Hilda Runciman, Viscountess Runciman of Doxford (28 September 1869 – 28 October 1956) was a British

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

politician.

Family and education

A daughter of James Cochran Stevenson, a Liberal Member of Parliament for

South Shields South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England; it is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. The town was once known in Roman Britain, Roman times as ''Arbeia'' and as ''Caer Urfa'' by the Early Middle Ag ...

, Hilda Stevenson was educated at Notting Hill High School and

Girton College, Cambridge Girton College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first women's college at Cambridge. In 1948, it was granted full college status by the un ...

, where she took first class honours in the History

Tripos TRIPOS (''TRIvial Portable Operating System'') is a computer operating system. Development started in 1976 at the Computer Laboratory of Cambridge University and it was headed by Dr. Martin Richards. The first version appeared in January 1978 a ...

. In 1898 she married Walter Runciman, a rising politician. They had two sons and three daughters, including

Leslie Runciman, 2nd Viscount Runciman of Doxford Walter Leslie Runciman, 2nd Viscount Runciman of Doxford, (26 August 1900 – 1 September 1989), was a prominent member of the Runcimans, a well-known Newcastle ship-owning and political family. Background Runciman was the eldest son of the p ...

, Margaret Fairweather, one of the first eight women pilots in the

Air Transport Auxiliary The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was a British civilian organisation set up at the start of the Second World War with headquarters at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The ATA ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between fac ...

,''Who was Who'', OUP 2007 and historian

Steven Runciman Sir James Cochran Stevenson Runciman (7 July 1903 – 1 November 2000), known as Steven Runciman, was an English historian best known for his three-volume '' A History of the Crusades'' (1951–54). His works had a profound impact on the popula ...

Political career

Local

She became the first woman member to be elected to the

Newcastle on Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , RP: ), is a cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located on the River Tyne's northern bank opposite Gateshead to the ...

School Board A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...

. She was also a member of the

Northumberland County Council Northumberland County Council is the Local government in England, local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Northumberland in North East England. Since 2009 it has been a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority, having also ...

Education Committee and one of the earliest women

magistrates The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a ''magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

National

In the 1920s Runciman took on a more national political role. She served as president of the Women's National Liberal Federation, 1919–21, continuing to sit on its executive committee for many years. She also served as president of the Women's Free Church Council, was a member of the executive of the

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, chaired the Westminster Housing Association and was a founder of the Westminster Housing Trust. In Liberal Party politics, she was a strong advocate of

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928) was a British statesman and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916. He was the last ...

, and under her presidency, the Women's National Liberal Federation supported the maintenance of independent Liberalism and an end to the Lloyd George coalition.

Martin Pugh Martin John Pugh is a British guitarist who came to prominence after joining blues-rock band Steamhammer in 1968, staying with that band through 5 years and 4 albums. The debut Steamhammer album, also known as '' Steamhammer'', was released i ...

(2004) "Hilda Runciman" in ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...

'', Oxford University Press

Parliament

She became an MP in her own right in 1928, when she was elected in a

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

as Member of Parliament for St Ives in

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

, but she remained in Parliament for only one year and handed the seat to her husband at the 1929 general election. The '

halo effect The halo effect (sometimes called the halo error) is the tendency for positive impressions of a person, company, country, brand, or product in one area to positively influence one's opinion or feelings. The halo effect is "the name given to the p ...

' of women taking a parliamentary seat and then handing it over to their husband accounted for the election of ten women MPs (nearly a third of the women elected to Parliament) between both World Wars. She herself fought the 1929 general election for the Liberals at

Tavistock Tavistock ( ) is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in the West Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. It is situated on the River Tavy, from which its name derives. At the 2011 census, the three electoral wards (N ...

and had been invited to become the candidate by the local Liberal Association against the wishes of national headquarters, which was apparently unhappy that she was not a supporter of the party leader

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...

. She narrowly failed to gain Tavistock from the

Conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...

by just 152 votes.F.W.S. Craig (1949) ''British Parliamentary Election Results, 1918–1949''; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow, p. 330

Titles

In 1937 her husband became

Viscount Runciman of Doxford Viscount Runciman of Doxford, of Doxford in the County of Northumberland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1937 for the Hon. Walter Runciman, a politician whose career included service as a Member of Parliament ...

, and she was styled as Viscountess Runciman of Doxford.

Death

Hilda Runciman died of heart failure at her home, 73

Portland Place Portland Place is a street in the Marylebone district of central London. Named after the 3rd Duke of Portland, the unusually wide street is home to the BBC's headquarters Broadcasting House, the Chinese and Polish embassies, the Royal Insti ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, on 28 October 1956, aged 87.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Runciman of Doxford, Hilda Runciman, Viscountess 1869 births 1956 deaths Alumni of Girton College, Cambridge 20th-century British women politicians 20th-century English people 20th-century English women British viscountesses Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for St Ives People educated at Notting Hill & Ealing High School Place of birth missing Hilda Runciman, Viscountess Runciman of Doxford Spouses of British politicians UK MPs 1924–1929