Anna Christy Fall – pioneer woman lawyer, writer and suffragist

By Inna Babitskaya

Those women lawyers who began to practice their profession in the late 19th century not only made significant input in the fight for women’s rights but also changed the overall situation with social and civil rights. Among the pioneering women lawyers of Massachusetts was Anna Christy Fall, the first woman in a state to plead a case before a jury and to argue a client’s cause before the Supreme Court. Due to her and her colleague’s efforts, modern professional women have a chance to pursue a judicial career.

Anna Christy Fall was born in Chelsea, Mass., on April 23, 1855, to William Christy and Margaret (Wilson) Christy. Her parents were first-generation immigrants. Her father, William Christy (1815–1894), was from the Ballyportry County, Antrim, Ireland. Her mother, Margaret (Wilson) Christy (1822–1904), was from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. Both immigrated to the USA in 1847 and married in Boston in 1848. They settled in Chelsea, where their seven children were born – three sons and four daughters. William Christy was a typical hardworking immigrant, who changed a few professions during his life in the USA. He worked as a laborer, well digger and stone mason (from 1860 till 1893). His wife Margaret devoted all her time and efforts to him and their children.

Like her parents and siblings, young Anna was very religious. Her daughter Emma Fall Schofield later wrote: “As a child of twelve, she read the Bible from cover to cover in one year. A total of 66 Books of the Old and New Testament, three chapters every weekday and five on Sunday. The stabilizing effect on her character lasted throughout her lifetime. Certain chapters and verses of the Bible were especially loved by my mother; and she would often quote them.”

Anna attended Chelsea public schools. Though she grew up in a blue-collar family, she always dreamed about something more than a traditional housewife’s role. However, from an early age, she used to help her mother with the home chores. Later Anna often told her children “the story of studying her lessons in High School at the same time she watched the cows and knit socks, stockings and mufflers for her father and the three boys of the family.”

Trying to reach her life goal, Anna became one of the best students in her class. Besides reaching excellence in traditional school subjects, she succeeded in writing prose and received recognition at a very young age. “Even in High School she had begun to receive pay for her literary efforts. And the serial story published in a magazine of that period weaving around a romance the jolly doings and camping parties of a group of her companions at Chelsea Beach even now delights her children and grandchildren.”

Her daughter Emma proudly wrote: “Mother was quite young when she began to write little stories and articles which she sent to various local journals. And to her surprise and delight most of them were published. Perhaps it was because they were so interesting and full of fun.”

Being born to a poor family, Anna C. Fall needed to earn money for her studies at Boston University’s College of Liberal Arts. After graduating from Chelsea High School in 1873, she began to work as a type-setter, proofreader and writer for the The Youth’s Companion, The Household and other magazines. This experience helped her in her future study. As her daughter Emma remembered, Anna “often mentioned… throughout the years that the experience in type-setting, proof-reading, and creative writing had meant a great deal to her in the College of Liberal Arts and throughout her life for that matter.” Six years later Anna’s dream was fulfilled: She became a student of the College of Liberal Arts of Boston University – the first University in the United States to admit women.

While attending college, Anna also met her soulmate. According to Emma, “Classes were on Beacon Hill at 20 Beacon St, diagonally opposite the Statehouse.” Anna saw in “Professor Buck’s German class, which was then reading Goethe’s playlet – poem ‘Hermann und Dorothea’,…a young man from Malden, George Howard Fall, with very beautiful thick, wavy, glossy, black hair. My mother has told me that she fell in love with his hair. Her own was reddish brown and thick but very straight.”

George Howard Fall (1858–1937) was the son of George Hanson Fall (1815–1880) and Rebecca Green (Howard) Fall (1817–1903) from Malden. George was proud of his family history. His ancestor was Lt. Ralph Sprague (1599–1650) – cofounder of Charlestown and Malden. George Fall was a great-grandson of George Fall, an Orderly Sergeant in the Revolutionary War. His maternal grandfather, Samuel Cox, established the “last” industry in Malden. After graduating from Malden High School, George H. Fall was admitted to the College of Liberal Arts of Boston University

Emma told about her parents’ romance: “It was not long before the two freshmen students… found that they had much in common. Discussing Goethe and his beliefs, they discovered that his chief ‘credo’ was really their own. A bit later my mother and father found that they had both become enthusiastic members of several of Doctor Latimer’s classes.” A noted educator from New Hampshire, James E. Latimer (1826–1884) was the Dean of Boston University Theological School (1870–84) and professor of Historical Theology.

In 1883, Anna Christy graduated from college with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. At the Commencement ceremony, George and Anna declared their engagement.

In 1883, Mr. Fall became a professor of Greek and Latin at New Orleans University. He planned to continue his education at the Boston University Law School. After his return to Boston in 1884, George H. Fall began to teach Greek and Latin at his alma mater. Because of this, he had to miss some of the law school’s lectures. But his young wife helped him by copying the lecture notes. Since then she became fascinated by law and decided to become a lawyer.

In 1884, two significant events happened in Anna’s life: She received a Master of Arts degree and married George Fall. The marriage ceremony took place on September 17, 1884, and was performed by Rev. James E. Latimer, whom both George and Anna greatly admired. No wonder that their firstborn, daughter Emma Latimer Fall (1885–1980), got her second name after him. Besides Emma, Anna and George Fall had three sons – Howard Fall (1887–1939), Lionel Fall (1892–1917), and Herman Christy Fall (1895–1934) – and one more daughter, Dorothea Nancy Fall (1899–1988).

George and Anna settled in Malden at 265 Pleasant St. Later they moved to 12 Evelyn Pl. and 15 Hamden Rd. Anna changed not only her living place but also her religious affiliation and transferred from the Cary Avenue Baptist Church in Chelsea to the Centre Methodist Church in Malden. Emma mentioned that her mother “often told us children that she felt this was only fair. If my father and she had settled in Chelsea instead of Malden, she would have expected him to transfer from the Centre church to the Cary Avenue church. After all, she would say, there is little basic difference between the two denominations.”

To be continued…

See more photo highlights at: www.Facebook.com/advocate.news.ma

  (This is Part 1 of an article about Anna Christy Fall – one of the first women lawyers in Mass. Inna Babitskaya is a Malden historian and a member of Malden Historical Commission.)