Jean Henderson
Encyclopedia
Jean Henderson was a British barrister
and Liberal Party
politician.
newspaper obituary of Jean Henderson, she was born on 18 December 1899 but the records of the London School of Economics and Political Science where her papers are kept, note the year of Henderson’s birth as 1900.
for twenty years and formerly worked in the Liberal Party publications department. Her mother taught scripture at Hall School, Weybridge
. In religion her mother was a Quaker and her father a lapsed Presbyterian. She had one sister. She never married.
, Master of University College, Oxford
). In 1949 Henderson co-edited a book about the school called Miss Gilpin and the Hall School: A Record of Adventure and Achievement in Education (Bannisdale Press, London) and in 1988 she published another exploration of the school, A Lasting Spring: Miss Gilpin and the Hall School, Weybridge 1898-1934 (William Sessions, York). After the Hall School, Henderson went to The Mount School, York
, a Quaker establishment, where she was Head Girl.
Henderson then went up to Bedford College, London University, where she graduated in modern languages (French, German and Russian).
. She then transferred to the Daily News
another paper with a Liberal bias. She also edited a magazine for the anti-war Women’s International League and acted as part-time secretary to David Low the famous cartoonist.
In 1938, after the death of her parents, Henderson changed careers and went in for the law. She was admitted to the Inner Temple
in 1940 and called to the Bar in 1943. She then practised as a barrister on the London and Midland Circuits. She sat as an independent member of five Industrial Wages Councils and was Head of Chambers, 5 Pump Court, Temple, from 1970-1979. She also sat as a Justice of the Peace
at Willesden
.
from 1936 until 1941 but no election occurred during that period. During World War Two, Henderson lectured on current events to troops under the War Office
Scheme for Education and also served as an air raid warden
in Hampstead Garden Suburb
. In 1941, Henderson was one of the prominent women speakers at a rally in Trafalgar Square
, attended by over two thousand people, to protest at the unequal treatment of women in compensation for injuries received in air raids. Under the regulations of the time women received 7 shillings a week less than male civilians for the same injuries even though they faced equal danger in their homes, as targets in industry or working in civil defence. Among the other speakers were Lady Astor, Edith Summerskill
and the pianist Harriet Cohen
.
At the 1945 general election
Henderson stood as Liberal candidate for Barnet
. This was won by the Labour
by 682 votes, and she lost her deposit
. In 1950
Henderson switched her attentions to Lincoln
, this time with even less success, taking less than 9% of the vote and again losing her deposit. She did not contest a seat at the 1951 general election
but she returned to the fray, first by becoming prospective parliamentary candidate for Watford
in 1953 but then changing constituencies to fight at Luton
in 1955
. Again she came third and again she lost her deposit.
Henderson tried her hand at local elections too. She contested Hendon Borough Council
elections in Garden Suburb Ward in 1949 and 1953 but did not get elected. She was Honorary Secretary of the Women's Liberal Federation
from 1941 until 1949 and served on the Executive of the Liberal Candidates' Association. She was President of Hampstead Garden Suburb Ward Liberal Association and a member of the Management Board of the Gladstone Benevolent Fund for Liberal Agents, (1973–1988).
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Date of Birth
According to The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper obituary of Jean Henderson, she was born on 18 December 1899 but the records of the London School of Economics and Political Science where her papers are kept, note the year of Henderson’s birth as 1900.
Family
Henderson was the daughter of John and Florence Henderson. Her father was Secretary of the National Liberal ClubNational Liberal Club
The National Liberal Club, known to its members as the NLC, is a London gentlemen's club, now also open to women, which was established by William Ewart Gladstone in 1882 for the purpose of providing club facilities for Liberal Party campaigners among the newly-enlarged electorate after the Third...
for twenty years and formerly worked in the Liberal Party publications department. Her mother taught scripture at Hall School, Weybridge
Weybridge
Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
. In religion her mother was a Quaker and her father a lapsed Presbyterian. She had one sister. She never married.
Education
Jean Henderson started her education at Hall School, which has been described as an innovative and experimental establishment. The school was run by her aunt, Eva Gilpin (later Lady Sadler, wife of Sir Michael SadlerMichael Ernest Sadler
Sir Michael Ernest Sadler KCSI was a British historian, educationalist and university administrator. He worked at the universities of Manchester and Leeds. He was a champion of the public school system.-Early life and education:...
, Master of University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
). In 1949 Henderson co-edited a book about the school called Miss Gilpin and the Hall School: A Record of Adventure and Achievement in Education (Bannisdale Press, London) and in 1988 she published another exploration of the school, A Lasting Spring: Miss Gilpin and the Hall School, Weybridge 1898-1934 (William Sessions, York). After the Hall School, Henderson went to The Mount School, York
The Mount School, York
The Mount School is a Quaker independent day and boarding school in York, England, for girls aged 11–18. It was founded in 1831. Its preparatory school is called Tregelles, and it accepts only girls from 2012 onwards and has a nursery department. There are two or three forms in Year 7 to 11 and...
, a Quaker establishment, where she was Head Girl.
Henderson then went up to Bedford College, London University, where she graduated in modern languages (French, German and Russian).
Career
On leaving university, Henderson first went to work in journalism, joining the foreign desk of the Westminster GazetteWestminster Gazette
The Westminster Gazette was an influential Liberal newspaper based in London. It was known for publishing sketches and short stories, including early works by Raymond Chandler, Anthony Hope and Saki, and travel writing by Rupert Brooke. One of its editors was caricaturist and political cartoonist...
. She then transferred to the Daily News
News Chronicle
The News Chronicle was a British daily newspaper. It ceased publication on 17 October 1960, being absorbed into the Daily Mail. Its offices were in Bouverie Street, off Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 8DP, England.-Daily Chronicle:...
another paper with a Liberal bias. She also edited a magazine for the anti-war Women’s International League and acted as part-time secretary to David Low the famous cartoonist.
In 1938, after the death of her parents, Henderson changed careers and went in for the law. She was admitted to the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1940 and called to the Bar in 1943. She then practised as a barrister on the London and Midland Circuits. She sat as an independent member of five Industrial Wages Councils and was Head of Chambers, 5 Pump Court, Temple, from 1970-1979. She also sat as a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
at Willesden
Willesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
.
Politics
Jean Henderson was strongly influenced by her parents. She followed her father’s politics and supported the Liberal Party all her life but she was independent and determined enough to choose her own political beliefs and causes. She fought three general elections for the Liberals, all without success. Her first intervention was as prospective parliamentary candidate for St AlbansSt Albans (UK Parliament constituency)
St Albans is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Established in 1885, it is a county constituency in Hertfordshire, and elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.From 1554 to 1852 there was a...
from 1936 until 1941 but no election occurred during that period. During World War Two, Henderson lectured on current events to troops under the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
Scheme for Education and also served as an air raid warden
Air Raid Precautions
Air Raid Precautions was an organisation in the United Kingdom set up as an aid in the prelude to the Second World War dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air-raids. It was created in 1924 as a response to the fears about the growing threat from the development of bomber...
in Hampstead Garden Suburb
Hampstead Garden Suburb
-Notable Residents :*Theo Adams*Martin Bell*Sir Victor Blank*Katie Boyle*Constantine, the last King of Greece*Greg Davies*Richard & Judy Finnigan*David Matthews*Michael Ridpath*Claudia Roden*Jonathan Ross*Sir Donald Sinden*Marc Sinden...
. In 1941, Henderson was one of the prominent women speakers at a rally in Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
, attended by over two thousand people, to protest at the unequal treatment of women in compensation for injuries received in air raids. Under the regulations of the time women received 7 shillings a week less than male civilians for the same injuries even though they faced equal danger in their homes, as targets in industry or working in civil defence. Among the other speakers were Lady Astor, Edith Summerskill
Edith Summerskill
Edith Clara Summerskill, Baroness Summerskill CH PC was a British physician, feminist, misandrist, Labour politician and writer. She was appointed to the Privy Council in 1949.-Early life:...
and the pianist Harriet Cohen
Harriet Cohen
Harriet Cohen CBE was a British pianist.-Biography:Harriet Cohen was born in London and studied piano at the Royal Academy of Music under Tobias Matthay, having won the Ada Lewis scholarship at the age of 12. She made her debut at a Chappell's Sunday concert at the Queen's Hall a year later...
.
At the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
Henderson stood as Liberal candidate for Barnet
Barnet (UK Parliament constituency)
Barnet was a parliamentary constituency in what is now the London Borough of Barnet, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
. This was won by the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
by 682 votes, and she lost her deposit
Deposit (politics)
A deposit is a sum of money that a candidate must pay in return for the right to stand for election to certain political offices, particularly seats in legislatures.-United Kingdom:...
. In 1950
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
Henderson switched her attentions to Lincoln
Lincoln (UK Parliament constituency)
Lincoln is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, this time with even less success, taking less than 9% of the vote and again losing her deposit. She did not contest a seat at the 1951 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
but she returned to the fray, first by becoming prospective parliamentary candidate for Watford
Watford (UK Parliament constituency)
Watford is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in 1953 but then changing constituencies to fight at Luton
Luton (UK Parliament constituency)
Luton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Luton in Bedfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
in 1955
United Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
. Again she came third and again she lost her deposit.
Henderson tried her hand at local elections too. She contested Hendon Borough Council
Municipal Borough of Hendon
Hendon was an ancient civil parish of around which included Mill Hill, as well as Golders Green and Childs Hill. In 1894 it was created an urban district of Middlesex and in 1932 it became a municipal borough...
elections in Garden Suburb Ward in 1949 and 1953 but did not get elected. She was Honorary Secretary of the Women's Liberal Federation
Women's Liberal Federation
The Women's Liberal Federation was an organisation which was part of the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom during the 1880s.During this period women became more active in politics. The Women's Liberal Federation attempted to make the Liberal Party introduce a measure which gave women the vote...
from 1941 until 1949 and served on the Executive of the Liberal Candidates' Association. She was President of Hampstead Garden Suburb Ward Liberal Association and a member of the Management Board of the Gladstone Benevolent Fund for Liberal Agents, (1973–1988).