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Women's Library

Women's Tax Resistance League


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0106 2WTR

Held at: Women's Library

Title: Women's Tax Resistance League

Date(s): 1909-1919

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 0.5 box

Name of creator(s): Women's Tax Resistance League

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Tax Resistance League was established in 1909 with the aim of organising female resistance to taxation levied without any correspondent representation through voting rights. The organisation carried on a form of protest that dated back to 1870 when the Priestman sisters refused to pay income tax. The foundation occurred at a meeting held by Louisa Garrett Anderson that was attended by supporters of the Women's Freedom League including Cicely Hamilton and Dr Kate Aslam. By July 1910 the League had 104 members. Those who followed its principles, and whose actions extended to refusing to pay for certain types of licences, Inhabited House Duty, dog licenses, servants licences, etc were liable to have goods seized or be put in prison. House clearances by bailiffs were used as an opportunity to hold open-air suffrage meetings and the group was also involved in resistance to the census in 1911. The League held meetings in the premises of both the National Union for Women's Suffrage Societies and the Women's Social and Political Union, but overtures to many local organisations were refused due to opposition to the illegality of their actions. It held conferences in 1911 and 1912 and became part of the Federated Council of Women's Suffrage in 1912. At the outbreak of the First World War, an urgency committee ordered that the League's activities be suspended and a subsequent meeting of members confirmed this resolution, though the resolution was only passed by one vote. No more meetings were held until 1916 when they took part in the Consultative Committee of Constitutional Women's Suffrage Societies established by the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies in response to the government proposed changes to the national electoral register at the end of the war. A final meeting was held in 1918 after the vote was granted to women in order to officially wind up the organisation and dispose of its assets.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the Tax Resistance League, 1909-1919, comprising annual reports, leaflets and pamphlets.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

This collection is open for consultation. Intending readers are advise to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

Detailed catalogue

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

The Women's Library also holds the records of the London Society for Women's Suffrage (2LSW) which contain correspondence, leaflets and pamphlets with the Tax Resistance League. See also the Scrapbook of Press Cuttings relating to Tax Resistance (10/21).

The Women's Library Printed Collection holds pamphlets by the Tax Resistance League including campaigning literature such as 'Why we resist our taxes' by Margaret Kineton Parkes. See especially the UDC collection 396.11 : 336.2.

The Women's Library Museum Collections holds badges and postcards related to the Tax Resistance League and to the 'No Vote No Tax' procession 7 Oct 1911.

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Created and used with the kind permission of the Archives Hub. Amended by Genesis Project Manager, May 2002. Fawcett Library Catalogue dated Oct 1973. Edited for AIM25 by Sarah Drewery.

Rules or conventions: In compliance with ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, 1995; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: 16/10/2001; Jan 2009


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Taxation | Fiscal policy | Finance
Womens rights | Rights of special groups
Womens suffrage | Electoral systems | Internal politics
Political movements

Personal names
Anderson | Louisa | 1873-1943 | suffragist and surgeon
Ansell | Gertrude Mary | 1861-1932 | businesswoman, suffragist and animal rights activist
Benett | Sarah | 1850-1924 | social reformer and suffragist
Florence | Mary Sargant | 1858-1954 | artist and suffragist
Hamilton | Cicely | 1872-1952 | writer and actor
Harberton | Florence | 1844-1911 | Viscountess | suffragist
Haslam | Kate | fl 1900 | suffragist
Housman | Clemence Annie | 1861-1955 | artist and suffragette
Martyn | Edith | How- | 1875-1954 | suffragist and feminist x How-Martyn | Edith
Nevinson | Margaret Wynne | 1858-1932 | suffragette and writer
Wilks | Elizabeth | 1866-1956 | nee Bennett | physician and suffragist

Corporate names
Federated Council of Suffrage Societies
Tax Resistance League
Women's Freedom League

Places