Iconic Lydia can build for the future

NATURAL-BORN leader: Lydia Becker

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LYDIA BECKER was a leading 19th century Suffragette, born in Chadderton’s Foxdenton Hall.

An amateur scientist with an interest in biology and astronomy, she was the early leader of the early British Suffrage movement. She funded and published the Women’s Suffrage Journal between 1870 and 1890, and in 1867 founded Manchester’s ladies literary society.

In 1868 Lydia became treasurer to the Married Women’s Property Committee and helped to campaign against what she considered iniquitous laws. She continued to write about the need for parliamentary reform and the Suffrage Journal was a natural consequence of her campaigning.

Lydia was elected to the Manchester School Board where she campaigned for better education of girls.

In 1874 William Forsyth MP announced a bill to grant single, but not married, women the vote. Unmarried Lydia created controversy among the Suffrage ranks by supporting the proposal, which she suggested should be a short term, transitional phase towards the full vote for all women.

But her support for the intended bill led to a falling out within the movement, and she was later forced to resign from the ruling committee.

She died in 1890 after contracting diphtheria.