Louisa Mary Knightley, Lady Knightley (25 April 1842 – 2 October 1913) was a British

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...

and women's rights activist.

Life

Born on Lower Grosvenor Street in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

as Louisa Bowater, she was the daughter of General

Edward Bowater General Sir Edward Bowater KCH (1787 – 14 December 1861) was a British soldier and courtier. Background and education Born in St James's Palace, Bowater descended from a Coventry family and was the only son of the Admiral Edward Bowater. His ...

and Emilia Mary Barne. She was educated at home and kept a diary from the age of fourteen. The family were close to the British Royal Family, and Louisa was a

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom s ...

at the marriage of

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, (Leopold George Duncan Albert; 7 April 185328 March 1884) was the eighth child and youngest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Leopold was later created Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow. ...

and

Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont Princess Helen of Waldeck and Pyrmont (later Duchess of Albany; 17 February 1861 – 1 September 1922) was a member of the British royal family by marriage. She was the fifth daughter and child of George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, a ...

. In 1869, she married Rainald Knightley, a Conservative Party Member of Parliament twenty-three years her senior. Knightley devoted much of her time to the church, serving as a national vice-president and the Peterborough diocese president of the

Girls' Friendly Society The Girls' Friendly Society In England And Wales (or just GFS) is a charitable organisation that empowers girls and young women aged 5 to 25, encouraging them to develop their full potential through programs that provide training, confidence bu ...

. She was also a founding committee member of the Working Ladies Guild. She was also interest in politics, and when the

Primrose League The Primrose League was an organisation for spreading Conservative principles in Great Britain. It was founded in 1883. At a late point in its existence, its declared aims (published in the ''Primrose League Gazette'', vol. 83, no. 2, March/April ...

was established in 1883, she soon joined, and from 1885 until 1907, she served on its Ladies' Grand Council. In line with the organisation's aims, she was very active in mobilising women in support of the Conservative Party, and was credited with saving Rainald's seat in the

1885 Events January–March * January 3– 4 – Sino-French War – Battle of Núi Bop: French troops under General Oscar de Négrier defeat a numerically superior Qing Chinese force, in northern Vietnam. * January 4 – ...

and 1886 general elections. The experience of involvement in an election campaign without being able to vote convinced her of the case for

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

. In about 1888, she was elected to the parish council of

Badby, Northamptonshire Badby is a village and a rural parish of about in West Northamptonshire, England.- OS Explorer Map 207: Newport Pagnell & Northampton South (1:25 000) Location Badby is about 2 miles (3 km) south of Daventry, on the A361 Daventry to Ban ...

, and later chaired the body. Probably due to Louisa's lobbying, Rainald was created Baron Knightley in 1892, Louisa therefore becoming Lady Knightley. Rainald died in 1895, and Louisa thereafter devoted more of her time to women's rights. She was a founder member of the National Union of Women Workers, serving as a vice-president from 1906, also serving on the committee of the Freedom of Labour Defence League, and as president of the Northamptonshire Society for Promoting the Return of Women as Poor Law Guardians. The Imperial Colonist British Women's Emigration Association and the South African Expansion Committee (January 1905)

The Imperial Colonist British Women's Emigration Association and the South African Expansion Committee (January 1905)

Knightley was also active in support of

imperialism Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...

, serving as president of the South African Colonisation Society, and editing the ''Imperial Colonist'' journal from 1901 to 1913. In her last years, she also served on the Northamptonshire Higher Education Committee, and from 1908 to 1910 was the founding president of the Conservative and Unionist Women's Franchise Association. Lady Knightley was appointed a Lady of Grace of the

Order of St John of Jerusalem The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...

on 7 March 1900.

Primary source

The Journals of Lady Knightley of Fawsley
(full text via the

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)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knightley, Louisa 1842 births 1913 deaths British baronesses Conservative Party (UK) councillors Councillors in Northamptonshire English suffragists Women councillors in England