United Suffragists

The United Suffragists was a women's suffrage movement in the United Kingdom.

History

The group was founded on 6 February 1914, by former members and supporters of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). In contrast to the WSPU, it admitted men[1], and it also admitted non-militant suffragists.[2]

Founder members of the United Suffragists included Louisa Garrett Anderson, H. J. Gillespie, Gerald Gould, Agnes Harben, Bessie Lansbury, George Lansbury, Mary Neal, Emmeline Pethick Lawrence, Julia Scurr, John Scurr, Evelyn Sharp,[2] and Edith Ayrton.[1] Louise Eates also became a member in 1914.[3] Helen Crawfurd formed a branch in Glasgow in 1915.[4]

The organisation adopted Votes for Women as its newspaper; this was run by Pethick-Lawrence and had formerly been associated with the WSPU. Unlike the WSPU, it continued to campaign through World War I, and gradually attracted more members from both that organisation and from the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS).[2]

With the introduction of women's suffrage in 1918, the group dissolved itself, after holding a victory celebration, and also participating in the NUWSS celebrations.[2]

References
  1. "Edith Zangwill". Spartacus Educational. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  2. Elizabeth Crawford, The Women's Suffrage Movement: A Reference Guide 1866-1928, p.694
  3. Atkinson, Diane (2018). Rise up, women! : the remarkable lives of the suffragettes. London: Bloomsbury. p. 535. ISBN 9781408844045. OCLC 1016848621.
  4. "Suffrage in Glasgow". Votes for Women. 30 July 1915.
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