Papers of Margaret Byham

The archive consists of photocopies of correspondence and leaflets concerning suffrage activities, especially The Women's March and the Marchers' Qui-Vive Corps

Margaret Elizabeth Byham (1865-c.1913) was born in Jul 1865, the daughter of George Byham (principle of the British War Office) and Mary Elizabeth Woods. She was a member of both the Women's Social & Political Union and the Church League for Women's Suffrage. Before leaving her hometown of Ealing in 1907, she was the Honorary Secretary of the local branch of the Metropolitan Association for Befriending Young Servants. She was the Honorary Treasurer of the Women's March from Edinburgh to London in 1912, one of the six who completed the journey in its entirety and accompanied Florence de Fonblanque to the door of 10 Downing Street to present the petition for women's suffrage. She subsequently became the Honorary Treasurer of the 'Qui Vive' Corps that was founded after the march had been completed and which contained members of all suffrage societies.

The copies have been arranged in two folders, one concerning the march and one containing other materials including records related to the provenance of the collection.

This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

Transferred to the Fawcett Library by the London Metropolitan Archives in 1995.

Fawcett Library Catalogue

The photostat copies of the papers were given to the Greater London Record Office (now London Metropolitan Archives) in 1963 by Mrs June Byham (wife of Margaret Byham's great nephew, Jeremy Byham) and were transferred to The Women's Library in 1995.

The Women's Library holds the records of a number of militant, Women's Social & Political Union members, including Emily Wilding Davison (7EWD) and Louisa Garrett Anderson (7LGA). The records of the Women's Social & Political Union are held at The Museum of London. The Women's Library Printed Collections also holds a number of publications by the Women's Social & Political Union.

The originals are still though to be in the possession of the family.