McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Elizabeth Carmichael Monk Fonds
General material designation
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Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
CA MUA MG4171
Edition area
Edition statement
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Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
0.09 m of textual records
Publisher's series area
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Archival description area
Name of creator
(1898-1980)
Biographical history
Elizabeth Monk was born in 1898 in Montreal. She completed her B.A. degree at McGill University in 1919 and received the Governor Generals’ Medal. She was granted an M.A. from Radcliffe College followed by a year at Oxford on an I.O.D.E. Scholarship. Returning to Montreal she was one of the first women admitted to the Faculty of Law at McGill receiving her B.C.L. in 1923 as well as the gold medal for the top student in her class. Since Quebec law did not permit women to practice law in the Province, Miss Monk went to Nova Scotia, where she was admitted to the Bar in 1934. It was not until 1942 that the Quebec law was changed, and Miss Monk and a colleague became the first women to practice law in Quebec. She became a Q.C. in 1955. All her adult life she played an active role in women rights, pressing for changes in discriminatory laws, both Federal and Provincial and serving as legal counsel to The League for Women Rights. In 1940 she became one of the first women to win a seat on the Montreal Municipal Council. She was as well a founding member of the University Women Club. During her long and distinguished career Miss Monk was the recipient of many awards including the McGill Graduates’ Society Award of Merit in 1968, an honorary L.L.D. from McGill in 1978 and the “Persons Medal” award from the Governor General in 1980 in commemoration of the struggle for women's rights. Elizabeth Monk died in 1980.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The earlier dates of the fonds concern John Monk, Elizabeth Monk’s grandfather, and consists of genealogical tables, originals of his and his wife’s wills and a xerox copy of his admission to the Bar of Lower Canada. There are letters from both, Elizabeth Monk’s mother and father, some of which cover the years her father was prospecting in Yukon. Later dates include newspaper clippings recording many of the outstanding events in Elizabeth Monk’s life. There are a few personal letters, a copy of her valedictory address to the Class of 1919 and correspondence relating to the McGill Marlet Memorial Fund established after her death. Other correspondence, mainly copies of outgoing letters (1962-1975), Elizabeth Monk's student essays (1915) and high school and university certificates won by Elizabeth Monk are pat of the collection. copies of outgoing letters (1962-1975) and Elizabeth Monk’s student essays (1915) are part of the collection.
Notes area
Physical condition
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Box Listing available
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Accruals
General note
Handwritten and typescript