BRITISH CONSERVATISM AND THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE ... - ideals

The women were prime movers in the Social and Entertainment Committee
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and the Poor Habitation fund.
The latter was introduced by Lady
Salisbury to subsidize selective East End functions offered by local
Habitations.
In their capacity as members of the Joint Committee, the
Ladies' executive also served as major contributors in the publication
and distribution of League pamphlets. 1 !
Nor were the Women's efforts restricted to organizational,
political, and social activities at the executive level.
By the end of
the nineteenth century, women occupied key positions as Provincial
Secretaries for the London Metropolitan Boroughs.
The first women
named to occupy the post of paid agent was Miss Sclater Booth,
appointed in 1896.
Her assistant, Miss Monteath Moran, was hired that
same year.
With the death of Sclater Booth in 1900 came the selection
of her replacement, Miss Bloomfield, and another full-time assistant,
Miss Gye.
The latter two women received salaries of £125 and £75,
respectively J 2
By 1901, then, three women held posts of Provincial Secretaries
out of the seven individuals then employed in that capacity.13 The
11
Ibid., 8 July 1898; 4 November 1898; 12 May 1899. Ibid.,
27 July 1894; 2 November 1894; 31 May 1895; 29 November 1895. Ibid.,
16 May 1890; 20 June 1890; 7 December 1894; 1 February 1895; 6 March
1896; 3 April 1897; 4 June 1897; 23 July 1897; 5 November 1897; 2 June
1899; 3 November 1899; 2 February 1901; 13 July 1900; 15 February 1901.
12 Minutes of the Grand Council of the Primrose League, 7
February 1901.
13 Miss Bloomfield, Miss Gye, and Miss Monteath Moran. The
Primrose League Gazette, 1 June 1901, p. 4. However, of the three
women mentioned, only Miss Bloomfield would appear to have occupied a
position and income commensurate with her male colleagues. LGC
Executive Committee Minutes, 2 November 1895. Minutes of the Grand
Council of the Primrose League, 7 February 1901; 16 November 1905.