Celia Wray (30 May 1872 – 30 November 1954) was an English

suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

and an architect. For many years she was in a lesbian relationship with scientist Alice Laura Embleton.

Early life

She was born in Barnsley in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

in 1872 as Cecilia Wray, the daughter of Jane Burrows ''née'' Batty (1846–1910) and Charles Wray (1844–1931), a pork butcher who was Mayor of Barnsley from 1896–1897 and again in 1903–1904. He had built up an "extensive business" in Barnsley where he was a Liberal councillor for the west ward of Barnsley from 1889, and retired as

alderman An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members them ...

in 1924. He was president of the District Butchers' Association and was a supporter of Blucher Street United Methodist Church and of the Tradesmen's Benevolent Institution. He was made Freeman of the Borough in 1921, before his retirement.''Sheffield Daily Telegraph'', Tuesday 24 March 1931 p4 col4: Death of Mr C. Wray, freeman and former mayor of Barnsley
/ref>

Activism

For a period Wray was an architect in Barnsley where in 1908 she designed some cottages in Cudworth which are still standing. In about 1896 she was a supporter of the

Women's Emancipation Union The Women's Emancipation Union was founded by Elizabeth Clarke Wolstenholme Elmy in September 1891 following an infamous court case. Regina v Jackson, known colloquially as the Clitheroe Judgement, occurred when Edmund Jackson abducted his wife in a ...

. She was also a prominent activist for

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, 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 gran ...

being a leading member of the Barnsley Women's Suffrage Society (founded in 1902), of which she was Secretary from 1908 to 1920, when she left the town. She was in a relationship with cancer scientist Alice Laura Embleton (1876–1960). The two of them were photographed with other suffragettes protesting outside the offices of the ''

Barnsley Chronicle The ''Barnsley Chronicle'', published in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, is one of the UK's oldest provincial newspapers and one of the few weeklies still in private ownership. It was launched in 1858 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008. It ...

'' in January 1910. In 1911 Wray was living with her father in Barnsley when on the day of the 1911 census Embleton was a visitor. In common with many other

s the two women defaced the census paper by writing the slogan "Getting votes for those who pay the piper. Getting votes for women" across it. Celia Wray protest 1910

With Embleton,

Evelina Haverfield Evelina Haverfield ( Scarlett; 9 August 1867 – 21 March 1920) was a British suffragette and aid worker. In the early 20th century, she was involved in Emmeline Pankhurst's militant women's suffrage organisation the Women's Social and Pol ...

and

Vera Holme Vera Louise Holme, also known as Jack Holme (29 August 1881 – 1 January 1969), was a British actress and a suffragette. She was known as the Pankhursts' chauffeur. Early life Holme was born in Birkdale, Lancashire, England. Her parents were ...

Wray set up the private 'Foosack League' between themselves the membership of which was restricted to women and suffragists; the internal evidence suggests the Foosack League was a lesbian secret society. Certainly, the four were close friends as evidenced by the many letters written between them, particularly during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. In her later years Wary lived with Alice Embleton at The Elms in

Saxmundham Saxmundham ( ) is a market town in Suffolk, England, set in the valley of the River Fromus about north-east of Ipswich and west of the coast at Sizewell. The town is bypassed by the main A12 road between London and Lowestoft. The town is serve ...

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include L ...

. In her will she left £35,233 16s 5d.England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 for Celia Wray (1955) - Ancestry.com
/ref> Wray died in

Blythburgh Blythburgh is a village and civil parish in the East Suffolk district of the English county of Suffolk. It is west of Southwold and south-east of Halesworth and lies on the River Blyth. The A12 road runs through the village which is split ei ...

in 1954 aged 82.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wray, Celia 1872 births 1954 deaths People from Barnsley Lesbianism Lesbian feminists English suffragists English suffragettes British feminists British women's rights activists Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom Women's Social and Political Union