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WOMEN
MPs ELECTED 1950s
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Elaine
Burton (Baroness Burton of Coventry)
|
|
Date of Birth
|
2 March 1904
|
|
Family
|
Unmarried
|
|
Education
|
Leeds City Training
College
|
|
Early career
|
Teacher, social
worker, journalist, PR consultant
|
|
Early political
experience
|
Contested Hartlepool
(1943), Hendon (1945)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
House of Commons:
1950-59, def., House of Lords: 1962-91
|
|
Party
|
Labour, SDP
(1981-)
|
|
Constituency
|
Coventry South
|
|
Offices held
|
None
|
|
Opposition portfolios
|
SDP spokesman
on civil aviation and consumer affairs
|
|
Other public
offices
|
Founder member
National Federation of Business and Professional Women, Sports Council
(1965-71)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
life peerage
(1962)
|
|
Death
|
6 October 1991
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to top.
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Eveline
Hill
|
|
Date of Birth
|
16 April 1898
(née Ridyard)
|
|
Family
|
Married (1922),
two children
|
|
Education
|
elementary only
|
|
Early career
|
family catering
business, company director
|
|
Early political
experience
|
Manchester City
Council (1936-66, alderman from 1957)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1950-64 (def.)
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Manchester Wythenshawe
|
|
Other public
offices
|
County borough
organizer of WVS (1943-50), chairman manchester hospital management
committee, JP (1945)
|
|
Death
|
22 September
1973
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to top.
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Patricia
Hornsby-Smith (Baroness Hornsby-Smith)
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|
Date of Birth
|
17 March 1914
|
|
Family
|
Unmarried
|
|
Education
|
Richmond |
|
Early career
|
Secretary to
Lord Selborne (1941-45), civil servant
|
|
Early political
experience
|
Barnes Borough
Council (1945-9), Junior Imperial League, Young Conservatives
|
|
Years in parliament
|
House of Commons:
1950-66 (def.), 1970-Feb. 1974, House of Lords: 1974–85
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Chislehurst
|
|
Offices held
|
Parliamentary
Secretary, Ministry of Health (1951-57), Joint Under-Secretary of
State, Home Office (1957-59), Joint Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry
of Pensions & National Insurance (1959-61)
|
|
Other public
offices
|
UN Assembly
delegate (1958)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
DBE
(1961), life peerage (1974) |
|
Death
|
3 July 1985
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to top.
|
Dorothy
Rees
|
|
Date of Birth
|
1898
|
|
Family
|
Married
|
|
Education
|
elementary and
seconary schools
|
|
Early career
|
school
teacher |
|
Early political
experience
|
Barry Borough
Council, Glamorgan County Council (alderman)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1950-51 (def.)
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Barry
|
|
Offices held
|
PPS to Minister
of National Insurance (1950-51)
|
|
Other public
offices
|
National advisory
committee for National Insurance, Joint Education Committee for
Wales, Welsh Teaching Hospitals Board
|
|
Honours or titles
|
CBE (1964),
DBE (1975)
|
|
Death
|
1988
|
Return
to top.
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Eirene
White (Baroness White)
|
|
Date of Birth
|
7 November 1909
(née Jones)
|
|
Family
|
Married (1948)
|
|
Education
|
Somerville College,
Oxford
|
|
Early career
|
Journalist
|
|
Early political
experience
|
contested Flintshire
(1945)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
House of Commons:
1950-70, ret., House of Lords: 1970-99
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Flintshire East
|
|
Offices held
|
Parliamentary
Under-Secretary, Colonial Office (1964-66), Minister of State, Foreign
Office (1966-67), Minister of State, Welsh Office (1967-70), Deputy
Speaker House of Lords (1979-89)
|
|
Other public
offices
|
NEC (1947-53,
1958-72) , Chairman Fabian Society (1958), University Grants Committee
(1977-79)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
life
peerage (1970) |
|
Death
|
1999
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Return
to top.
|
Harriet
Slater
|
|
Date of Birth
|
1903 (née
Evans)
|
|
Family
|
Married (1931)
|
|
Education
|
Hanley High
School, Dudley Teachers’ Training College
|
|
Early career
|
Teacher
|
|
Early political
experience
|
National organiser
for Cooperative Party (1942-53); Stoke on Trent City Council (1933-65,
alderman from 1949)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1953-66 (ret.)
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Stoke on Trent
|
|
Offices held
|
Government Whip
(1964-66)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
CBE (1965)
|
|
Death
|
12 October 1976
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Return
to top.
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Patricia
Ford
|
|
Date of Birth
|
5 April 1921
(née Smiles)
|
|
Family
|
Daughter of
Sir Walter Smiles MP; married Neville Ford (two daughters), divorced
and remarried Nigel Fisher MP
|
|
Education
|
Bangor Collegiate
School and Glendower School, London and abroad
|
|
Early career
|
Housewife
|
|
Early political
experience
|
None
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1953-55 (ret.)
|
|
Party
|
Ulster Unionist
|
|
Constituency
|
North Down
|
|
Other public
offices
|
Founder and
co-chairman of Women Caring Trust (1972-91)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
Lady Fisher
(1974-)
|
|
Death
|
23 May 1995
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Return
to top.
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Mervyn
Pike (Baroness Pike)
|
|
Date of Birth
|
16 September
1918
|
| Date of Death |
11 January 2004 |
|
Family
|
Unmarried
|
|
Education
|
Hunmanby Hall,
East Yorkshire; University of Reading
|
|
Early career
|
Managing director
of firm of pottery manufacturers
|
|
Early political
experience
|
Contested Pontefract
(1951), Leek (1955 )
|
|
Years in parliament
|
House of Commons:
1956-74, ret., House of Lords: 1974-date
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Melton
|
|
Offices held
|
Assistant Postmaster
General (1959-63), Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,
Home Office (1963-64)
|
|
Other public
offices
|
Chairman of
WRVS (1974-81), and Broadcasting Complaints Commission (1981-85)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
life peerage
(1974), DBE (1981)
|
Return
to top.
|
Lena
Jeger (Baroness Jeger)
|
|
Date of Birth
|
1915 (née
Chivers)
|
|
Family
|
Married Santo
Jeger (1948), future MP
|
|
Education
|
Birkbeck College
|
|
Early career
|
Civil servant,
journalist
|
|
Early political
experience
|
St Pancras Borough
Council (1945-59), London County Council (1951-54)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
Hpouse of Commons:
1953-59 (def.), 1964-79 (ret.), House of Lords: 1979-date
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Holborn &
St Pancras
|
|
Opposition portfolios
|
Health (1983-86),
Social Security (1983-90)
|
|
Other public
offices
|
Labour Party
NEC (1960-61, 1968-80), party chairman (1979-80)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
Life peerage
(1979)
|
Return
to top.
|
Joyce
Butler
|
|
Date of Birth
|
1910 (née
Wells)
|
|
Family
|
Married, two
children
|
|
Education
|
King Edward’s
High School, Birmingham
|
|
Early career
|
Housewife
|
|
Early political
experience
|
Wood Green Borough
Council (1947-64, leader 1954-5)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1955-79 (ret.)
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Wood Green
|
|
Offices
|
PPS to Minister
of Land and Natural Resources (1965-67)
|
|
Other public
offices
|
Mayor of Haringey
(1965-66)
|
|
Death
|
2 January 1992
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Return
to top.
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Evelyn
Emmet (Baroness Emmet of Amberley)
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|
Date of Birth
|
18 March 1899
(née Rennell)
|
|
Family
|
Daughter of
Lord Rennell of Rodd, married (1923), four children
|
|
Education
|
Lady Margaret
Hall, Oxford
|
|
Early career
|
Women's Voluntary
Service
|
|
Early political
experience
|
London County
Council (1925-34), West Sussex County Council (1946-67), Conservative
Women's National Advisory Committee (1951-54)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
House of Commons
: 1955-64, ret., House of Lords: 1964-80
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
East Grinstead
|
|
Offices held
|
Deputy
Speaker and Deputy Chairman of Committees (1968-77) |
|
Other public
offices
|
JP
(1936), UN Delegate (1952, 1953) |
|
Honours or titles
|
life
peerage (1964) |
|
Death
|
10 October 1980
|
Return
to top.
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Patricia
McLaughlin
|
|
Date of Birth
|
23 June 1916
(née Aldwell)
|
|
Family
|
Married (1937)
children
|
|
Education
|
Trinity College
Dublin
|
|
Early career
|
Housewife
|
|
Early political
experience
|
Ulster Women’s
Unionist Council
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1955-64 (ret.)
|
|
Party
|
Unionist Party
|
|
Constituency
|
Belfast West
|
| Other
campaigns |
contested
Wandsworth Central (1970) |
|
Other public
offices
|
BBC Northern
Ireland advisory council
|
|
Honours or titles
|
OBE
(1965) |
|
Publications
|
Women in Parliament
|
|
Death
|
1997
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Return
to top.
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Joan
Vickers (Baroness Vickers)
|
|
Date of Birth
|
1907
|
|
Family
|
Unmarried
|
|
Education
|
St Monica’s
College, Burgh Heath, Surrey; Paris
|
|
Early career
|
Social welfare
worker and lecturer; colonial service and Red Cross in Asia
|
|
Early political
experience and other campaigns
|
London County
Council (1937-46), contested South Poplar (1945), Plymouth Devonport
(Oct. 1974)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
House of Commons:
1955-Feb. 1974, def., House of Lords: 1974-94
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Plymouth Devonport
|
|
Honours or titles
|
DBE (1964)
|
|
Death
|
23 May 1994
|
Return
to top.
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Edith
Pitt
|
|
Date of Birth
|
14 October 1906
|
|
Family
|
Unmarried
|
|
Education
|
elementary
only |
|
Early career
|
industrial welfare
officer
|
|
Early political
experience
|
Birmingham City
Council (1941-45, 1947-54); contested Birmingham Stetchford (1950,
1951), Birmingham Small Heath (1952 )
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1953-66 (obit)
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
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Constituency
|
Birmingham Edgbaston
|
|
Offices held
|
Joint Parliamentary
Secretary, Ministry of Pensions & National Insurance (1955-57);
Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Health (1959-62)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
DBE (1962)
|
|
Death
|
27 June 1966
|
Return
to top.
|
Lady
Gammans (Muriel Gammans )
|
|
Date of Birth
|
6 March 1898
(née Paul)
|
|
Family
|
Married David
Gammans, future MP (1917), no children
|
|
Education
|
Portsmouth High
School
|
|
Early career
|
None
|
|
Early political
experience
|
None
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1957-66 (ret.)
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Hornsey
|
|
Honours or titles
|
Lady Gammans
(1951-), Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure (second class)
|
|
Death
|
28 December
1989
|
Return
to top.
|
Mary
McAlister
|
|
Date of Birth
|
(née
McMackin)
|
|
Family
|
Married (1927),
four children
|
|
Education
|
Franciscan
Convent, Glasgow |
|
Early career
|
Nurse
|
|
Early political
experience
|
Glasgow City
Council (1945-58)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1958-59 (def.)
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Glasgow Kelvingrove
|
| Orther
public offices |
JP
(1947-51) |
| Honours
and titles |
CBE
(1968) |
|
Death
|
1976
|
Return
to top.
|
Betty
Harvie Anderson (Baroness Skrimshire)
|
|
Date of Birth
|
12 August 1913
|
|
Family
|
Married (1960),
no children
|
|
Education
|
St Leonard’s
School, St Andrews
|
|
Early career
|
Auxiliary Territorial
Service
|
|
Early political
experience
|
Stirlingshire
County Council (1945-59), contested Stirlingshire (1950, 1951),
Sowerby (1955), Chair of Scottish Young Conservatives (1955-58)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1959-79 (ret.)
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Renfrewshire
East
|
|
Offices held
|
Deputy Chairman
of Ways and Means (1970-73)
|
|
Other public
offices
|
member, Royal
Commission on Local Government in Scotland (1966-69); Deputy Lieutenant
of Stirlingshire (1977-79)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
OBE (1955),
life peerage (1979)
|
|
Death
|
7 November 1979
|
Return
to top.
|
Judith
Hart (Baroness Hart of South Lanark)
|
|
Date of Birth
|
18 September
1923 (née Ridehalgh)
|
|
Family
|
Married (1946),
two sons
|
|
Education
|
Clitheroe Royal
Grammar School, London School of Economics
|
|
Early career
|
Lecturer, local
government
|
|
Early political
experience
|
Contested West
Dorset (1951), Aberdeen South (1955)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
House of Commons:
1959-87, ret., House of Lords: 1987-91
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Lanark,
|
|
Offices held
|
Joint Under-Secretary
of State for Scotland (1964-66), Minister of State for Commonwealth
Relations (1966-67), Minister of Social Security (1967-68), Paymaster-General
(1968-69), Minister of Overseas Development (1969-70), Minister
of Overseas Development (1974-75), Minister for Overseas Development
(1977-79)
|
|
Opposition portfolios
|
Overseas Development
(1970-74)
|
|
Other public
offices
|
Co-chair of
Women’s National Commission (1969-70), Labour Party NEC (1969-83)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
DBE (1979),
life peerage (1987)
|
|
Death
|
8 December 1991
|
Return
to top.
|
Margaret
Thatcher (Baroness Thatcher)
|
|
Date of birth
|
13 October
1925 (née Roberts)
|
|
Education
|
Somerville
College, Oxford (B.Sc., MA)
|
|
Family
|
Married, two
children
|
|
Background
|
Research chemist,
solicitor
|
|
Early political
experience
|
Contested
Dartford (1950, 1951)
|
|
Years in Parliament
|
House of Commons:
1959-92, ret., House of Lords: 1992-date
|
|
Constituency
|
Finchley
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Offices held
|
Joint Parliamentary
Under Secretary, Ministry of Pensions (1961-64), Secretary of
State for Education and Science (1970-74), Prime Minister and
First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service (1979-90)
|
|
Opposition
portfolios
|
Shadow Minister
of Transport (1968-69), Shadow Minister of Education (1969-70),
Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment (1974), Leader of
HM Opposition (1975-79)
|
|
Title or honours
|
OM (1990),
life peerage (1992)
|
|
Selected further
reading
|
Thatcher,
The Downing Street Years (1993), The Path to Power
(1995); John Campbell, Margaret Thatcher Volume I: The Grocer's
Daughter (2000); Kenneth Harris, Margaret Thatcher (1988);
Hugo Young, One of Us (1993)
|
|
Official website
|
www.margaretthatcher.org
|
Return
to top.
|
