Becky Laxton-Bass joined us to talk about influential women of Lewisham. Becky took us on a virtual tour of the Borough and picked out 14 women to talk about:
- Marie Louise Coidavid (1778-1851) Born into a free black family, Marie Louise, married to Henri Christophe became Queen of Haiti after a monarchy was established following the revolution in which Haiti gained its independence from France. Marie Louise fled to England after her husband and two sons were assassinated and lived for a time in Blackheath. There is a blue plaque to Marie Louise in Marylebone – one of only thirty plaques to women of colour across London.
- Eleanor Marx (1855-1898). The daughter of Karl Marx, Eleanor was a writer, translator and socialist and an active member of the Women’s’ Trade Union League supporting many strikes including the Bryant & May strike in 1888 and the London Dock Strike of 1898.
- Clara Collet (1860-1948) One of the first women to graduate from the University of London Clara worked with Charles Booth in developing his poverty maps by talking to women as part of his research.
- Octavia Hill (1838-1912) An advocate of social housing, she campaigned for Hilly Fields to be a protected space and was a founding member of the National Trust.
- Henrietta Barnett (1851-1936.) A social reformer, educationalist and author, Henrietta grew up in Lewisham. Together with her husband she was responsible for founding Toynbee Hall, Hampstead Garden Suburb, an educational institute and girls’ school.
- Rachel (1859-1917) and her sister Margaret McMillian (1860-1931) were pioneers in education especially nursery education and early years health and are buried in Brockley Cemetery.
- Edith Nesbit (1858-1924). Famous as the author of The Railway Children and over 50 other books. Advocated for women to have the vote and set up Christmas feasts at her home for children.
- Edith Lanchester (1871-1996). Edith was a feminist and suffragette who defied convention by planning to live with her lover, a working class man from Ireland. Her father responded to the plan by having her declared insane as a result of her being over educated and placed in an asylum. She went on to become Eleanor Marx’s secretary.
- Elsa Lanchester (1902-1986) Edith’s glamourous daughter who had a long career as an actress in the theatre, film and television. She pushed boundaries by posing naked, running a nightclub and for a time was a professional seducer for those seeking a divorce. She was married to actor Charles Laughton.
- Gladys Cooper (1888-1971). Born in Ennersdale Road, Gladys Cooper became an actress and went on to receive three Academy Award nominations. She worked for over 50 years on both stage and screen and is probably best known for her portrayal of Henry Higgins’ mother in the film My Fair Lady. A tribute to Gladys by Bette Davis during an interview with Dick Cavett recorded the day after her death in 1971 is available on YouTube.
- Rosa May Billinghurst (1875-1953). Although Rosa May, a polio survivor, was unable to walk that did not stop her from being a suffragette and women’s rights activist. She founded the Greenwich branch of the Women’s Social and Political Union. Present at the storming of Parliament, she was later imprisoned for blowing up a post box and went on hunger strike and was force fed.
- Beatrice Drapper (1886-1961) Beatrice, a Councillor became the Lady Mayor of Deptford. She succeeded in the establishment of the Evelyn baths and washhouses. (Since 1987, Lewisham has continually been represented by at least one woman MP.
- Sybil Phoenix (1927-present). Shocked by the poverty in Lewisham in the 1950s Sybil set about tackling local issues. She established the Marsha Phoenix Memorial Trust and was the first black women to receive an MBE.
It was an engaging and informative talk that we all thoroughly enjoyed.
“Thank you for another lovely evening and a most interesting talk, really enjoyed it.”
“Absolutely agree. A fascinating evening, learnt a lot.”
“Me too! Was lovely seeing you all and I feel I have learnt a lot this evening. Thank you”
“Great speaker and fab refreshments”
“A really good speaker. I might have done history at school if I’d had a history teacher like her!”