Women's Liberal Federation

Catherine & William Gladstone

The Women's Liberal Federation was an organisation that was part of the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom.

Contents

• 
  1 History
  


• 
  2 President of the Women's Liberal Federation
  


• 
  3 References
  


• 
  4 External links
  

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 fifteen local Women's Liberal Associations.^[1] The establishment of a national organisation was agreed, and this occurred in 1887, when members of forty associations met in London.^[2] It was reported that the federation membership was about 6,000,^[3] but this grew rapidly, reaching 75,000 in 1892.^[4] By 1904 there were 494 affiliated associations and a membership of approximately 67,600.^[3]

Until 1892, the group was divided between supporters of women's suffrage and those who stated that they were neutral on the matter. That year, William Gladstone wrote a letter opposing votes for women, and the group held a three day debate to establish a firm position. At the close of the debate, delegates votes to support suffrage; this led between 50 and 60 branches which did not support the policy to leave, consisting of 7,000 to 10,000 members. They formed the rival Women's National Liberal Association.^[5]

As of 1905, the WLF's objectives included promoting just legislation for women, through the introduction of votes for women at local and parliamentary elections, on the same basis as men.^[3]

In 1908 the Women's Liberal Federation invited David Lloyd George to speak at the Royal Albert Hall. The Women's Social and Political Union suspected that Lloyd George was going to make no promises and threatened to disrupt the meeting if he made no substantive commitment to giving votes to women. He did nt and they did. Helen Ogston was notably assaulted as she was evicted. She tried to defend herself with a dog whip and caused a storm in the newspapers. Lloyd George refused to allow women in to his future public events.^[6]

In 1988, when the Liberal Party merged with the SDP to form the Liberal Democrats, the WLF was wound up.

President of the Women's Liberal Federation

The WLF President was elected annually, and served for a one-year term.^[7]

Aberdeen

Bonham-Carter

Wintringham

Corbett Ashby

Alison Garland

From	To	Name
1887	1893	Catherine Gladstone
1893	1894	Ishbel Hamilton-Gordon
1894	1902	Rosalind Howard
1902	1906	Ishbel Hamilton-Gordon
1906	1915	Rosalind Howard
1915	1919	Laura McLaren
1919	1921	Hilda Runciman
1921	1923	The Viscountess Cowdray
1923	1925	Violet Bonham Carter
1925	1927	Margaret Wintringham
1927	1929	Margery Corbett Ashby
1929	1931	Lady Acland
1931	1932	Catherine Alderton
1932	1934	Margaret Wintringham
1934	1936	Alison Garland
1936	1938	Megan Lloyd George
1938	1939	Viscountess Dorothy Gladstone
1939	1945	Violet Bonham Carter
1945	1947	Megan Lloyd George
1947	1949	Eleanor Layton, Lady Layton
1949	1950	Ethel Strudwick
1950	1952	Doreen Gorsky
1952	1955	Malys Thompson
1955	19??	Sybil Mary Whitamore
by 1961	1962	Heather Harvey
1962	1964 or later	Winifred Grubb
as of 1965	?	Audrey Malindine
by 1966	1968	Gaenor Heathcoat Amory
1968	1970	Stina Robson
1970	1972	Penelope Jessel
1972	1974	Joyce Rose
1974	1977	Baroness Seear
1977	1978	Nelia Penman
1978	19??	Meg Budd
197?	198?	Barbara Banks
198?	1983	Elizabeth Sidney
1983	1985	Laura Grimond
1986	1988	Christina Baron

References

1. 
   ^ Patricia Hollis, Ladies Elect: Women in English Local Government 1865-1914, p.57
   


2. 
   ^ Cowman, Krista (2010). Women in British Politics, c.1689-1979. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0230545571..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
   


3. 
   ^ ^abc The Liberal Year Book, 1905
   


4. 
   ^ "Fry, Sophia". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/56104.
   (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
   


5. 
   ^ Patricia Hollis, Ladies Elect: Women in English Local Government 1865-1914, p.65
   


6. 
   ^ ""The woman with the whip" - Suffragette Helen Ogston causes an international stir | Royal Albert Hall". Royal Albert Hall. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
   


7. 
   ^ The Liberal Year Book, 1905-1939
   

External links

• Liberal Democrat history


• Women's Liberal Federation Archive

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