Carse, Matilda Bradley (1835–1917)

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Carse, Matilda Bradley (1835–1917)

American temperance leader. Born Matilda Bradley, Nov 19, 1835, in Saintfield, Ireland; died June 3, 1917, in Park Hill-on-Hudson, NY; dau. of John Bradley (linen merchant) and Catherine (Cleland) Bradley; educated in Ireland; m. Thomas Carse (railroad freight agent), Oct 8, 1861 (died 1870); children: David, Thomas and John Carse.

Came to US (1858), settling in Chicago; after son was run over and killed by a drunken carter (1874), directed efforts largely to temperance cause; served as president of Chicago Central Woman's Christian Temperance Union (1878–1917) which established numerous community services; founded and became president of Woman's Temperance Publishing Association (1880) and issued the weekly journal of the IL WCTU, Signal, which merged with national WCTU publication Our Union to become Union Signal (1882); served as president of Chicago Foundling's Home Aid Society and as the 1st woman member of Cook County Board of Education (1889–90).