Susan Lawrence
| Arabella Susan Lawrence | |
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Member of Parliament for East Ham North |
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In office 21 July 1926 – 27 October 1931 |
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| Preceded by | Charles Williamson Crook |
| Succeeded by | John Mayhew |
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Member of Parliament for East Ham North |
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In office 6 December 1923 – 28 October 1924 |
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| Preceded by | Charles Williamson Crook |
| Succeeded by | Charles Williamson Crook |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 August 1871 |
| Died | 24 October 1947 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party |
Conservative then Labour |
| Alma mater | Newnham College, Cambridge |
Arabella Susan Lawrence (12 August 1871 – 24 October 1947) was a British Labour Party politician, one of the earliest female Labour MPs.
Lawrence was the youngest daughter of Nathaniel Lawrence, a wealthy solicitor, and Laura Bacon, daughter of Sir James Bacon, a bankruptcy judge and Vice-Chancellor. Her great grandfather was Abraham Ogden of New Jersey, and she was also descended from the original Nonconformist Philip Henry.
She was educated in London and at Newnham College, Cambridge.
Originally a Conservative, she was a member of the London County Council 1910–1912, but after coming under the influence of the trades unionist Mary Macarthur she was converted to socialism and rejoined the council as a Labour member from 1913–1927, becoming deputy chairman of the LCC 1925-26. She joined the Fabian Society and became close to Sidney Webb and especially to his wife Beatrice Webb. During the First World War she principally worked to improve the conditions of women factory workers.
As a member of the local council in Poplar, London (1919–24), led at the time by George Lansbury, Lawrence was part of the Labour group that defied central government and refused to set a rate, arguing that the poverty in the area meant that the poor were being asked to pay for the poor. Lawrence was imprisoned for five weeks in Holloway Prison in 1921, but ultimately she and her fellow councillors' campaign succeeded, in that government passed a law to equalise Poor Law rates.
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Wikipedia