Women’s Pioneer Housing, Suffrage History, and Feminist Networks 

Women’s Pioneer Housing had close links to the suffrage movement and several feminist organisations that fought for women’s rights through the 1920s. These networks of skilled, political, and determined women were vital to WPH’s development and success. For example, Helen Archdale worked closely alongside the Pankhurst family during the years she spent with the Women’s Social and Political Union. She put those organising skills to good use later when she became part of WPH’s Committee of Management. Archdale was also part of the Six Points Group and editor of Time and Tide magazine in the 1920s; she was able to ensure that the magazine supported WPH’s mission and published letters by Etheldred Browning encouraging more women to invest in the company.  

WPH’s founder Etheldred Browning had been active in Irish suffrage groups before she moved to London after World War One. She wrote articles for the Irish Citizen on feminist issues and agitated for fair pay and good working conditions for women during the war. When she set up WPH, Browning drew on some of her friends and colleagues from the Irish suffrage movement, such as Gertrude Lennox.  

Below you can find out more about some of the feminist networks that WPH was part of.  

Row 1

National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies – Non-militant suffragist group led by Millicent Garrett Fawcett. WPH’s Ray Strachey was the parliamentary secretary for the NUWSS (1915 – 1920) and worked closely with Fawcett.

WSPU – The militant suffrage group, founded by Emmeline Pankhurst. Geraldine Lennox opened a Cork branch, before moving to London and supporting Etheldred Browning in setting up WPH. Etheldred’s cousin Maud Joachim was a key member; along with WPH’s Helen Archdale, she went on hunger strike after being imprisoned for disrupting a meeting held by Winston Churchill (then an MP) in 1909. Both women later served time in Holloway for their WSPU activist work.

Irish Women’s Franchise League was established in 1908. Many suffrage groups from all over Ireland united in the Irishwomen's Suffrage Federation formed in 1911 by Louie Bennett and Helen Chenevix. The Federation was formed to link up the various suffrage societies in Ireland, to facilitate their work and enable it to be carried out more systematically as well as to bring women of all classes, creeds and political opinions into closer contact with one another. Etheldred Browning was active in Irish suffrage groups before moving to London

Row 2

Time and Tide A feminist magazine founded by Lady Margaret Rhondda in 1920. It promoted WPH and ran advertisements encouraging its readers to subscribe. One of its slogans was: ‘Time and Tide tells us what women think and not what they wear’ 

The Common Cause Affiliated to the NUWSS. After WWI, Ray Strachey was its editor (in 1920 it became The Woman’s Leader, which Strachey also edited until 1923). It published Etheldred Browning’s article ‘Ghosts’, which described her frustration at the lack of women represented in debates about housing.

The Irish Citizen Established in 1913 to give Irish suffragists a voice and provide a feminist perspective on Irish issues. WPH founder Etheldred Browning wrote for the Citizen while in Dublin: “Factory inspectors — women factory inspectors — women law makers, women police, women on the jury, women lawyers, women everywhere that is the need of our country… rise! You must free all others to be free!” (August 1913)

Row 3

Newnham College, Cambridge The second women’s college to be founded at Cambridge. Ray Strachey and WPH’s chairwoman Lady Eleanor Shelley Rolls are among its alumni.

The Women’s Section of the Garden City & Town Planning Association Etheldred Browning worked for the Women’s Section of the GCTPA (1919/1920); here she met key contacts who would help develop WPH, including Sydney Bushell, Captain Richard Reiss, and Lady Emmott (an investor and influential society figure).

 The Six Points Group Set up by Lady Rhondda and Helen Archdale, this campaign group pushed for reform in key areas that affected women’s lives, including childcare, legislation for widowed or unmarried mothers, equal pay and equal opportunities. Writers Winnifred Holtby and Vera Brittain were also members.