Isabel Marion Seymour (1882–1963) was an English suffragette who was employed by the

Women's Social and Political Union The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was a women-only political movement and leading militant organisation campaigning for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom founded in 1903. Known from 1906 as the suffragettes, its membership and p ...

(WSPU). She undertook speaking tours in Europe. She later became a

local councillor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a Municipality, muni ...

in Hampshire.

Life

Seymour was born in 1882 in

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

in England. Her parents were Charles and Marion Seymour. Seymour was introduced to the Women's Social and Political Union by her close friends Frederick Pethick Lawrence and Emmeline Pethick Lawrence. She was employed by the WSPU as hospitality secretary in September 1906. She was involved in administering the accommodation and bail that was required by WSPU members, based at their London headquarters. This was a role she handed over to

Irene Dallas Irene Margaret Dallas (1883–1971) was a suffragette activist, speaker and organiser who held leadership roles in the WSPU; she was arrested and imprisoned with a group who tried to gain access to 10 Downing Street. Life and activism Irene M ...

in order to be able to travel to speak in Europe in support of women's enfranchisement. Seymour was a fluent and confident speaker in English and German and she spoke at a meeting of the Prussian National Association for Women's Suffrage in Germany on the on behalf of the WSPU. She also completed a speaking tour in Austria in Russia in 1910. In 1909, she was honoured with an invitation to Eagle House in Somerset. This was the home of Colonel Linley Blathwayt and

Emily Blathwayt Emily Marion Blathwayt (née Rose; 1852 – 1940) was a British suffragette and mother of Mary Blathwayt. She and her husband, Linley, a retired Colonel from the Indian Army lived at Eagle House in Somerset and established a welcome and garden ...

. They supported their daughter

Mary Blathwayt Mary Blathwayt (1 February 1879 – 25 June 1961) was a British feminist, suffragette and social reformer. She lived at Eagle House in Somerset. This house became known as the "Suffragette's Rest" and contained a memorial to the protests o ...

and the other WSPU members by providing accommodation for recovering suffragettes. In addition Emily had constructed an arboretum of trees where each new tree was planted by a suffragette. The Blathwayts would also create a plaque and photographs would be taken to record the planting. Seymour planted a holly bush on 24 October 1909. Seymour later moved to Canada for eight years but she returned to the UK. She became a county councillor for

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

. She died in 1963.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seymour, Isabel 1882 births 1963 deaths People from Hampshire (before 1974) 19th-century English women 20th-century English women Women's Social and Political Union Eagle House suffragettes English suffragists Women councillors in England Councillors in Hampshire 20th-century British women politicians English expatriates in Canada