Laura Elizabeth McLaren, Baroness Aberconway

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, DStJ (née Pochin; 14 May 1854 – 4 January 1933) was a British suffragist, author and horticulturalist.

Life

Her birth was registered in the Salford district of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

on 14 May 1854. She was the daughter of Henry Davis Pochin, a noted industrialist and chemist, and his wife, Agnes (''née'' Heap), a leading women's rights activist. She married the journalist and Liberal MP Charles McLaren, a business associate of her father's, at

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...

on 6 March 1877. Charles McLaren was later created

Baron Aberconway Baron Aberconway, of Bodnant in the County of Denbigh, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 21 June 1911 for the industrialist and Liberal politician Sir Charles McLaren, 1st Baronet. He had already been created a ...

. They had four children. Laura McLaren's two sons became Liberal MP's, Henry D. McLaren for the West Staffordshire constituency and, Francis McLaren for the Spalding constituency in Lincolnshire. Francis married Barbara Jekyll, a niece of the famous garden designer Gertrude Jekyll. He was killed in a flying accident in 1917. Her daughter

Priscilla Priscilla is an English female given name adopted from Latin ''Prisca'', derived from ''priscus''. One suggestion is that it is intended to bestow long life on the bearer. The name first appears in the New Testament of Christianity variously as ...

, also a noted activist and suffragist, married Sir Henry Norman and, with him, developed gardens at Ramster Hall, Surrey. Laura's other daughter, Elsie Dorothea, married Edward Alexander James Johns. Baroness Aberconway was a campaigner for

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

, founding the Liberal Women's Suffrage Union and publishing some writings on the subject. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, she converted her house in London into a hospital and helped run it. She died in 1933 at her home, Château de la Garoupe, on the Cap d’Antibes.

Awards and honors

In 1918, Aberconway was appointed

. She was also appointed Dame of Grace of the Venerable Order of St John.

Other

Outside politics Aberconway was a talented artist and horticulturalist. She and her husband worked to expand and improve the

Bodnant Garden Bodnant Garden ( cy, Gardd Bodnant) is a National Trust property near Tal-y-Cafn, Conwy, Wales, overlooking the Conwy Valley towards the Carneddau mountains. Founded in 1874 and developed by five generations of one family, it was given to th ...

begun by her father. Château de la Garoupe is hailed for his beautiful garden.

Writings

* ''The Women's Charter of Rights and Liberties.'' London, John Sewell, 1909. * ''The Prime Minister and Women's Suffrage'' London, John Sewell, 1913.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aberconway, Laura Maclaren, Baroness 1854 births 1933 deaths Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Dames of Grace of the Order of St John English gardeners English suffragists British baronesses Laura Victoria Medal of Honour (Horticulture) recipients People from Salford