Esther Roper
Encyclopedia
Esther Roper was an English
suffragist who was one of the first women to graduate and gain her BA
at Owens College in Manchester
.
Esther was the daughter of a Manchester
factory worker who later became a missionary in Africa
.
She was a working woman and a skilled organiser, administrator and fund-raiser — at her best behind the scenes rather than in front. She worked for the women's department of Manchester University and, as the Secretary of the North of England Suffrage Society, she was a committee member of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies
, led by the veteran Millicent Fawcett
, as well as Secretary for the Manchester National Society for Women's Suffrage.
In 1896 she met Eva Gore-Booth
when they both were staying at Macdonald's Guest House in Bordigera, Italy
. They became lifelong lovers.
Together with Eva, she supported the cause of women in various fields such as flower seller
s, circus performers, barmaids and coal mine pit girls.
They were prominent pacifists during the First World War, working in the International Committee of Women for Permanent Peace
. Among other things they helped support the wives and children of imprisoned conscientious objector
s. After the war they became members of the Committee for the Abolition of Capital Punishment and worked for prison reform.
She was asthmatic and short-sighted, and little is known of her final years. Constance Markievicz, the sister of Eva Gore-Booth
, wrote of her: "The more one knows her, the more one loves her, and I feel so glad Eva and she were together, and so thankful that her love was with Eva to the end."
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
suffragist who was one of the first women to graduate and gain her BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
at Owens College in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
Esther was the daughter of a Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
factory worker who later became a missionary in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
She was a working woman and a skilled organiser, administrator and fund-raiser — at her best behind the scenes rather than in front. She worked for the women's department of Manchester University and, as the Secretary of the North of England Suffrage Society, she was a committee member of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies
National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies
The National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies , also known as the Suffragists was an organisation of women's suffrage societies in the United Kingdom.-Formation and campaigning:...
, led by the veteran Millicent Fawcett
Millicent Fawcett
Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett, GBE was an English suffragist and an early feminist....
, as well as Secretary for the Manchester National Society for Women's Suffrage.
In 1896 she met Eva Gore-Booth
Eva Gore-Booth
Eva Selina Laura Gore-Booth was an Irish poet and dramatist, and a committed suffragist, social worker and labour activist...
when they both were staying at Macdonald's Guest House in Bordigera, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. They became lifelong lovers.
Together with Eva, she supported the cause of women in various fields such as flower seller
Flower seller
A flower seller, normally a woman, traditionally sells flowers on the street. Often the flowers are carried, in a basket for example. The subject matter has been a favorite of artists. The profession has mostly died out in countries like the United Kingdom, but still exists in others such as India....
s, circus performers, barmaids and coal mine pit girls.
They were prominent pacifists during the First World War, working in the International Committee of Women for Permanent Peace
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom was established in the United States in January 1915 as the Woman's Peace Party...
. Among other things they helped support the wives and children of imprisoned conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
s. After the war they became members of the Committee for the Abolition of Capital Punishment and worked for prison reform.
She was asthmatic and short-sighted, and little is known of her final years. Constance Markievicz, the sister of Eva Gore-Booth
Eva Gore-Booth
Eva Selina Laura Gore-Booth was an Irish poet and dramatist, and a committed suffragist, social worker and labour activist...
, wrote of her: "The more one knows her, the more one loves her, and I feel so glad Eva and she were together, and so thankful that her love was with Eva to the end."