Marie-Rose Astié de Valsayre
Marie-Rose Astié de Valsayre (pen names, Jehan des Etrivières and la mère Marthe; 1846–1939) was a French violinist, feminist, nurse and writer, who is remembered for attempting to overturn legislation prohibiting women to wear trousers and for a fencing duel she had with an American woman. After studying medicine, she had provided emergency services during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. In 1889, she created the Ligue de l'Affranchissement des femmes (League of Women's Enfranchisement) calling for women to be added to the electoral lists. Early life and education Born in Paris on 30 August 1846, Marie Rose de Valsayre was the daughter of parents who had been ruined by the French Revolution. After her father had emigrated to the United States, she was brought up by her mother. She studied music, first under her mother's guidance, later in the hands of professional tutors. By the time she was 13, she was a competent violinist and was beginning to compose pieces for piano. Unusually for her day, she also studied medicine, allowing her to serve as a nurse in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Professional life Astié stood out as a woman who was unwilling to accept the conventions of the