women suffrage wales women suffrage wales historically prominence societies political groups england led reform women united_kingdom differing social structures heavily working class society growth national movement wales grew late nineteenth century comparison england distinct welsh groups individuals rose prominence vocal rise suffrage wales rest great_britain early twentieth century welsh hopes advancing cause female suffrage centred chancellor important welsh politicians day liberal success election failed political change particular members militant women social political union took hard line stance members parliament engaging direct action militant action movements wales welsh members identified sought parliamentary public support political peaceful means united_kingdom women age gained right vote followed act saw women gain rights vote men history women suffrage wales early women suffrage wales women explicitly banned voting great_britain reform act england suffrage movement existed act form national organisation creation notable exceptions working class areas lancashire women suffrage movement england predominantly middle class movement wales narrow bands wealthy society north south coastal areas female population emerging 19th century wales based low waged densely populated valleys south women found work coal extraction faced mass unemployment mines act prohibited working underground coal mining industry absence led unpaid women employment need homes family clean ending task led image home little truth society controlled men increase wealth created mining industries saw creation new upper class families built wealthy homes centre community prospered pit owners initially men political ambitions wives sought charitable activities connected improving lives women children husband workers heart industry wales english born wife passed time charitable work set soup gave poor established seven libraries area apart work expected staunch feminist living rule husband bore children showed strong known feminist circles london 1850s signatories based wales signed country women suffrage petition june held public meeting home probably wales discuss women suffrage later taken task local newspaper disturbing peace leading wales women suffrage tour welsh towns conducted following year travelled south country visiting dock newport march held second meeting resulted new petition delivered effect saw signing petitions later year england society women suffrage sent members sponsored speaking tour south wales took newport cardiff despite actions prominent welsh women real suffrage movements took hold 1870s country reliant speaking tours members english societies predominantly bristol london manchester february addressed meeting held cardiff town hall consider means promoting interest cardiff female voting rights preliminary larger meeting held march attended local dignitaries chaired mayor cardiff despite great deal suffrage activity lead reform act little campaigning wales early 1880s act significant importance occur period decision late delegates support series talks right women votes recorded instance interest welsh working men supporting female suffrage societies wales publication extended suffrage men united_kingdom led large scale political organisation combined outcome corrupt practices act prevented payment led conservative liberal parties approaching female supporters aid political campaigning conservatives offer political role women wales opening branches campaigning women rights priority merely aimed interest women politics response launched allowed women freedom role voice mere subsidiary national party organisation women wales began supported prominent members branch founded quickly began advocating votes women began english welsh said members raised meeting decided merge political pressure group home rule form new equal rights women written objects organisation despite early successes liberal organisation headed new century apart cardiff branch achieved successes branches closed pressure groups saw foundation leadership non political organisation formed seventeen strongest societies england took branch formed wales occurred meeting house saw president local cell branches soon began forming wales creation cardiff district branch followed militant arm suffrage movement strong wales branches wales compared said active promoting wales long holding meetings wales active campaign election slogan liberals welsh voters election single won seat wales nonetheless main political target liberal prime minister opposed women suffrage movement attitudes movement badly affected militant actions led members july inaugurated welsh treasurer initial involvement led branch formed following year pro suffrage groups continued direct action bristol winston_churchill threatened members widespread anger event led cardiff meeting led abandoned speakers drowned tomatoes thrown despite favoured son wales pro women suffrage liberal chancellor target activity stated support suffrage movement public speeches failure progress implementing change led believe secret anti quoted times november declaring lloyd disease afflicted men day exceptions women saw known anti fight assumptions basis truth month written chief whip fact forthcoming bill hand hundreds thousands votes party year saw marked increase militant action wales anger defeat bills saw disrupt speech pavilion protesters male female treated harshly clothes torn hair ripped beaten sticks later year whilst delivering speech weeks later notorious events history suffrage wales took place returned home town open village hall sooner started speaking interrupted cries votes women violently assaulted crowd stripped waist rescued thrown bridge rocks river trouble anticipated national press present devoted page photographs incident local press attacked poured crowd image peaceful chapel going wales event seen dramatic event history women suffrage wales march victory 1910s attitudes hardened sides emancipation issue anti suffrage amalgamated newly formed year branch established branches organisation eventually formed wales prolific supporters wales members parliament cardiff montgomery years leading outbreak world war spent time north wales organising educational propaganda campaigns south wales friction caused shift political views pushed country central office saw switch policy non party organisation set support newly burgeoning labour_party wales traditionally liberal suffrage societies opposed new policy sense central english feminist agenda pushed militant headquarters needs welsh social cultural political views strains existed organisation abandoned organised end rally london july attempt remind public larger constitutional non militant wing movement routes planned british towns cities including wales members branches left july travelling wales met support hostility branch left cardiff july saw continuation hard line methods house built april september hoax bombs set cardiff telegraph wires cut period saw actions wales notable daughter thomas activist wife recruited vocal active member date later founding newport branch organisation convicted setting fire post box refusing pay fine sent prison imprisoned went hunger strike released cat mouse act non militant elements suffrage movement built steady presence damaged bad press violent action brought gained publicity summer school set previous year members training public speaking given south wales signs working class involvement suffrage cause took shape branch opening run outbreak world war activity came halt turned focus relief work reformed sent members wales longer rally suffrage encourage male volunteers join british_army attended rally demand men leave women undertake stop hiding women wales took employment especially newly opened munitions factories female workforce cent factory cent militant point public enemies seen fierce nationalist patriots old foes allies vice versa referred great defender war stance movement wished pushing agenda emancipation members broke away form members continued campaign women votes columnist news sheet representation people act passed gave women age met property qualification right vote factors led passing act including efforts working women anti suffrage rhetoric political change london replaced prime minister government believed million voters added act wales electorate rose legacy peoples act world war relief work helped women societies wales active membership numbers began fall people act regional branches began resolved december handing marching banner believing work newport branch revised aims form women taking active interest welfare social issues branches continued political vision equal suffrage notably cardiff attempting secure election women local government posts fact terms equal men ensured surviving societies focus point order bill admit women mps passed october seventeen women stood female candidacy wales professor education unsuccessfully contested newly formed seat took wales return female youngest daughter prime minister second launched action group focused heavily equality men women rights child continued equality women emerged leading feminist britain inter war period established number women organisations pressure groups launched influential feminist journal time tide unsuccessful bid gain entry house_of_lords fighting ruling barred admission women equal franchise eventually won passing representation people act achieved matter course constant campaign organised pressure reorganised taking broader range issues secure widespread support formed caused desire authoritarian style leadership vocal advocate equal rights 1920s branches wales cardiff branches disbanded remained active decade women suffrage movement wales historically held poor regard little research undertaken end twentieth century initial impressions women voting rights country appear suggest hostility suffrage historians writing built argue specific cultural environments led cautious considered political ideology type advocated appears rejected majority welsh suffrage especially north wales cook claims origin lies governmental reports commissioners state education wales commonly known parliamentary speech radical concerns raised level education wales resulted carried english commissioners appointed knowledge welsh language elementary education findings report immensely detailed state education wales drew critical picture welsh people immoral backwards pages welsh women labelled cut influences welsh language report drew questions poor women country claiming english farmers daughters respectable welsh counterparts wales constant habit courted bed result report led effort ensure welsh women future welsh periodicals launched decades following aimed improving improve morality welsh readership periodicals launch publication direct response blue books editor known seen champion welsh women following detailed defence morality following controversy surrounding report launched january set create perfect virtue morality beacon welsh nation future criticism early autumn health editor failing merged monthly penny periodical guide early despite title majority contributors men publication continued emphasise importance high moral standards practical advice publication continued 1880s eventually way female periodicals roots movement articles pages 1880s began topic female emancipation described desire welsh seen respectable eyes colonial neighbour endured english counterparts decided aggressive mantle achieve goals female emancipation builds hypothesis stating welsh woman inspired middle class angel house represent welsh long english women abandoned favour welsh welsh suffrage argument exists women suffrage movement wales truly welsh based fact organised orchestrated english speaking middle class movement little bearing true voice country shown people embrace suffrage movement english born wealthy born moving wales marriage born bristol university educated addition societies sprang coastal towns north south run middle class women normally english background little understanding welsh language writing linked support women suffrage earlier campaigning group movement movement reached periodicals concluded cross dominated immigrant middle class women cook evans argue despite suffrage wales introduced new generation immigrant middle class women definite ideology fostered nation english counterparts wales shown independent resistance national institution despite prominent role government making obvious target disruption formed welsh society based london attempted link women suffrage wales sought unite welsh men women living capital cause distributed hand bills written welsh welsh london translated pamphlets bill union expressed dressing traditional welsh costume unlike unions wales actually addressed membership welsh english language meetings bill quit organisation formed militant policy members wore red dragon motto jesus allow suffrage movement wales attempted level independence following leading national agenda depended deeply years celebrated outside borders bring crowds town meetings relied network forgotten non militant supporters organised campaigned ground level failing significantly draw rural cause embraced national sense pride values contrasted neighbours england welsh family connections high profile militant action 2nd probably known welsh mother wife connected work documented lesser extent remembered connections outside sphere women suffrage important welsh activists cause majority working wales welsh active outside country poorly documented renowned speaker activist daughter high later science teacher south wales rose prominence chosen assist running national campaign assistant editor trade vocal supporters suffrage movement socialist keen seller imprisoned days arrested square year old wife cardiff insurance manager spent weeks jail resisting police conduct given similar conviction days prior brother paid fine determined imprisoned november failure bill anger direct action arrested campaign window smashing arrests seven women welsh connections including sister guest sister period produced prominent activists emily frost close friend founder members branch teachers activists serving president platform press equal franchise position editor woman teacher urge colleagues support public meetings demonstrations timeline great reform act confirmed exclusion women electorate wales women suffrage petition signed signatories pass resolution support series talks women suffrage merges branch wales opens cardiff district women suffrage society established south wales opening new town hall turned angry crowd seen dramatic suffrage events wales formed london february house built burned members july women branches wales pilgrimage ending london august world war declared britain activity immediately ceased activity continued peacefully december replaces prime minister representation people act women age member married member million women gained vote november eligibility women act passed allowing women elected parliament 2nd forms women received vote terms men age result
Women's suffrage in Wales