Unknown

39

Married

84 Embleton Road, Lewisham, London

CLWS

Evades

Elizabeth Mary Margaret Close (1872- 1949) married Frank Percy Bevill Shipham, schoolmaster, at Forest Hill in 1897. She probably trained as a teacher around that time. She had three children between 1903 and 1909. The Shiphams lived at Islington, Blackheath moving to Lewisham in 1909. The first indication of Elizabeth Close Shipham’s involvement in women’s suffrage comes in 1908 when she donated a shilling to the NUWSS fund for a procession and meeting at the Albert Hall. The Lewisham WSPU reporter, R May Billinghurst in July 1909 wrote that Mrs Shipham gave a very interesting lecture on ‘The Higher Education of Women’. The first General Council of the Church League for Women’s Suffrage (CLWS) assembled in May 1910. Elizabeth was appointed to the executive committee. The Lewisham CLWS was formed at the end of 1910. The group met at Hither Green with Rev. FH Rice as president, supported among others by Mr and Mrs Close Shipham of 84 Embleton Road, Lewisham where they were living when the census was taken in 1911. Elizabeth became Branch Secretary and spoke at CLWS meetings in Brighton and Greenwich. Elizabeth evaded the 1911 census survey by the government joining in the suffragette boycott. Frank Shipham was at home in Lewisham with their daughter, Monica. Instead of describing himself as the head of the household (see image) Frank wrote that he was ‘married to the occupier’. Their sons, Hilary and Christopher were staying with their grandmother, Prudence Close at 48 Rutland Gardens, Hove. Also in the house were Prudence’s sister, Naomi and daughters (see) Evelyn and (see) Ethel Close and a servant. The whole household, except for Prudence, described themselves as suffrage workers and disenfranchised. Elizabeth is not listed nor her eldest sister (see) Katherine Close. In February 1912, Elizabeth spoke at the Lewisham Working Women’s Guild meeting on ‘The Disabilities of Married Women’. In May, her report in the CLWS magazine stated that the three societies representing women’s suffrage would petition the Mayor of Lewisham to urge the Government to take immediate steps to enfranchise women. Elizabeth spoke at Hackney in July, addressed the Women’s Freedom League in September and the Woolwich CLWS branch in November 1912. She resigned as Branch Secretary for the Greenwich and Lewisham CLWS in November 1912 due to ‘indifferent health’’. The CLWS General Council meeting was held at Brighton in July 1913, hosted by the Brighton and Hove Branch and organised by Kate Close, Elizabeth’s sister, and the rest of the committee. Elizabeth Close Shipham appears on a photograph of the event with her daughter, Monica aged ten and sister, Kate Close (see images). Elizabeth remained on the Executive Committee of the CLWS until 1919 when many branches were closed because of the war and enfranchisement. She was described as being a ‘constant and effective help’. In the 1939 Register she was at Harrogate. Her occupation was given as ‘Lecturer in Languages at Morley College (London) for Working Men and Women’. Elizabeth lived in Hampstead in later years, and died in 1949 at Brighton. Researched & contributed by local and family historian Margaret Scott who is related to the Shipham family.