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National Society for Women's Suffrage

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The National Society for Women's Suffrage Manchester Branch

The National Society for Women's Suffrage was the first national group in the United Kingdom to campaign for women's right to vote. Officially formed on 6 November 1867, by Lydia Becker, the organisation helped lay the foundations of the women's suffrage movement.[1]

Eliza Wigham, Jane Wigham, Priscilla Bright McLaren and some of their friends set up an Edinburgh chapter of this National Society. Eliza and her friend Agnes McLaren became the secretaries.[2] By 1870, branches in Scotland were in Aberdeen, Glasgow, St. Andrews and Galloway.[3]

The society's quickly appeal spread to other major UK cities and by 1871, the Leeds Committee of the National Society for Women's Suffrage consisted of Isabella Ford and Joseph Lupton whilst Millicent Fawcett was a member of the Executive Committee of the London Branch of the society which, having been established on July 5th, 1867, was "therefore in the fifth year of its work" in 1871.[4]

Jacob Bright, a Liberal politician, supported by a petition from Jane Taylour of the Galloway branch and others,[5] had suggested in 1871 that it would be useful to create a London-based organisation to lobby members of parliament concerning women's suffrage. The Central Committee of the National Society for Women's Suffrage first met on 17 January 1872.[6]

In an oral history interview with the historian, Brian Harrison, recorded as part of the Suffrage Interviews project, titled Oral evidence on the suffragette and suffragist movements: the Brian Harrison interviews,[7] the British civil servant, Mary Smieton, talked about how she benefitted from the NSWS.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The Early Suffrage Societies in the 19th century - a timeline". UK Parliament. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  2. ^ National Society for Women's Suffrage. Examiner; 14 January 1871; 3285; British Periodicals pg 55
  3. ^ Leneman, Leah (2000). The Scottish Suffragettes (1st ed.). Edinburgh: National Museum of Scotland. p. 24. ISBN 9781901663402.
  4. ^ Horowitz Murray, Janet (1985). The Englishwoman's Review of Social and Industrial Questions - 1871. Garland Company Pty. Ltd. london New York. pp. 270, 271, 272. Retrieved 3 April 2025. Events of the Quarter (1871) -...Miss Ramsey, hon. secretary to the Bristol Branch of the National Society of Women's Suffrage......The committee in Leeds consists of the following:...Miss Ford...Mr Joseph Lupton....The London [Branch of the] Society was established on July 5th 1867 and is therefore in the fifth year of its work. The Executive Committee consists of the following members:- ...Mrs H. Fawcett [i.e., Millicent Fawcett]...
  5. ^ Crawford, Elizabeth (2003). The Women's Suffrage Movement: A Reference Guide, 1866-1928. Routledge. p. 683. ISBN 1135434018.
  6. ^ "The Early Suffrage Societies in the 19th century - a timeline". UK Parliament. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  7. ^ London School of Economics and Political Science. "The Suffrage Interviews". London School of Economics and Political Science. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
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