Dame Louise Victoria Samuel, (née Steibel; 5 August 1870 – 13 October 1925), sometimes called Louise Gilbert Samuel, was an English

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 charity worker. Samuel was born on 5 August 1870. She was the daughter of Isaac Steibel. In 1889 she married Gilbert Ellis Samuel, son of

Edwin Samuel Edwin Herbert Samuel, 2nd Viscount Samuel (; 11 September 1898 – 14 November 1978), was a British lord, also active in Mandatory Palestine and the State of Israel. The son of Beatrice Franklin and Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel, H ...

and brother of Sir Stuart Samuel and Herbert Samuel, Viscount Samuel. From its foundation in 1908 until its dissolution in 1918, she served as honorary secretary of the Conservative Women's Franchise Association, a non-militant

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...

movement. In 1919, Samuel was elected to Chelsea Borough Council for the

Municipal Reform Party The Municipal Reform Party was a local party allied to the parliamentary Conservative Party in the County of London. The party contested elections to both the London County Council and metropolitan borough councils of the county from 1906 to 194 ...

. In August 1914, she co-founded the War Refugees' Committee. She was a member of the Managing Committee and head of the Health Section throughout the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. In 1918, she was appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE) for her refugee work. She was appointed

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(DBE) in the 1920 civilian war honours. Samuel died on 13 October 1925.

References

Sources

*Obituaries, ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'', 14 October 1925 and 16 October 1925 {{DEFAULTSORT:Samuel, Louise 1925 deaths Year of birth unknown Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire English activists English women activists English Jews English suffragists Municipal Reform Party politicians Members of Chelsea Metropolitan Borough Council People educated at Notting Hill & Ealing High School Place of birth missing Place of death missing British women in World War I 1870 births Women councillors in England British charity and campaign group workers