Teacher

40

Married

'Northgate', Roman Road, Middlesbrough.

WFL

Resists

Marion was sister in law to Alice Schofield-Coates and both women were members of the WFL after briefly belonging to the WSPU. For a short time, Alice may have lived at Northgate house with Marion and her husband Fredrich before she got married to Marion's brother and Fredrich's boss coal merchant Charles Coates in 1910. Alice's daughter would later claim that despite their shared interests, the sister in laws disliked each other and kept their distance wherever possible. During her time in the WFL, Marion was on the board of Guardians for the Newport ward and both she and Alice organised public meetings for the WFL in town - despite dire warnings from local police about potential public opposition. In 1911, Marion took part in the suffrage census boycott as did her sister in law (see) Alice now a near neighbour. Marion's German born husband Fredrich writes on the census form - ' The females in this house refuse to supply any information whatever until they are granted the rights and privileges of citizenship. No vote no census of women'. The 'females' included Marion and two unnamed servants. In 1912, the WFL newspaper, The Vote, reported Marion's key role in organising the WFL's annual conference and heading the society's Standing Orders Committee as well as her election onto the WFL's executive committee. Marion was also a Labour Party member and corresponded regularly with George Lansbury, a Labour MP and vociferous supporter of women's suffrage. Marion was later elected as Middlesbrough's second (her sister in law Alice being the first) female Councillor where she was active in improving housing conditions. For additional reading, see Leslie Tomlinson, Marion Coates-Hanson (http://www.nunthorpehistorygroup.org/No%205%20January%202013.pdf).