|
|
FORMER WOMEN MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS (LIFE PEERS)
The list below does not include women peers who were previously
MPs; they are listed on separate pages.
|
Baroness Wootton of Abinger
|
|
Date of Birth
|
14 April 1897
(née
Adam)
|
|
Family
|
married; widowed
and remarried
|
|
Education
|
Girton College,
Cambridge
|
|
Early career
|
sociology professor,
magistrate (1926-70), broadcaster
|
|
Early political experience
|
Labour Party
research department (1922-26)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1958-88
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Offices held
|
Deputy Speaker
(1967-88); Governor, BBC (1950-56); three royal commissions,
|
|
Honours or titles
|
Order of the
Companions of Honour (1977)
|
|
Publications
|
In a World
I Never Made (1967)
|
|
Death
|
11 July 1988
|
Return to top.
|
Stella, Baroness Swanborough
|
|
Date of Birth
|
6
January 1894 (née
Charnaud)
|
|
Family
|
married Marquess
of Reading
|
|
Education
|
privately
educated
|
|
Early career
|
founded Women's
Royal Voluntary Service (1938)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1958-71
|
|
Party
|
Cross-Bencher
|
|
Other public offices
|
JP,
Deal & Walmer (1932-37), Governor, BBC (1946)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
DBE (1941),
GBE (1944)
|
|
Publications
|
Stella Reading:
Some recollections by her friends, published by WRVS (1979)
|
|
Death
|
22 May 1971
|
Return to top.
|
Katherine, Baroness Elliot
of Harwood
|
|
Date of Birth
|
15 January 1903
|
|
Family
|
half sister
of Margot Asquith, married Walter Elliot MP
|
|
Education
|
educated
abroad
|
|
Early career
|
farmer
|
|
Early political experience
|
Roxburghshire
County Council (1946-75); Chairman, National Union of Conservative
& Unionist Associations (1957); contested Glasgow Rutherglen
(1958); UN delegate (1954, 1956, 1957)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1958-94
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Honours or titles
|
DBE (1958)
|
|
Death
|
3 January 1994
|
Return to top.
|
Mary, Baroness Ravensdale
of Kedleston
|
|
Date of Birth
|
20 January 1896
|
|
Family
|
daughter of
Lord Curzon, sister of Cynthia Mosley MP
|
|
Education
|
privately
educated
|
|
Early political experience
|
campaigned for
sister; member, Peeresses' Committee (1948)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1958-66
|
|
Party
|
Cross-Bencher
|
|
Other public offices
|
President, World
Congress of Faiths; Vice President, National Association of Girls'
Clubs & Mixed Clubs
|
|
Publications
|
In Many Rhythms
(1953), Ann de Courcy, The Viceroy's Daughters (2000)
|
|
Death
|
9 February 1966
|
Return to top.
|
Dora,
Baroness Gaitskell
|
|
Date of Birth
|
25 April 1901
(née
Creditor)
|
|
Family
|
twice married,
second marriage to Hugh Gaitskell MP, three children
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1964-89
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Other public offices
|
delegate,
UN General Assembly; All Party Committee Human Rights (1977-89);
Trustee, Anglo-German Federation
|
|
Death
|
1July 1989
|
Return to top.
|
Barbara, Baroness Brooke
of Ystradfellte
|
|
Date of Birth
|
14 January 1908
(née
Mathews)
|
|
Family
|
married Henry
Brooke MP, four children including Peter Brooke MP
|
|
Education
|
Gloucester Training
School of Domestic Science
|
|
Early political experience
|
Hampstead Borough
Council (1948-65); Vice Chairman, Conservatvie Party (1954-64)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1964-2000
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Other public offices
|
North West Metropolitan
Hospital Board (1961-71)
|
|
Honours
|
DBE (1960)
|
|
Death
|
1 September
2000
|
Return to top.
|
Nora, Baroness
Phillips
|
|
Date of Birth
|
12 August 1910
(née
Lusher)
|
|
Family
|
married Morgan
Phillips, Labour general secretary; two children including Gwyneth
Dunwoody MP
|
|
Education
|
Hampton Training
College
|
|
Early career
|
teacher; co-founder,
National Association of Women's Clubs (1935)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1965-92
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Offices
|
Government Whip
(1965-70); Lord Lieutentant, Greater London (1978-85)
|
|
Other public offices
|
president of
many charities and organisations
|
|
Death
|
14 August 1992
|
Return to top.
|
Baroness Asquith
of Yarnbury
|
|
Date of Birth
|
15
April 1887
|
|
Family
|
daughter of
Herbert Asquith; married, four children including Lord Bonham Carter
|
|
Education
|
educated
in Dresden, Paris
|
|
Early political experience
|
campaigned for
father, President, Women's Liberal Federation (1923-5, 1939-5),
contested Wells (1945), Colne Valley (1951); President, Liberal
Party (1944-45)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1964-69
|
|
Party
|
Liberal
|
|
Other public offices
|
Governor, BBC
(1941-46); Royal Commission on the Press (1947-49)
|
|
Honours
|
DBE
(1953)
|
|
Publications
|
Mark Pottle
(ed.), Daring to Hope: The Diaries and Letters of Violet Bonham
Carter 1946-1969 (2000)
|
|
Death
|
12
February 1969
|
Return to top.
|
Beatrice, Baroness Plummer
|
|
Date of Birth
|
14 April 1903
(née
Lapsker)
|
|
Family
|
married Leslie
Plummer MP
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1965-72
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Other public offices
|
JP,
Essex (1947); Independent Television Authority (1966-71); British
Agricultural Exports Council
|
|
Death
|
14 June 1972
|
Return to top.
|
Clementine. Baroness Spencer-Churchill
|
|
Date of Birth
|
1April 1885
(née
Hozier)
|
|
Family
|
wife of Winston
Churchill MP, five children
|
|
Education
|
Sorbonne, Paris
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1965-77
|
|
Party
|
Cross-Bencher
|
|
Other public offices
|
Chairman, Red
Cross Aid to Russia Fund; YWCA National Hostels Committee
|
|
Honours
|
CBE (1918),
GBE (1945), Order of the Red Banner of Labour (Russia)
|
|
Publications
|
Mary Soames,
Clementine Churchill: By Her Daughter (1979); Soames (ed.),
Speaking for Themselves: the Private Letters of Winston &
Clementine Churchill (1999)
|
|
Death
|
12 December
1977
|
Return to top.
|
Audrey, Baroness Hylton-Foster
|
|
Date of Birth
|
19 May 1908
|
|
Family
|
daughter of
Douglas Clifton-Brown, Speaker of House of Commons; married Harry
Hylton-Foster, Speaker of House of Commons
|
|
Education
|
Ivy
House, Wimbledon
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1965-2002
|
|
Party
|
Cross-Bencher
|
|
Other public offices
|
Convenor, Cross-Bench
peers (1974-95)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
DBE (1990)
|
|
Other public offices
|
President,
County of London Branch, BRCS, (1960-74); Member, Executive Committee,
BRCS 1966-76; President and Chairman, the London Branch BRCS 1974-83;
Member, Council of BRCS (1977-81); President, Prevention of Blindness
Research Fund (1965-76), Patron (1976-2002)
|
|
Death
|
31 October 2002
|
Return to top.
|
Evelyn, Baroness Sharp
|
|
Date of Birth
|
25 May 1903
|
|
Family
|
unmarried
|
|
Education
|
Somerville
College, Oxford
|
|
Early career
|
civil servant;
Permanent Secretary, Department of Housing & Local Government
(1955-66 - first woman permanent secretary)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1966-85
|
|
Party
|
Cross-Bencher
|
|
Other public offices
|
President,
London & Quadrant Housing Trust (1977-85)
|
|
Honours
|
DBE
(1948), GBE (1961)
|
|
Death
|
1 September
1985
|
Return to top.
|
Baroness Stocks
|
|
Date of Birth
|
25 July 1891
(née
Brinton)
|
|
Family
|
married, three
children
|
|
Education
|
London School
of Economics
|
|
Early career
|
broadcaster,
lecturer, birth control advocate, college president
|
| |
contested London
Universities (1945), Combined English Universities (1946)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1966-75
|
|
Party
|
Labour, Cross-Bencher
(1974-75)
|
|
Other public offices
|
JP (1930-36);
University Grants Commission
|
|
Publications
|
My Commonplace
Book (1970), Still More Commonplace (1973)
|
|
Death
|
7 July 1975
|
Return to top.
|
Patricia, Baroness Llewellyn-Davies
of Hastoe
|
|
Date of Birth
|
16 July 1915
(née
Parry)
|
|
Family
|
married Richard
(later Lord) Llewelyn-Davies, three children
|
|
Education
|
Girton College,
Cambridge
|
|
Early career
|
civil servant
|
|
Early political experience
|
contested Wolverhampton
South West (1951), Wandsworth Central (1955, 1959)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1967-97
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Offices held
|
Government Chief
Whip (1974-79); Principal Deputy Speaker of Committees (1982-86);
Deputy Speaker (1986-95)
|
|
Other public offices
|
Chairman, Women's
National Commission (1975-76)
|
|
Death
|
6 November 1997
|
Return to top.
|
Alma, Baroness Birk
|
|
Date of Birth
|
22 September
1919
|
|
Family
|
married, two
children
|
|
Education
|
London
School of Economics
|
|
Early career
|
journalist;
founder and associate editor of women's magazine Nova, 1960s
|
|
Early political career
|
Finchley Borough
Council (1950-3); contested Ruislip Northwood (1950), Portsmouth
West (1951, 1955)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1967-97
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Offices
|
Whip
(1974), Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment
(1974-79), Minister of State, Privy Council Office (1979)
|
|
Opposition portfolios
|
Environment
(1979-86), Arts, Libraries, Heritage, Broadcasting & Cable (1986-97)
|
|
Death
|
29 December
1997
|
Return to top.
|
Beatrice, Baroness Serota
|
|
Date of Birth
|
15
October 1919
|
|
Family
|
married,
two children
|
|
Education
|
London
School of Economics
|
|
Early career
|
civil
servant
|
|
Early political career
|
Hampstead
Borough Council (1945-49); LCC/GLC (1954-67)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1967-2002
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Offices
|
Whip
(1968-69); Minister
of State, Department of Health & Social Security (1969-70),
Deputy Speaker, Deputy
Chairman of Committees (1985-2002), Principal Deputy Chairman of
Committees (1986-92),
|
|
Other public offices
|
Vice-chairman,
Inner London Education Committee, (1964-67); Governor, BBC (1977-82)
|
|
Death
|
21
October 2002
|
Return to top.
|
Janet, Baroness
Young
|
|
Date of Birth
|
23
October 1926 (née
Baker)
|
|
Family
|
married,
three daughters
|
|
Education
|
Yale
University; St Ann's College, Oxford
|
|
Early career
|
Oxford
City Council (1957-72; leader 1967-72)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1971-2002
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Offices held
|
Government Whip (1972-73), Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (1973-4),
Minister of State, Department of Education & Science (1979-81),
Leader of the House of Lords (1981-3), Chancellor of the Duchy of
Lancaster (1981-2), Lord Privy Seal (1982-3), Minister of State,
Foreign & Commonwealth Office (1983-7)
|
|
Other offices
|
Deputy Chairman,
Conservative Party (1977-79), Co-chair, Women's National Commission
(1979-83)
|
|
Death
|
6 September
2002
|
Return
to top.
|
Nancy, Baroness
Seear
|
|
Date of Birth
|
7
August 1913
|
|
Family
|
unmarried
|
|
Education
|
Newnham
College, Cambridge; London School of Economics
|
|
Early career
|
teacher,
lecturer
|
|
Early political
career
|
contested general
elections (1950-70), European elections (1979, 1984)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1971-97
|
|
Party
|
Liberal, SLDP
(1988-89), Liberal Democrat
|
|
Offices held
|
Leader of Liberal
peers (1984-88), Deputy Leader of Liberal Democrat peers (1988-9)
|
|
Other public offices
|
President,
Fawcett Society; member, Hansard Society Commission on Electoral
Reform (1975-6)
|
|
Death
|
22
April 1997
|
Return to top.
|
Evelyn, Baroness Macleod
of Borve
|
|
Date of Birth
|
19 February
1915 (née Blois)
|
|
Family
|
married and
widowed; remarried Iain Macleod MP, two children by second marriage
|
|
Early career
|
JP, Middlesex
(1953)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1971-99
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Other public offices
|
Chairman, National
Gas Consumers' Council (1972-77); President, Crisis at Christmas
homeless charity (1971-99); Deputy Lieutenant, Greater London (1977);
member, Metrication Board (1978-80)
|
|
Death
|
17 November
1999
|
Return to top.
|
Phyllis,
Baroness Stedman
|
|
Date of Birth
|
14 July 1916
(née Adams)
|
|
Family
|
married
|
|
Education
|
Peterborough
County Grammar School
|
|
Early career
|
librarian
|
|
Early political
career
|
Cambridgeshire,
Huntingdon, Peterborough County Councillor (1946-75)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1974-96
|
|
Party
|
Labour, SDP
(1981-91), Cross-Bencher
|
|
Other public offices
|
Parliamentary
Under-Secretary, Department of Education (1979); Government Whip
(1975-79); SDP Whip (1981-88), Leader SDP peers (1988-91)
|
|
Honours
|
OBE (1965)
|
|
Death
|
8
June 1996
|
Return to top.
|
Inga-Stina,
Baroness Robson of Kiddington
|
|
Date of Birth
|
20 August 1919
|
|
Family
|
married, three
children
|
|
Education
|
in
Sweden
|
|
Early political
career
|
contested
Eye (1955, 1959), Gloucester (1964, 1966); President, Liberal Party
(1969-71)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1974-99
|
|
Party
|
Liberal, SLDP
(1988-89), Liberal Democrat
|
|
Opposition portfolios
|
Agriculture,
Environment, & Health (1983)
|
|
Other public
offices
|
JP, Oxford;
Chairman, Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea Hospitals (1970-84); South
West Thames Regional Health Authority (1974-82)
|
|
Death
|
9 February 1999
|
Return to top.
|
Mary, Baroness
Stewart of Alvechurch
|
|
Date of Birth
|
1903
|
|
Family
|
married Michael
Stewart, MP
|
|
Education
|
Bedford
College, London
|
|
Early career
|
WEA tutor (1945-64)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1975-84
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Other public offices
|
JP,
London (1949); Chairman, Fabian Society (1963)
|
|
Death
|
28 December
1984
|
Return to top.
|
Lucy,
Baroness Faithfull
|
|
Date of Birth
|
26 December
1910
|
|
Family
|
unmarried
|
|
Education
|
University of
Birmingham
|
|
Early career
|
Children's
Officer, Oxford City Council (1958-70); Social Services Officer
(1970-74)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1976-96
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Offices
|
Chairman, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Children (1984-)
|
|
Other
public offices
|
President,
National Children's Bureau (1984-)
|
|
Honours
|
OBE (1972)
|
|
Death
|
13 March 1996
|
Return to top.
|
Barbara,
Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth
|
|
Date of Birth
|
23 May 1914
(née Ward)
|
|
Family
|
married, children
|
|
Education
|
Sorbonne,
Paris; Somerville College
|
|
Early career
|
author,
lecturer, journalist
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1976-81
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Other public offices
|
Governor,
BBC (1946-50); President, Institute for Environment & Development
(1973-82)
|
|
Honours
|
DBE (1974)
|
|
Death
|
31 May 1981
|
Return to top.
|
Evelyn,
Baroness Denington
|
|
Date of Birth
|
9 August 1907
(née Bursill)
|
|
Family
|
married
|
|
Education
|
Bedford College,
London
|
|
Early career
|
teacher, journalist
|
|
Early political experience
|
St Pancras Borough Council (1945-59); LCC/GLC (1946-77)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1978-98
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Offices held
|
Deputy Opposition
Leader, GLC (1967-73)
|
|
Honours
|
OBE (1966),
DBE (1974)
|
|
Death
|
22 August 1998
|
Return to top.
|
Sue, Baroness
Ryder of Warsaw
|
|
Date of Birth
|
3 July 1923
|
|
Family
|
married Lord
Cheshire VC, two children
|
|
Education
|
Benenden School,
Kent
|
|
Early career
|
special
operations executive (WW2); founder, Sue Ryder Foundation (1953)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1978-2000
|
|
Party
|
Cross-Bencher
|
|
Honours
|
OBE (1957),
CMG (1976), other foreign orders
|
|
Autobiographies
|
And the Morrow
is Theirs (1975), Child of My Love (1986)
|
|
Death
|
3
November 2000
|
Return to top.
|
Barbara, Baroness
Airey of Abingdon
|
|
Date of Birth
|
7 July 1919
(née Giffard)
|
|
Family
|
married Airey
Neave MP, three children
|
|
Education
|
educated
privately and abroad
|
|
Early career
|
RAF nursing
service; wartime intelligence officer
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1979-92
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Other public offices
|
Trustee, Dorneywood
Trust, Imperial War Museum, Women Caring Trust (Northern Ireland);
member, North Atlantic Assembly (1983-84)
|
|
Death
|
1 December 1992
|
Return to top.
|
Jane, Baroness Ewart-Biggs
|
|
Date of Birth
|
22 August 1929
(née Randall)
|
|
Family
|
married, three
children
|
|
Education
|
Downe House
School, Berkshire
|
|
Early career
|
secretary
|
|
Early political
experience
|
sought Labour
nomination in GLC, European elections
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1981-92
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Opposition portfolios
|
Home Affairs
(1984), Overseas Development, Consumer Affairs (1987), Opposition
Whip (1988)
|
|
Other public offices
|
President, UNICEF
UK; Trustee, Women Caring Trust, Northern Ireland
|
|
Publications
|
Pay, Pack
& Follow (1984), Lady in the Lords (1988)
|
|
Death
|
7 October 1992
|
Return to top.
|
Felicity,
Baroness Lane-Fox
|
|
Date of Birth
|
22 June 1918
|
|
Family
|
unmarried
|
|
Early career
|
campaigner for
the disabled
|
|
Early political
experience
|
National Executive,
Conservative & Unionist Party (1963-66)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1981-88
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Other public offices
|
Vice President, Royal Association of Disability & Rehabilitation
(1963-88); member, Prince of Wales' Advisory Group on Disabled (1982)
|
|
Honours
|
OBE (1976)
|
|
Death
|
17 April 1988
|
Return to top.
|
Jean, Baroness
Denton of Wakefield
|
|
Date of Birth
|
29 December
1935 (née Moss)
|
|
Family
|
married, divorced
|
|
Education
|
London School
of Economics
|
|
Early career
|
businesswoman,
racecar driver
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1991-2001
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Offices held
|
Whip (1991-92);
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Consumer Affairs & Small Firms,
Department of Trade & Industry (1992-93); Parliamentary Under-Secretary,
Department of the Environment (1993-94); Parliamentary Under-Secretary
for Agriculture, Economy & Women's Issues, Northern Ireland
Office, (1994-97)
|
|
Opposition portfolios
|
Trade & Industry
|
|
Honours
|
CBE (1996)
|
|
Other public
offices
|
Co-chair, Women's
National Commission (1992); co-founder, FORUM UK (UK branch of International
Women's Forum); board member, Royal Academy
|
|
Death
|
5 February 2001
|
Return
to top.
|
