Madeleine Jane Symons (1895 – 21 March 1957) 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 union 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 ...

organiser. Symons was born on 28 July 1895 in

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 ...

. She was educated privately before studying at

Newnham College, Cambridge Newnham College is a women's constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1871 by a group organising Lectures for Ladies, members of which included philosopher Henry Sidgwick and suffragist campaigner Millicen ...

, where she graduated in economics. She then found work with the

National Federation of Women Workers The National Federation of Women Workers (NFWW) was a trade union in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland active in the first part of the 20th century. Instrumental in winning women workers the right to a minimum wage for the first ti ...

(NUWW),"Mrs Madeline Jane Robinson", ''

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 ...

'', 22 March 1957 as the assistant to

Mary Macarthur Mary Reid Anderson (née Macarthur; 13 August 1880 – 1 January 1921) was a Scottish suffragist (although at odds with the national groups who were willing to let a minority of women gain the franchise) and was a leading Trade Union, trades ...

,"Youngest member of Labour Executive: Miss Madeleine Symons", ''

Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', 30 June 1922 and began taking the lead on negotiations on wages and conditions in engineering. The federation became part of the National Union of General Workers, and Symons instead became the assistant to

Margaret Bondfield Margaret Grace Bondfield (17 March 1873 – 16 June 1953) was a British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician, trade unionist and women's rights activist. She became the first female cabinet minister, and the first woman to be a priv ...

. In 1925, Symons posted bail for

Robin Page Arnot Robert "Robin" Page Arnot (15 December 1890 – 18 May 1986), best known as R. Page Arnot, was a British Communist journalist and politician. Early years Robert Page Arnot, known to his friends as "Robin", was born in 1890 at Greenock, the so ...

, a leading figure in the

Communist Party of Great Britain The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was the largest communist organisation in Britain and was founded in 1920 through a merger of several smaller Marxist groups. Many miners joined the CPGB in the 1926 general strike. In 1930, the CPGB ...

."Communists at Bow Street", ''

'', 23 October 1925 However, she was a prominent member of the Labour Party. She always declined offers to stand for election, she did serve on the party's National Executive Committee. When elected in 1922, she was the youngest ever member of the NEC, and its first to have graduated from university. Symons left her union post in 1926, thereafter devoting her time to voluntary work.Jean Spence et al, ''Women, Education, and Agency, 1600–2000'' She served on a large number of government committees, particularly those relating to child social services and youth justice, and was also chair of the West London Juvenile Courts. She was also active in the

Howard League for Penal Reform The Howard League for Penal Reform is a registered charity in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest penal reform organisation in the world, named after John Howard. It was founded as the Howard Association in 1866 and changed its name in 1921 ...

, the

Magistrates' Association The Magistrates' Association is the membership organisation for Magistrates of England and Wales, magistrates in England and Wales. By virtue of its education and training functions it is a charitable organisation and is funded by its members to ...

, and served on the executive of the

National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship The National Union of Women Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), also known as the ''suffragists'' (not to be confused with the suffragettes) was an organisation founded in 1897 of women's suffrage societies around the United Kingdom. In March 1919 it w ...

in the mid-1920s. In 1940, Symons married Professor

Harold Roper Robinson Harold Roper Robinson FRS (26 November 1889 – 28 November 1955) was a physicist and, in later life, an outstanding figure in university administration. Early life Robinson was born at 36 Ainslie Street in Ulverston, Lancashire on 26 November ...

, becoming Madeleine Robinson. He died in 1955, and her health then rapidly declined; she died in 1957, aged 61.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Symons, Madeleine 1895 births 1957 deaths Alumni of Newnham College, Cambridge British trade unionists Labour Party (UK) people British women trade unionists