Janet McEwan (1860 – 1921), née Janet Landells, known as Jenny McEwan, was a British Liberal Party politician and one of the first women to stand for election to the UK Parliament.

Background

Janet Landells was born in

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland. Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotlan ...

in 1860. She married fellow Scot, John McEwan of

Enfield, Middlesex Enfield is a large town in north London, England, north of Charing Cross. It had a population of 156,858 in 2018. It includes the areas of Botany Bay, Brimsdown, Bulls Cross, Bullsmoor, Bush Hill Park, Clay Hill, Crews Hill, Enfield Highw ...

. They had five children including Ethel Tyndale, Bertha Alison Hollington and Elspeth Ian Sworder.

Political career

Jenny McEwan had a long record of public work. She was Chairman of the Enfield Maternity Centre. Her husband John had been selected as prospective Liberal candidate for the Enfield division of

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

but died towards the end of the First World War. When women were granted the vote and allowed to stand for parliament, she was chosen as Liberal candidate in his place and contested the 1918 General Election. Enfield was a Unionist seat and her Unionist opponent had been endorsed by the Coalition Government. A Times correspondent reporting on her campaign stated "She desires the removal of restrictions on the opportunities for women; the opening of professions at present closed to them; and their admission to a share in the administration of justice." Even though she was also a supporter of the Coalition Government, the fact that a leading Liberal, Prime Minister

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. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during t ...

had endorsed her opponent, cost her much support and she came third; Enfield1918

Janet McEwan died in Middlesex during 1921, at the age of 61.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McEwan, Janet 1860 births 1921 deaths Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates