BRITISH CONSERVATISM AND THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE ... - ideals

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They served increasingly as the most active workers, gradually
occupying a greater proportion of the available local and regional
positions, although their actual numbers never exceed in absolute terms
those of their male counterparts, even at the grass-roots level.
Precise figures are difficult to ascertain since no Central Office
records remain beyond those provided in the 1888 Roll and local records
are insufficiently representative or abundant to provide for an
accurate estimation.
Nevertheless, these trends appear to be sustained
by the growing influence of women as represented at or below the level
of Warden in Habitations with a mixed gender representation.
As early as 1887, Ladywood Habitation in Birmingham recorded a
staff of all female Wardens.
Indeed, only one of its officers was
male, the Assistant Honorary Secretary.16
Huddersfield Habitation had
always employed a largely female staff of Wardens.
However, by 1893,
the Minutes were resorting to the pronouns "her" and "she" to describe
its all female cast of organizers.
Each Warden was instructed "to send
in names of two of her Committee who will undertake to bake bread, pre­
pare the tea and do anything else that is wanted on the night itself."
Each woman was also urged to circulate a petition in opposition to Home
Rule with a notation "she will get signatures in the district and
return them to the Hon. Sec. by the end of Easter week."I 7
I 5
Ladywood Magazine, March, 1887, p. 7.
Huddersfield Habitation Minutes, 1886-1898, 29 March 1886;
23 August 1886; 30 August 1887; 4 July 1887; 15 April 1889; 29 March
1893; Kirklees District Archives, DD/RE/160.
I 7