Isabella May (née Malcolm; 22 June 1850 – 1 May 1926) was a New Zealand temperance worker,

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...

and dress reformer.

Early life

May was born in

Hoxton Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, England. It was Historic counties of England, historically in the county of Middlesex until 1889. Hoxton lies north-east of the City of London, is considered to be a part of London's East End ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England, on 22 June 1850, and was the younger sister of suffragist

Kate Sheppard Katherine Wilson Sheppard ( Catherine Wilson Malcolm; 10 March 1848 – 13 July 1934) was the most prominent member of the women's suffrage movement in New Zealand and the country's most famous suffragist. Born in Liverpool, England, she emig ...

. She arrived in

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

in 1869 with her mother, Kate, and their two brothers. In 1879, ten years after landing in

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

, she married Henry Ernest May. They had four children together.

Political work

May would work alongside other

feminists Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

and social activists to enact changes in New Zealand. Her efforts would be recognised abroad for her role in the

Women's Christian Temperance Union New Zealand Women's Christian Temperance Union of New Zealand (WCTU NZ) is a non-partisan, non-denominational, and non-profit organisation that is the oldest continuously active national organisation of women in New Zealand. The national organisation began ...

. May joined the Christchurch branch of the

(WCTU NZ) when it was first formed under the guidance of

Mary Clement Leavitt Mary Greenleaf Leavitt ( Clement; September 22, 1830 – February 5, 1912) was an educator and successful orator who became the first round-the-world missionary for the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). Setting out on virtually non-stop ...

in 1885. She served as the founding superintendent of hygiene and went on to lead this department at the national level. She worked to advocate for

dress reform Victorian dress reform was an objective of the Victorian dress reform movement (also known as the rational dress movement) of the middle and late Victorian era, led by various reformers who proposed, designed, and wore clothing considered more ...

for children and women. She traveled to London and served as the WCTU NZ representative for the council of the

Women's Liberal Federation The Women's Liberal Federation was an organisation that was part of the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom. History The Women's Liberal Federation (WLF) was formed on the initiative of Sophia Fry, who in 1886 called a meeting at her house of f ...

. She spoke at a meeting of the Society for the Abolition of the State Regulation of Vice at which the British activist

Josephine Butler Josephine Elizabeth Butler (; 13 April 1828 – 30 December 1906) was an English feminist and social reformer in the Victorian era. She campaigned for women's suffrage, the right of women to better education, the end of coverture in B ...

was president. When the Canterbury Women's Institute (CWI) was established in 1892, May led the hygiene department. Because this department became too radical in that first year, emphasising dress reform and wholefoods diets, the CWI decided to stop separating out in different departments. In 1897, May became president of the CWI. She continued her leadership in the WCTU NZ and campaigned against the

Contagious Diseases Acts The Contagious Diseases Acts (CD Acts) were passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1864, with alterations and additions made by the (29 & 30 Vict. c. 35) and the (32 & 33 Vict. c. 96). In 1862, a committee had been established ...

of 1869 still on the books in New Zealand.

Later life and death

May travelled with her family in China around 1900 then settled near London where she continued her work for women's rights. She died at her home in

Kingston upon Thames Kingston upon Thames, colloquially known as Kingston, is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, England. It is situated on the River Thames, south-west of Charing Cross. It is an ancient market town, notable as ...

on 1 May 1926.

Early life

Political work

Later life and death

References

Further reading