National Society for Women's Suffrage

The National Society for Women's Suffrage was the first national group in the United Kingdom to campaign for women's right to vote. Formed on 6 November 1867, by Lydia Becker, the organisation helped lay the foundations of the women's suffrage movement.^[1]

Eliza Wigham, Jane Wigham, Priscilla Bright McLaren and some of their friends set up an Edinburgh chapter of this National Society. Eliza and her friend Agnes McLaren became the secretaries.^[2] By 1870, branches in Scotland were in Aberdeen, Glasgow, St. Andrews and Galloway.^[3]

Jacob Bright, a Liberal politician, supported by a petition from Jane Taylour of the Galloway branch and others,^[4] had 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.^[5]

The national society was furthered later by the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies and the Women's Social and Political Union.^{[citation needed]}

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,^[6] the British civil servant, Mary Smieton, talked about how she benefitted from the NSWS.

References

^ "The Early Suffrage Societies in the 19th century - a timeline". UK Parliament. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
^ National Society for Women's Suffrage. Examiner; 14 January 1871; 3285; British Periodicals pg 55
^ Leneman, Leah (2000). The Scottish Suffragettes (1st ed.). Edinburgh: National Museum of Scotland. p. 24. ISBN 9781901663402.
^ Crawford, Elizabeth (2003). The Women's Suffrage Movement: A Reference Guide, 1866-1928. Routledge. p. 683. ISBN 1135434018.
^ "The Early Suffrage Societies in the 19th century - a timeline". UK Parliament. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
^ London School of Economics and Political Science. "The Suffrage Interviews". London School of Economics and Political Science. Retrieved 28 March 2025.

[1] "The Early Suffrage Societies in the 19th century - a timeline". UK Parliament. Retrieved 3 October 2017.

[2] National Society for Women's Suffrage. Examiner; 14 January 1871; 3285; British Periodicals pg 55

[:0-3] Leneman, Leah (2000). The Scottish Suffragettes (1st ed.). Edinburgh: National Museum of Scotland. p. 24. ISBN 9781901663402.

[4] Crawford, Elizabeth (2003). The Women's Suffrage Movement: A Reference Guide, 1866-1928. Routledge. p. 683. ISBN 1135434018.

[5] "The Early Suffrage Societies in the 19th century - a timeline". UK Parliament. Retrieved 5 January 2018.

[6] London School of Economics and Political Science. "The Suffrage Interviews". London School of Economics and Political Science. Retrieved 28 March 2025.

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See also

References