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Courtesy of UK WILPF http://www.wilpf.org.uk/history/
The Women’s International League, later to become the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom was established in 1915. Women from Northwest England were active, including Caroline Marshall and Catherine Marshall from Keswick, Theodora Wilson Wilson from Kendal, Selina Cooper from Nelson and Mrs Phillip Snowden of Blackburn. On 20 January 1917 the Chairman, Mrs Swanwick, wrote to Mrs Cooper to say that WIL would be holding a big meeting in London. It was hoped that there would be several women speakers. The purpose of the letter was to invite Mrs Cooper to come to speak about how they had got on in Nelson: ‘We have heard very glowing accounts and we should be very glad if you could tell your tale in person.’ (1) She was also invited to have hospitality if she were to come up for the WIL Council meeting on the 16th and 17th. The letter refers to other women located in the North and Northwest who were to speak at the event: one from Bradford (name unclear), Mrs Ford from Leeds and Mrs Crawford from Glasgow.
References/Further Reading:
(1) Letter from Mrs Swanwick to Mrs Cooper dated 20 January 2017. Lancashire Archives, reference PDX 1137/3/23 Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom