Edith H. Howse (19 December 1883 – 1955) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

trade unionist A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

and politician. Born in

Chorlton-upon-Medlock Chorlton-on-Medlock is an inner city area of Manchester, England. Historically in Lancashire, Chorlton-on-Medlock is bordered to the north by the River Medlock, which runs immediately south of Manchester city centre. Its other borders roughly ...

, near Manchester, Howse began working for the

General Post Office The General Post Office (GPO) was the state postal system and telecommunications carrier of the United Kingdom until 1969. Established in England in the 17th century, the GPO was a state monopoly covering the dispatch of items from a specific ...

in 1900 as a "telephone learner". She joined the

Postal Telegraph Clerks' Association The Postal and Telegraph Clerks' Association (PTCA) was a trade union in the United Kingdom for workers in the post office and telecommunications industries. History The union was founded in 1881 as the Postal Telegraph Clerks' Association, am ...

, and in 1909 became a part-time union official. In 1916, she became the first full-time women's organiser of the union. In 1920, the union became part of the new

Union of Post Office Workers The Union of Communication Workers (UCW) was a trade union in the United Kingdom for workers in the post office and telecommunications industries. History The union was founded in 1919 as the Union of Post Office Workers (UPW) by the merger ...

, with Howse continuing as women's organiser, and also becoming an assistant secretary of the union, with responsibility for the telephones and telecommunications section. In this role, she attended numerous national and international conferences, often speaking on women's trade unionism. Howse retired in 1937, but remained active, becoming a Labour Party member of

Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in the London Borou ...

council, and serving a term as Mayor of Wembley.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howse, Edith 1883 births 1955 deaths English trade unionists Labour Party (UK) councillors Mayors of places in Greater London People from Chorlton-on-Medlock English women trade unionists Women mayors of places in England Women councillors in England