The Chivalry of the South by Emily Shirreff

The Ladies' London Emancipation Society was an activist abolitionist group founded in 1863, which disseminated anti-slavery material to advance British understanding of the Union cause in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

as one pertaining to morality rather than territory. This was said to be the first national anti-slavery society for women.Elizabeth Crawford, "Taylor , Clementia (1810–1908)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 200
, accessed 16 July 2015
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Foundation

The society was established on 20 August 1863 by

Clementia Taylor Clementia Taylor ( née Doughty; 17 December 1810 – 11 April 1908) was an English women's rights activist and radical.''ODNB''. Life Clementia (known as Mentia to her friends) was born in Brockdish, Norfolk, one of twelve children. Her family ...

, also known as Mentia Taylor at Aubrey House. She formed the society in response to an open letter written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, published in the '' Atlantic Monthly'' in January 1863, calling for the women of England to support the North in the American Civil War. As a woman, her application for membership of the London Anti-Slavery Society had been turned down, and so she formed the Ladies' London Emancipation Society. The two organisations worked in cooperation, although they were independent of each other.

Founder members and Executive Committee

In addition to Taylor, other founder members and executive committee included Mary Estlin,

Sarah Parker Remond Sarah Parker Remond (June 6, 1826 – December 13, 1894) was an American lecturer, activist and abolitionist campaigner. Born a free woman in the state of Massachusetts, she became an international activist for human rights and women's su ...

Harriet Martineau Harriet Martineau (; 12 June 1802 – 27 June 1876) was an English social theorist often seen as the first female sociologist, focusing on race relations within much of her published material.Michael R. Hill (2002''Harriet Martineau: Theoretic ...

Eliza Wigham Eliza Wigham (23 February 1820 – 3 November 1899), born Elizabeth Wigham, was a Scottish campaigner for women's suffrage, anti-slavery, peace and temperance in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was involved in several major campaigns to improve women's r ...

and women's college founders

Charlotte Manning Charlotte Manning ('' née'' Solly; 30 March 1803 – 1 April 1871) was a British feminist, scholar and writer. She was the first head of Girton College. Family Charlotte Solly was born in 1803, daughter of merchant Isaac Solly of Leyton, Es ...

and

Elizabeth Malleson Elizabeth Malleson (''née'' Whitehead; 1828–1916) was an English educationalist, suffragist and activist for women's education and rural nursing. Life Elizabeth Whitehead was born into a Unitarian family in Chelsea, Malleson was the first chil ...

. This was said to the first national anti-slavery society for women, although other regional anti-slavery organisations for women pre-dated it including the Edinburgh Ladies' Emancipation Society and the

Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society The Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society (PFASS) was founded in December 1833 and dissolved in March 1870 following the ratification of the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. It was founded by eighteen women, including Mary ...

(which was founded in 1833).Smith, Jessie Carney and Wynn, Linda T
''Freedom Facts and Firsts: 400 Years of the African American Civil Rights Experience''
Visible Ink Press, 2009. p. 242. The society had over 200 members, including many new to the anti-slavery cause. Members included

Ellen Craft Ellen Craft (1826–1891) and William Craft (September 25, 1824 – January 29, 1900) were American fugitives who were born and enslaved in Macon, Georgia. They escaped to the North in December 1848 by traveling by train and steamboat, arriving ...

, an escaped slave, and novelist

Caroline Ashurst Biggs Caroline Ashurst Biggs (23 August 1840–4 September 1889) was an advocate for women’s rights and a third generation member of the Ashurst family of radical activists. Born in Leicester on 23 August 1840, she was the second child of Matilda As ...

Publications

The society distributed five tracts in 1863, including pieces by Isa Craig and

Frances Power Cobbe Frances Power Cobbe (4 December 1822 – 5 April 1904) was an Anglo-Irish writer, philosopher, religious thinker, social reformer, anti-vivisection activist and leading women's suffrage campaigner. She founded a number of animal advocacy group ...

. The second tract was a collection of excerpts, including the actress Frances Ann Kemble's ''Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838–1839.'' Kembles's work documented the cruel treatment of black slave women by their owners. The owners included her own estranged husband,

Pierce Butler Pierce or Piers Butler may refer to: *Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond (c. 1467 – 26 August 1539), Anglo-Irish nobleman in the Peerage of Ireland *Piers Butler, 3rd Viscount Galmoye (1652–1740), Anglo-Irish nobleman in the Peerage of Ireland * P ...

. The society's annual report was published in January 1864 by

Emily Faithfull Emily Faithfull (27 May 1835 – 31 May 1895) was an English women's rights activist who set up the Victoria Press to publish the '' English Woman's Journal''. Biography Emily Faithfull was born on 27 May 1835 at Headley Rectory, Surrey. She w ...

and she published other works on behalf of this society.The Chivalry of the South

Emily Shirreff Emily Anne Eliza Shirreff (3 November 1814 – 20 March 1897) was a pioneer in the movement for the higher education of women and the development of the Froebelian principles in England. Biography Family She was born on 3 November 1814, the s ...

, 1864, Retrieved July 2015

References

{{Authority control Abolitionist organizations 1863 establishments in England Organizations established in 1863 Clubs and societies in London Women's organisations based in the United Kingdom