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The First Madam Mayor: the forgotten woman politician of Hereford
18 September 2023 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
In 1918, women in Britain were allowed to stand for election to Parliament for the first time, and some women were permitted to vote in general elections. While the actions of the suffragists and suffragettes are well-known to us today, less well-remembered is the campaign for women to take part in local government. In this talk, Anna Muggeridge of the University of Worcester will consider the life and work of Louise Luard, Hereford’s first female mayor. Mrs Luard was among the women councillors elected to serve Hereford in the 1920s, and continued to play a role in municipal government until the Second World War. This talk explores the experiences of this pioneering generation of women politicians, whose commitment to local issues helped to shape the communities we still live in today.