Louise M. Gagneur (1832–1902)

Marie-Louise Mignerot was born in Domblans in the Jura (Franche-Comte) region of France. In 1856, she married the noted socialist Vladimir Gagneur, a member of the Chamber of Deputies, who had been attracted to her by an essay she wrote on trade unions. Marie-Louise Gagneur campaigned for reform of the French divorce laws, and her writing was instrumental in passage of the 1884 act permitted the dissolution of civil marriage. Madame Gagneur wrote several novels, many of which dealt with the themes of corruption in the Catholic church and the inferior position of women in society. Her daughter Marguerite Gagneur, known as Syamour, became a famous sculptor.