Central Committee of the National Society for Women's Suffrage was a committee formed in 1872 in London to lobby parliament. It was initially led by activists from Manchester. It was known as the Central National Society for Women's Suffrage from 1900. It underwent a number of changes before becoming the

Fawcett Society The Fawcett Society is a membership charity in the United Kingdom which campaigns for women's rights. The organisation dates back to 1866, when Millicent Garrett Fawcett dedicated her life to the peaceful campaign for women's suffrage. From 190 ...

in 1953.

History

Jacob Bright The Rt Hon. Jacob Bright (26 May 1821 – 7 November 1899) was a British Liberal politician serving as Mayor of Rochdale and later Member of Parliament for Manchester. Background Bright was born at Green Bank near Rochdale, Lancashire. He w ...

suggested in 1871 that it would be useful to create a London-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. The first committee included

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 grou ...

, Priscilla Bright McLaren, Lilias Ashworth Hallett and

Agnes Garrett Agnes Garrett (12 July 1845 – 1935)Serena Kelly"Garrett, Agnes (1845–1935)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004. Retrieved 9 January 2015. was an English suffragist and interior designer and the founder ...

. The committee introduced a subscription fee of a shilling per annum.

Millicent Fawcett Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett (; 11 June 1847 – 5 August 1929) was an English political activist and writer. She campaigned for Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, women's suffrage by Law reform, legal change and in 1897–1919 led Brita ...

joined the committee in 1874. In the year 1900 the two organizations Central and Western Society for Women's Suffrage and the Central and East of

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

Society for Women's Suffrage merged and formed Central Society for Women's Suffrage.Catalogue description
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Lydia Becker Lydia Ernestine Becker (24 February 1827 – 18 July 1890) was a leader in the early British suffrage movement, as well as an amateur scientist with interests in biology and astronomy. She established Manchester as a centre for the suffrage mov ...

became the chair of the committee in 1881. Other committee members then included Helen Blackburn, Millicent Fawcett,

Jessie Boucherett (Emilia) Jessie Boucherett (November 1825 – 18 October 1905) was an English campaigner for women's rights. Life She was born in November 1825 at North Willingham, near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire. She was the grandchild of Lt. Colonel Ayscoghe ...

, Eva McLaren,

Margaret Bright Lucas Margaret Bright Lucas (14 July 1818 – 4 February 1890) was a British Temperance movement in the United Kingdom, temperance activist and Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, suffragist. She served as president of the British Women's Tempera ...

as well as Priscilla Bright McLaren and Frances Power Cobbe.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Central Committee of the National Society For Women's Suffrage Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom Feminist organisations in the United Kingdom Women's organisations based in the United Kingdom 1872 establishments in the United Kingdom Suffrage organisations in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1872 First-wave feminism in the United Kingdom National Society for Women's Suffrage