Margaret Ashton

Margaret Ashton (19 January 1856 – 15 October 1937) was an English suffragist, local politician, pacifist and philanthropist, and the first woman city councillor for Manchester.

Quotes

• As women are still deprived from direct power to shape the destiny of this country, we must demand that our fellow men do their utmost to preserve peace and prevent the destruction of our communities. You are the only people who can prevent this crime from taking place. We are in contact with our sisters in Europe and America and we all believe that nothing can be gained from violence. We must appeal instead to reason and humanity.
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• In these days when men are making us spend all our substance and strength on winning the liberty they out to be giving us with both hands – I have no heart to subsidise men’s things at all…except just to hold my seat on the Town Council
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• I send you the notice of the women’s victory here – in a municipal lodging House. It is so nice, so complete, so good & simple that it ought to be a success and an example to other places- and it is such a pleasure to me to have it called by my name even though I don’t deserve it and Mrs Clark & the women guardians Cttee ought somehow to have been joined in
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• Dear Mrs Macdonald

I am so glad to hear from you and of you even though you are the same dear old robber! Yes! You shall keep your bag – and have the money for your club as long as it really is women not men chiefly. In these days when men are making us spend all our substance and strength on winning the liberty they ought to be giving us with both hands – I have no heart to subsidize men’s things at all much except just page 2 to hold my seat on the Town Council I don’t give a P to anything that is exclusively for men & boys – I send you the notice of the women’s victory here – in a municipal lodging House. It is so nice, so complete, so good & simple that it ought to be a success and an example to other places- and it is such a pleasure to me to have it called by my name even though I don’t deserve it and Mrs Clark & the women guardians Cttee (ie Committee) ought somehow to have been joined in. You know perhaps that Page 3 That Cttee is suspended for a time. We can’t get neither money nor candidates while the suffrage fight goes on. Miss Olga Hertz & I are left trustees to start It again when we can – and Mrs Clark has got the post of housekeeper to Bedford College in London, where I hope you will go & see her some day If you have time. She was very sad at leaving Manchester and has been very ill of septic poisoning since but I hope has gone to Bedford College this last week – shall we meet At Lincoln? I am coming Yours always

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