Batley & Dewsbury's Early Suffragists

In the 1870s, the women of Batley and Dewsbury began to meet to discuss politics and their rights as workers and women.

Very few women's suffrage societies existed at the time but Lydia Becker, founder of the National Society for Women's Suffrage (NSWS) in Manchester, took a keen interest in encouraging the women of Dewsbury, Batley and Huddersfield, as did Alice Scatcherd, secretary of the Leeds branch of the NSWS.

Lydia Becker. Courtesy of LSE Library. 

In 1872, Lydia Becker wrote to the Batley Town Council for support:

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE

   A letter was read from a committee for promoting the bill for removing the disabilities of women, accompanied by a copy of a petition in its favour.

   Alderman J. JUBB moved, and Alderman SMITH seconded, that the Council proceed to the order of the day.

-The (Dewsbury) Reporter, 6th April 1872

Large scale meetings began to be held in Batley town centre and local women gathered for smaller 'cottage' meetings in each other's homes to read and discuss articles from Becker's Women's Suffrage Journal.

Local women emerged as leaders of the campaign some having gained experience as committee members in the local weavers strike of 1875.

Find out more about the local women here: 

• Ann Abernethy
• Ann Ellis 
• Hannah Wood 
• Maria Vero

Batley's first major women's suffrage meeting was held on 29th February 1876 at the Town Hall. Dewsbury's The Reporter newspaper advertised the event:

OUGHT WOMEN TO BE TAXED WITHOUT THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR THOSE WHO TAX THEM? 

-

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE

- 

A PUBLIC MEETING, in support of the Bill for conferring the Parliamentary Suffrage upon Women Householders, will be held in the TOWN HALL, BATLEY, on TUESDAY EVENING NEXT, February 29th, 1876.

Miss BECKER, of Manchester, and Mrs. OLIVER SCATCHERD, of Leeds, will attend as a deputation from the National Society for Women's Suffrage.

The chair will be taken at half-past Seven o'clock by J. T. MARRIOTT, Esq , Mayor of Batley.
The following gentlemen have promised to be present :- Alderman Isaac Parker, J. J. Carter, and W. J. R. Fox ; Councillors John Oldroyd, Alfred Parker, John Spencer, and W. Vero ; Messrs Joseph Parker, senr., Joseph Parker jun., M. Parker, - Burnley, - Exley, and J. S. Batley (Leeds).

ADMISSION FREE. Reserved Seats One Shilling each.

-The (Dewsbury) Reporter, 26th February 1876

For a full report of the event see:  Public Meeting, Batley Town Hall, 29th February 1876.

Batley Town Hall. Image courtesy of the Kirklees Image Archive. (K023536)

***

The Liberal M.P. for Dewsbury (and the Batley area), John Simon was in favour of women's suffrage and soon after the meeting at Batley Town Hall, the Town Council showed their support by agreeing to petition the House of Commons in support of the women's cause:

BATLEY TOWN COUNCIL MEETING.--A monthly meeting of the Batley Town Council was held on Thursday night..., and then the Town Clerk read a letter from Miss Becker asking the Council to sign a memorial in favour of women's suffrage. This it was decided to do, on the motion of Councillor A. Parker, seconded by Ald. J. Parker, a Conservative...

- The Bradford Daily Telegraph, March 3, 1876

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE. The TOWN CLERK read a letter from Miss Lydia Becker, secretary of the Manchester National Society for Woman's Suffrage, in which she said she had the honour of forwarding a copy of a petition in favour of the bill to extend the franchise to women whose names are on the burgess roll in municipal boroughs, and to women otherwise legally qualified for the parliamentary suffrage. The petition, the writer said, has been adopted by the Council of the City of Manchester, and by many other municipal boroughs in former years. She asked that the communication be laid before the Town Council of Batley at the next meeting, and to ask them to consider the propriety of petitioning in favour of a measure which concerned the rights of so many of their constituents.

- The Huddersfield Daily Chronicle, March 3, 1876

WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE.

   Alderman BATES said he held in his hand a petition which had been handed round the Council, but none of the members of the Council had had gallantry enough to propose its adoption. (Laughter.) It was in favour of a bill for removing the electoral disabilities of women. That there were disabilities to complain of the best evidence was that the people who suffered from them did complain. He had heard gentlemen, in the presence of ladies, say that the ladies themselves did not require it. The best evidence was that many of them did require it, and the number was increasing who did complain. That was one reason. They found that nearly all educated ladies who were unmarried felt the injustice of being debarred from voting in the election of members of Parliament. There were many disabilities which they laboured under with regard to property. The Town Council ought to consider the petition favourably, seeing the manner in which they were supported by the ladies in the municipal elections. Another thing, as most of them who had been in the habit of reading history would be aware, that in the ages of darkness the lower was the position of women, and, in proportion as they had been elevated, so in proportion had been the general happiness of society and the progress of civilisation. He had reason to believe that by placing women on an equality with men those pleasures would go on increasing in proportion to the privileges and rights given to them. He had no need to make a speech; he was quite sure the Council would see the necessity of supporting the petition, to which he now moved that the Corporate seal be affixed, and that it be forwarded to Serjeant Simon for presentation to the House of Commons.
   Councillor ARMITAGE briefly seconded the resolution.
   Alderman SENIOR said as the mover of the resolution had thrown out a hint that he (Alderman Bates) was the only man in the Council who possessed gallantry enough to propose it, he wished cordially to support the resolution. He had the pleasure of a visit from Miss Becker last week, and he was sure if all ladies were as intelligent as she was, it would be a desirable acquisition to the electoral power of the country. He had had some experience in the polling booths at municipal elections, and he could say that the women voters went about their work as intelligently as possible, and did it as properly as men did. He might go a little further and tell his Conservative friends that they might vote very confidently for the resolution, because three-fourths of the ladies would be Conservatives. (Laughter.) The voting was based on a rating qualification, and he thought as a matter of fairness, those ladies who paid rates ought to vote. It was unconstitutional and unfair that the ladies should be debarred from it.
   The resolution was carried unanimously.

- The (Dewsbury) Reporter, 11th March 1876

***

Find out more about early suffragists here: Huddersfield's Early Suffragists

Can you help add more information to this page?

Please contact us in the comment section below. Thank you!