The National Society for Women's Suffrage Manchester Branch The National Society for Women's Suffrage was the first national group in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

to campaign for women's right to vote. Officially formed on 6 November 1867, by Lydia Becker, the organisation helped lay the foundations of the women's suffrage movement. Eliza Wigham, Jane Wigham, Priscilla Bright McLaren and some of their friends set up an

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chapter of this National Society. Eliza and her friend Agnes McLaren became the secretaries. By 1870, branches in Scotland were in

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, St. Andrews and

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. The society's quickly appeal spread to other major UK cities and by 1871, the

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Committee of the National Society for Women's Suffrage consisted of Isabella Ford and Joseph Lupton whilst Millicent Fawcett was a member of the Executive Committee of the London Branch of the society which, having been established on July 5th, 1867, was "therefore in the fifth year of its work" in 1871. Jacob Bright, a Liberal politician, supported by a petition from Jane Taylour of the Galloway branch and others, had suggested in 1871 that it would be useful to create a

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 ...

-based organisation to lobby members of parliament concerning women's suffrage. The Central Committee of the National Society for Women's Suffrage first met on 17 January 1872. In an oral history interview with the historian, Brian Harrison, recorded as part of the Suffrage Interviews project, titled ''Oral evidence on the suffragette and suffragist movements: the Brian Harrison interviews,'' the British civil servant, Mary Smieton, talked about how she benefitted from the NSWS.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:National Society For Women's Suffrage Liberal feminist organizations Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom Feminist organisations in the United Kingdom Women's organisations based in the United Kingdom 1867 establishments in the United Kingdom Suffrage organisations in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1867 First-wave feminism in the United Kingdom British suffragists

See also

References