1894: The first Welsh women politicians

Norena Shopland

Prior to 1894, only a few women had the right to vote or stand for political office, but this changed with the reforming of local government that year. Now, working-class people were able to stand for the first time — a common joke doing the rounds, was the dismay of a Lord whose cook was elected, but not him.

The men in government had allowed women to become councillors on the newly formed urban, rural, and parish councils, as well as Poor Law Guardians, although they were not allowed to chair meetings. These positions forming a second tier of local government, below that of borough and county councils, on which women were not permitted to sit, until 1907.

Generally speaking, the Welsh press was supportive, many encouraged women to stand. And they did, in their hundreds. However, they were expected to attend to the domestic side of politics, ‘essentially mother’s work,’ wrote Mrs Rawlins of Rhyl.

There is no complete list of Welsh women’s names, although Joelle Gorno (Sorbonne Université), has been doing extensive work in this area and her video, “A voice before the vote: Women’s involvement in Welsh local politics before the suffrage, 1869-1928” can be seen on YouTube.

When a list is made available it will enable local historians to delve deeper in the lives of their women.

Research by myself on Welsh women councillors in 1894, has revealed sixty-one identifiable individuals, thirty-one elected, thirty not elected. Although identification for some can be difficult because they were listed by their husband’s name, and much digging is needed to turn them into individuals.

Throughout her career, Mrs David Paton (1851-1923), who became an Urban District Councillor, for Ward No III, Llanelly, was without her own name, Margaretta.

Most came from middle-class backgrounds, supporters arguing they were grounded in ‘good works,’ with detractors claiming they were merely an extension of their husband’s/family’s charitable work, and another means for the rich to gain additional powerful positions.

The Evening Express cartoonist satirically implied women would only be elected on their looks.

Many more women stood for, and were elected Poor Law Guardians (often councillors automatically became Guardians). Mrs Wynford Phillips in her 1896 article, ‘Progress of Women in Wales,’ in Young Wales stated that eighty-eight were returned, but she does not cite her source and so far around half that number have been identified, with thirty-one not elected.

Guardians

Many preferred to stand as Guardians, such as Brecon’s Gwenllian Morgan, who was to become the first female mayor of a Welsh town. In a public letter, she explained, ‘it is desirable to have a woman on the Board, who is able to devote herself to that part of the work which more particularly regard the care of the sick in the Infirmary, the women in the workhouse, and the children in the schools.’

Also in Brecon, Anne Maria Williams of Penpont, and Agnes Storey Maskelyne became Parish Councillors in first and nineth places respectively, and Anne’s sister, Adelaide Williams, became a Rural Councillor, taking the only seat available. Adelaide became a Guardian and remained so until 1926 which, as Joelle Gorno notes, makes her ‘one of the longest or the longest serving guardian in Wales, if not Britain!’ (These posts were abolished in 1929.)

Of those whose marital status is known, (many had their marital status included, none of the men did) they were split evenly, with some like Gwenllian simply referred to as a ‘lady.’ Anglicans and non-conformists were equal, but it was in politics that the big difference showed, Liberals dominated, tying in with the Liberal victories recorded everywhere.

Cardiff

However, there were not sweeping gains. Only four percent of guardians elected in Wales were women and they were distributed unevenly throughout the country, except for Cardiff.

There, they amounted to twenty-four per cent, often elected by decisive majorities — most being placed at the head of the poll. Half of the wards had two female Guardians.

One of the great worries about women standing for office was that it would give them the opportunity to promote votes for women. So, to be selected, many had to promise not to include politics, and it became a game that women had to play to suppress certain political beliefs just to gain a seat at the table.

Of those elected in 1894, most maintain the status quo, they did not challenge contemporary welfare legislation, or make far-reaching policy changes.

Nevertheless, it represented the first time that women in any number succeeded in gaining election to public office in Wales, a platform that could, and was, built on.