Leonora Philipps (4 November 1862 – 30 March 1915), sometimes known as Nora Philipps, was a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
activist.
Born in
Camberwell
Camberwell () is a district of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of Charing Cross.
Camberwell was first a village associated with the church of St Giles and a common of which Goose Green is a remnant. This e ...
, then in
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, as Leonora Gerstenberg, her family were Jewish and her father was wealthy. She was orphaned at the age of fourteen, becoming a ward of chancery. She performed strongly at school, then attended Birkbeck University College and the
Slade School of Art
The UCL Slade School of Fine Art (informally The Slade) is the art school of University College London (UCL) and is based in London, England. It has been ranked as the UK's top art and design educational institution. The school is organised as ...
, where she completed a course in metalwork. She also attended the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sen ...
, and was tutored privately in drama by
Isabella Glyn
Isabella Glyn (22 May 1823 – 18 May 1889) was a well-known Victorian-era Shakespearean actress.
Influenced by the ideas of
John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 7 May 1873) was an English philosopher, political economist, Member of Parliament (MP) and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of classical liberalism, he contributed widely to ...
, trips to the
East End of London
The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...
and to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, Gerstenberg became interested in feminism and issues around poverty. She became active in the
Women's Liberal Federation
The Women's Liberal Federation was an organisation that was part of the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom.
History
The Women's Liberal Federation (WLF) was formed on the initiative of Sophia Fry, who in 1886 called a meeting at her house of fi ...
(WLF), and soon became president of the Westminster Women's Liberal Association. Her inheritance had grown through investment, and by the late 1880s, amounted to around £100,000.
In 1888, Gerstenberg married John Wynford Philipps, who had just won the Mid Lanarkshire by-election for the
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.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
. Philipps became a vice-president of the Scottish Women's Liberal Federation, and in 1891 wrote a widely-circulated pamphlet, ''An Appeal to Women''. In this, she argued that women should become active in public service. She also lectured on a number of topics, including
temperance
Temperance may refer to:
Moderation
*Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed
*Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion
Culture
*Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...
, the unionisation of shop assistants and free education.
In 1891, the WLF split over attitudes to women's suffrage, and Philipps was a vocal support of the majority, pro-suffrage view. In 1892, she was elected as president of the Welsh Union of Women's Liberal Associations, and was a co-founder of the Pioneer Club in London. She was also an early member of the Somerville Club, and a founder in 1897 of the Women's Institute at
Grosvenor Crescent
Grosvenor Crescent is a street in London's Belgravia district, that in December 2017 was ranked as the UK's most expensive residential street, with an average house price of £16,918,000.
Grosvenor Crescent runs from the north-east corner of Belg ...
.
John became a Member of Parliament for
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...
in 1898, and the couple moved to
Roch Castle
Roch Castle ( cy, Castell y Garn) is a 12th-century castle, located at Roch near Haverfordwest, Wales.
Built by Norman knight Adam de Rupe in the second half of the 12th century, probably on the site of an earlier wooden structure. ''Roche'' is ...
, in the constituency. In 1908, he became a baron, and Nora accordingly became Lady St Davids. When a national pageant was held in Cardiff in 1909, Nora was one of the main organisers, and in 1913 she presided over a concert at the
Abergavenny
Abergavenny (; cy, Y Fenni , archaically ''Abergafenni'' meaning "mouth of the River Gavenny") is a market town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a ''Gateway to Wales''; it is approximately from the border wi ...
Eisteddfod
In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music.
The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, a ...