflicted creature who uses them.  Of course, all moral instruction is confined to mere tokens of approval or displeasure, as the child’s conduct is correct or not ; and religious teaching seems to be out of the question, where words are wanting to convey it.  We may teach a child who was born deaf, to kneel to hold up his hands, to move his lips, and often he will do so with the most affecting aspect of devotion ; but we can tell nothing of God the Creator and Preserver, the Redeemer and Sanctifier of our fallen race. (Elizabeth, 1841 p.9-10)

Her communication methods were sign language and lip-reading. Charlotte becomes a pioneer of Deaf Education and she married twice to George Phelan and Lewis Hippolytus Joseph Tonna. She died at the age of 55 years old in Ramsgate, England.