Tag: GRO0245

London Evening Standard: Friday 20th September 1912

Women in Municipal Life: Birmingham’s Unique Position: … … (long discussion) … …  It is an interesting outcome of the first of these decisions that a married woman, Mrs. Pinsent, became enrolled as a burgess, and was then elected to the city council. And it is an equally interesting result of the cumulative force of the decision that there are probably more women burgesses in Birmingham in proportion to the electorate than in any other city in the kingdom.

Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

Referenced

GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949

Halifax Guardian: Saturday 7th September 1912

Halifax and the Feeble Minded: The Halifax branch of the Yorkshire Association for the Permanent Care of the Feeble-Minded is bringing its objects directly before the attention of the public, and a lecture is to be given on the 20th inst. by Ms. Hume Pinsent explanatory of the work that is to be taken up. … (discussion of issue) …

Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

Referenced

GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949

Birmingham Mail: Tuesday 20th August 1912

The Retiring Councillors: Possibilities of Some Interesting Contests: … The following is a list of the thirty Councillors whose period of service expires in November: 1:  – … list includes … Edgbaston – Mrs. Pinsent (L. U.). … Of these 30 members 12 are Liberal Unionists, thirteen Conservatives and four Liberals, and one is a Socialist …

Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

Referenced

GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949

The Queen: Saturday 27th July 1912

That the existing law impose such disabilities in regard to women’s participation in local government in England and Wales is bad; but that the disabilities should be re-enacted in a measure for codifying the law would make the evil worse that it now is, for it would put new rivets on the old fetters. The Bill will actually worsen the position of women in local government, as for example it would disqualify Mrs. Hume Pinsent, who is not most usefully sitting (?) on Birmingham City Council.

Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

Referenced

GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949

The Queen: Saturday 20th July 1912

“Women’s position in the Laws of the Nation” the international Council of Women at is last general meeting, held in Toronto, 1909, authorized the publication of a series of reports on the position of women under the laws of these nations in which there are councils of women. As the result of this determination, and of the combined efforts of many able and well-informed women, a small book has been brought out which may be obtained (price 1s, post free, 1s 4) from the Secretary, National Union of Women Workers, Parliament Mansions, Victoria Street, S.W. … … (long discussion) … … In Australia women may vote for a member of Parliament, or even stand for election in this capacity, but she may not be town councillor or alderman. In England she may be an alderman, but not a magistrate. In France she may be a lawyer, but not in Australia. It is not, by the way, correct to say that “No married women in England and Wales can vote in a town council election.” Married women have so voted in England and one, Mrs. Pinsent, is at the present time a member of the Birmingham City Council. In some countries a married woman can be removed from the land to which she is supposed to belong, and be forced by her husband to live where-ever he chooses … (continues) …

Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

Referenced

GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949

Votes for Women: Friday 19th July 1912

The Franchise Bill – Women in Local Government: by Mildred Mansel: Mr. Asquith’s speech in the House of Commons on Friday last, though it gave clear Anti-Suffrage lead to his followers and exposed his machinations with regard to the Franchise Bill as a Bill to give votes to men only , and nothing in it to cause surprise to militant Suffragists. Ever since the introduction of the Manhood Suffrage Bill, there leaders of the W.S.P.U. have denounced the Bill, not only as an insult to women in itself, but also in offering women no opportunity whatever for the enfranchisement … …(continues with arguments against bill and claim that with regard to Local Government it takes a retrograde step in blocking married women from standing in local council elections – which had been sanctioned by Qualification of Women (Borough and County Councils) Act, 1907 … … continues) … … Thus, at Birmingham, in September 1909, the revising barrister allowed the claim of Mrs. C. W. Dixon, a married woman, to vote as a burgess for the City Council of Birmingham. He held that the disability of married women to vote in the Town and County Councils had been removed by the necessary implication contained in the Qualification of Women (County and Borough Councils) Act, 1907, and similarly at Staverton, Glos., the claim of a Mrs. Mcllquaham was allowed to stand. Comparatively few revising barristers allowed these claims, but women have succeeded in getting on to the burgess roll in this way in various parts of England, and at this time in the City of Birmingham there are about thirty married women who vote at the Municipal elections, and a married woman, Mrs. Hume Pinsent, is now serving on the Town Council itself. The “Reform” Bill would, however, change this. The electoral disability of married women, hitherto undefined and created incidentally by the absence of a provision providing that a woman otherwise fully qualified but prevented from being registered owing to the fact that she is not a Parliamentary elector, should nevertheless be entitled to be on the burgess roll and the register of County electors, is now rendered statutory. The Bill, as the Women’s Local Government Society points out in their letter to the Prime Minister, will “actually worsen the position of women in local government.” Mrs. Hume Pinsent, who is doing admirable work at Birmingham, will be disqualified from standing again, and all those married women whose names have been placed on the burgess roll will be struck off. The inclusion of this disabling clause in the Bill is the straw which shows how the wind blows as far as the Government’s dealings with women are concerned, and also throws an interesting sidelight on Anti-Suffrage propaganda. … (continues) …

Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

Referenced

GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949

Birmingham Mail: Friday 19th July 1912

Mentally Defective Children: School Accommodation in Greater Birmingham: Mrs. Pinsent’s Statement: At the Birmingham Education Committee, this afternoon, Mrs. Hume Pinsent presented the report of the Special Schools Subcommittee dealing with the special school accommodation for Greater Birmingham. The Committee pointed out that no such accommodation existed in any of the areas added to the city last November, with the exception of a small school for the deaf at Aston. A school for mentally defective children had since been opened in temporary premises at Fashoda Road, Selly Park. No other suitable temporary premises had been found, and the Subcommittee’s experience had been that the use of temporary premises for special! schools was not, as a rule, successful or economical. So far as was ascertained, the percentage of defective children in the school population did not differ materially in the new districts from the percentage in the old Birmingham area. Immediately prior the extension, the city, with a school population of 96,260 on the registers, had 832 mentally defective children in day schools, 51 in residential schools, and 210 for whom further accommodation was required, making total of 1,093, 1.1 per cent, while there were 297 physically defective children, 0.3 per cent. The existing accommodation was, and is still, not quite sufficient. Further accommodation was needed for 190 mentally defective children and for 65 crippled children at a number of schools, and these figures had been taken into consideration in forming a scheme for dealing with the whole of the defective children in the enlarged city. Six new special schools would be required, and the estimated cost of building them would be £30,500. The annual charge on the rates in respect of these schools when all were built and full would be £4,868 and taking off the net maintenance expenses in Farm Street, Road, and Little Green Lane, the annual charges on the rates would be £3,666. The question the committee ought to consider, said Mrs. Pinsent, was whether these special schools were desirable and worth the money they would cost. They of the old city never felt any doubt on this important but necessary part of the educational scheme. The committee thought it best to bring up the scheme as a whole and not school by school, and taking one district and then another, and they thought it right to let the City Council know the total amount of expenditure they were letting in for. Alderman Berry moved an amendment that the matter should be deferred until after the February estimates. Alderman Bird seconded the amendment. The amendment was put to the vote and lost, and the resolution was carried.

Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

Referenced

GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949

London Evening Standard: Friday 5th July 1912

Franchise Reform: Liberals and Broken Pledges: … There is little sign of enthusiasm in the country for the Franchise Bill in its present form; in its relationship to men it provides cool interest, in its relationship to women it is exciting the most widespread resentment. … Municipal Franchise Restricted … The municipal franchise for men is extended. Women, if married, are for the first time expressly forbidden to vote anywhere for the county and borough councils except in London. …It is said that this clause, if passed, will sweep from the burgess roll in Birmingham about 30 married women who, through the decisions of the revising barristers, succeeded in view of the wording of the Qualifications of Women (County and Borough Councils) Act, in getting themselves put on the register. In the case of Mrs. Hugh (sic) Pinsent the well-known expert on the care of the feeble-minded, a married woman succeeded in being a city councillor … (continues) …

Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

Referenced

GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949

The Queen: Saturday 29th June 1912

Women under the Franchise Bill: Restricted Powers of Married women: The Franchise and Registration Bill, which was introduced and read a first time by Pease on the 17th inst. in dummy form, is now in print. All women who are interested in their powers of public usefulness should make a point of getting a copy of the Bill, and of studying its provisions with the utmost care. … … The wording of this Act made it clear to some revising barristers that a married woman must also be qualified to be an elector to these bodies, since, if she could not be an elector because she was married, she would be disqualified from candidature. In accordance with this interpretation (which seems to be the only reasonable one), married women had in some cases succeeded in getting their names place on the local government register and in one instance at least, that of Mrs. Hume Pinsent, the well-known authority on the care of the feeble-minded – a woman, though married, has become a city councillor. Under the new Bill, however, even these slender possibilities of civic service are to be withdrawn from a woman because she is married is she lives anywhere in England, excepting London … … (continues) … …

Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

Referenced

GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949

Birmingham Mail: Tuesday 18th June 1912

Sir – Thanks for our able leader in Saturday’s issue. It is quite refreshing to find you speaking out against the mad manner in which the finances of the city are managed. When annexation was wanted the cry was what a glorious thing it would be to be the second largest city in the world. Of-course this was all bunkum to catch the outside areas. It is quite evident that Birmingham without the new areas was in a bankrupt condition … (continues) … If the ratepayers only knew the money positively thrown away on what are called special schools and classes which Mrs. Pinsent seems to have sole charge of, there would be a short shift made of the majority of that committee. But so long as the public will allow the councillors to be elected on party lines they must put up with the burdens – Yours, Etc., June 16: Tired of Party Politics:

Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

Referenced

GRO0245 Devonport: Ellen Frances Parker: 1866 – 1949