Miss Margaret Kirkland Collection

Personal papers of Miss Margaret Kirkland including material relating to the Women's Freedom League and the Women's Freedom League, Swansea Branch 1910-1957; material relating to other feminist and liberal movements such as the Women's Liberal Association of Swansea, The Church League for Women's Suffrage, the Welsh National Liberal Federation and the Suffragette Fellowship c1910-1932; material relating to other associations including the Soroptimist Club of Greater London 1934, the Society of Friends and the Y.W.C.A.; printed material including miscellaneous papers and newspapers c1905-1943; miscellaneous correspondence, photographs and postcards c1910-1941; typescript of newspaper article or lecture on proposed changes in the Swansea public transport system c1935.

Miss Margaret Kirkland was a member of the Women's Freedom League Swansea Branch in the 1930s. She was also President of the local branch of the Soroptimists. The Kirkland family owned a shoe shop in Goat Street, Swansea in 1910. In the 1910 annual report of the Swansea branch of the Women's Freedom League, Miss M. Kirkland was listed as a member as was another Miss Kirkland and a Mr W. Kirkland was listed as a 'Men Associate'. Miss Kirkland was present at the Soroptimist Club of Greater London 10th anniversary Banquet in 1934. She was also President of the Swansea Chamber of Trade in 1934. The Women's Freedom League was founded in 1907 when a group of women split from the Pankhurst Society on a question of constitutional democracy. The first president of the Women's Freedom League was Mrs Charlotte Despard (1844-1939). Initially the group kept the name of the Women's Social and Political Union of which it still regarded itself the main body. In November 1907 the name Women's Freedom League was chosen and thirteen branches were formed together with a National Branch for unattached members. The main policy of the group was the gaining of the parliamentary vote for women. In 1918 the vote was finally given to women aged 30 and above and in 1928 the vote was extended to women under 30. The League then devoted itself to other national and international issues of women's rights and equality with men.

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