Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1907-1961 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
6 A boxes
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Women's Freedom League (WFL) (1907-1961) was formed in Nov 1907 by dissenting members of the Women's Social & Political Union (WSPU). The cause was the WSPU's lack of constitutional democracy, an issue that came to a head on the 10 Sep 1907. Mrs Pankhurst announced the cancellation of the annual conference due on the 12 Oct 1907 and the future governance of the party by a central committee appointed by herself, effectively overturning its original constitution. Several members, including Charlotte Despard, Edith How Martyn, Teresa Billington-Greig, Octavia Lewin, Anna Munro, Alice Schofield and Caroline Hodgeson, broke away and continued with the conference. Here, the new constitution was written which encoded a system of party democracy. Its first committee consisted of Despard as president and honorary treasurer, Billington-Greig as honorary organising secretary, honorary secretary Mrs How Martyn, and Mrs Coates Hanson, Miss Hodgeson, Irene Miller, Miss Fitzherbert, Mrs Drysdale, Miss Abadam, Mrs Winton-Evans, Mrs Dick, Mrs Cobden Sanderson, Mrs Bell, Mrs Holmes and Miss Mansell as members. The following month, They renamed themselves the WFL, having used the title of the WSPU until that time: this had prompted Mrs Pankhurst to add 'National' to the name of her own organisation for this brief spell. They classed themselves as a militant organisation, but refused to attack persons or property other than ballot papers, unlike the WSPU. Their actions included protests in and around the House of Commons and other acts of passive civil disobedience. Their activities in 1908 included attempts to present petitions to the king and have deputations received by cabinet ministers while further protests were held in the House of Commons such as Muriel Matters, Violet Tillard and Helen Fox chaining themselves to the grille in the Ladies gallery. That same year, they were the only militant group to be invited by the National Union of Women's suffrage Societies to take part in the Hyde Park procession on 13 Jun 1908. Despard was the first woman to refuse to pay taxes as a protest, an action which quickly inspired others to form the Women's Tax Resistance League. These activities were expanded upon in Apr 1911 when women householders either spoilt or failed to complete their census forms. This escalation of action did not prevent them joining a Conciliation Bill committee with other suffrage groups in 1910 in response to Prime Minister Asquith's offer on a free vote on extensions to the franchise. A truce was called with the government until the failure of such a bill for the third time, but by 1912 the organisation had already announced that it would support Labour Party candidates against any of the government's Liberal candidates at elections. This practice of working with other groups was one which the WFL supported, having ongoing links with the International Women's Franchise Club, the International Women Suffrage Alliance and the Suffrage Atelier. During the early part of the First World War, like most of the other suffrage organisations, the League suspended its practical militant political action and began voluntary work, though not the 'war work' of the type advocated by other suffrage groups. The group formed a number of women's police services and a Woman Suffrage National Aid Corps that provided some help to women in financial difficulties and limited day care for children. Furthermore, in 1915, the WFL founded a National Service Organisation to place women in jobs. However, the following year, political activity began again when they joined the WSPU in a picket of the Electoral Reform Conference. When women were granted suffrage after the war, they continued their activities with a change of emphasis. The organisation now called for equality of suffrage between the sexes, women as commissioners of prisons, the opening of all professions to women, equal pay, right of a woman to retain her own nationality on marriage, equal moral standards and representation of female peers in the House of Lords and they continued with this programme of social equality until the dissolution of the group in 1961.
Repository
Archival history
GB 106 2WFL 1907-1961 fonds 6 A boxes Women's Freedom League
The Women's Freedom League (WFL) (1907-1961) was formed in Nov 1907 by dissenting members of the Women's Social & Political Union (WSPU). The cause was the WSPU's lack of constitutional democracy, an issue that came to a head on the 10 Sep 1907. Mrs Pankhurst announced the cancellation of the annual conference due on the 12 Oct 1907 and the future governance of the party by a central committee appointed by herself, effectively overturning its original constitution. Several members, including Charlotte Despard, Edith How Martyn, Teresa Billington-Greig, Octavia Lewin, Anna Munro, Alice Schofield and Caroline Hodgeson, broke away and continued with the conference. Here, the new constitution was written which encoded a system of party democracy. Its first committee consisted of Despard as president and honorary treasurer, Billington-Greig as honorary organising secretary, honorary secretary Mrs How Martyn, and Mrs Coates Hanson, Miss Hodgeson, Irene Miller, Miss Fitzherbert, Mrs Drysdale, Miss Abadam, Mrs Winton-Evans, Mrs Dick, Mrs Cobden Sanderson, Mrs Bell, Mrs Holmes and Miss Mansell as members. The following month, They renamed themselves the WFL, having used the title of the WSPU until that time: this had prompted Mrs Pankhurst to add 'National' to the name of her own organisation for this brief spell. They classed themselves as a militant organisation, but refused to attack persons or property other than ballot papers, unlike the WSPU. Their actions included protests in and around the House of Commons and other acts of passive civil disobedience. Their activities in 1908 included attempts to present petitions to the king and have deputations received by cabinet ministers while further protests were held in the House of Commons such as Muriel Matters, Violet Tillard and Helen Fox chaining themselves to the grille in the Ladies gallery. That same year, they were the only militant group to be invited by the National Union of Women's suffrage Societies to take part in the Hyde Park procession on 13 Jun 1908. Despard was the first woman to refuse to pay taxes as a protest, an action which quickly inspired others to form the Women's Tax Resistance League. These activities were expanded upon in Apr 1911 when women householders either spoilt or failed to complete their census forms. This escalation of action did not prevent them joining a Conciliation Bill committee with other suffrage groups in 1910 in response to Prime Minister Asquith's offer on a free vote on extensions to the franchise. A truce was called with the government until the failure of such a bill for the third time, but by 1912 the organisation had already announced that it would support Labour Party candidates against any of the government's Liberal candidates at elections. This practice of working with other groups was one which the WFL supported, having ongoing links with the International Women's Franchise Club, the International Women Suffrage Alliance and the Suffrage Atelier. During the early part of the First World War, like most of the other suffrage organisations, the League suspended its practical militant political action and began voluntary work, though not the 'war work' of the type advocated by other suffrage groups. The group formed a number of women's police services and a Woman Suffrage National Aid Corps that provided some help to women in financial difficulties and limited day care for children. Furthermore, in 1915, the WFL founded a National Service Organisation to place women in jobs. However, the following year, political activity began again when they joined the WSPU in a picket of the Electoral Reform Conference. When women were granted suffrage after the war, they continued their activities with a change of emphasis. The organisation now called for equality of suffrage between the sexes, women as commissioners of prisons, the opening of all professions to women, equal pay, right of a woman to retain her own nationality on marriage, equal moral standards and representation of female peers in the House of Lords and they continued with this programme of social equality until the dissolution of the group in 1961.
These records were deposited with the Fawcett Library sometime prior to 1973. An additional set of material was identified in the National Women Citizens Association archive and transferred to this archive in 2003.
The archive consists of Minutes: National Executive Committee including loose financial statements and Committee reports (1908-1961), Political and militant department (1910-1935) Finance sub-committee (1907-1909), press sub-committee (1908-1910) social committee (1908-1909) Parliamentary committee (1908), organising committee (1908-1909), fair committee (1925-1930), Vote Brigade committee (1913-1914); Annual Conference reports including some agendas, resolutions, nominations, attendance at National Executive meetings reports, standing orders, secretarial reports, organising secretary's reports, etc (1908-1940); Annual reports 1907-1929; constitutions (c1907, c1910, 1929, 1931); pamphlets; programmes of events.
This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.
English
Fawcett Library Catalogue
The Women's Library also holds the Papers of Charlotte Despard (7CFD); the Papers of Teresa Billington Greig (7TBG); Papers of Edith How-Martyn (7EHM); the Women's Tax Resistance League (2WTR); the Women's Freedom League Sheffield Branch (2WFS) and two Scrapbooks of Press Cuttings of the Women's Freedom League (10/27-28).
The Women's Library Printed Collection holds a number of publications by the Women's Freedom League, including their monthly bulletin and their annual reports. [missing issues of the Bulletin may be available as part of the British Library Newspaper Collection at Colindale]
The Women's Library Museum Collection holds a number of objects by the Women's Freedom League, including badges, banners, ribbons, flags, postcards and photographs (group and individual portraits of members, as well as WFL activities)
Finding aid created by export from CALM v7.2.14 Archives Hub EAD2002. Edited for AIM25 by Sarah Drewery.
In compliance with ISAD (G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, December 2001; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
08/01/2008 Despard , Charlotte , 1844-1939 , nee French , feminist and socialist reformer Greig , Teresa Mary , Billington- , 1877-1964 , suffragist and political theorist Martyn , Edith , How- , 1875-1954 , suffragist and feminist x How-Martyn , Edith Women Organizations Associations Womens organizations Rights of special groups Womens status Womens rights Internal politics Electoral systems Womens suffrage Neilans , Alison Roberta Noble , 1884-1942 , suffragette and social reformer Women's Freedom League Women's Social and Political Union Women's Tax Resistance League Sex Sex distribution
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
These records were deposited with the Fawcett Library sometime prior to 1973. An additional set of material was identified in the National Women Citizens Association archive and transferred to this archive in 2003.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The archive consists of Minutes: National Executive Committee including loose financial statements and Committee reports (1908-1961), Political and militant department (1910-1935) Finance sub-committee (1907-1909), press sub-committee (1908-1910) social committee (1908-1909) Parliamentary committee (1908), organising committee (1908-1909), fair committee (1925-1930), Vote Brigade committee (1913-1914); Annual Conference reports including some agendas, resolutions, nominations, attendance at National Executive meetings reports, standing orders, secretarial reports, organising secretary's reports, etc (1908-1940); Annual reports 1907-1929; constitutions (c1907, c1910, 1929, 1931); pamphlets; programmes of events.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
The Women's Library also holds the Papers of Charlotte Despard (7CFD); the Papers of Teresa Billington Greig (7TBG); Papers of Edith How-Martyn (7EHM); the Women's Tax Resistance League (2WTR); the Women's Freedom League Sheffield Branch (2WFS) and two Scrapbooks of Press Cuttings of the Women's Freedom League (10/27-28).
The Women's Library Printed Collection holds a number of publications by the Women's Freedom League, including their monthly bulletin and their annual reports. [missing issues of the Bulletin may be available as part of the British Library Newspaper Collection at Colindale]
The Women's Library Museum Collection holds a number of objects by the Women's Freedom League, including badges, banners, ribbons, flags, postcards and photographs (group and individual portraits of members, as well as WFL activities)
Finding aids
Fawcett Library Catalogue
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
In compliance with ISAD (G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, December 2001; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English