15 Facts About Ada Broughton

Ada Broughton was a British temperance campaigner, suffragette organiser and Labour councillor and alderman, prominent in Scotland in the Women's Freedom League, and in England in the Pembroke Chapel, British Women's Temperance Association, Women's Social and Political Union, and later in the Labour Party.

Ada Broughton was born in West Derby, Liverpool in 1879, the fourth of six children.

Ada Broughton was previously a lead organiser of the woman's suffrage movement; for example, she travelled widely as the Scottish organiser of the Women's Freedom League and helped English branches to organise prior to the First World War and led the British Women's Temperance Association in Northumberland.

In 1909, Ada Broughton was one of nine women arrested and charged for causing obstruction outside the House of Commons.

In court, Ada Broughton asserted that she had been deputed by the Women's Parliament to deliver it.

Ada Broughton was said to have stated that women were not recognised as citizens and were not free women, but 'bond-women'.

In 1914, Ada Broughton made reference to the 'direct link' between women's vote and temperance laws in New Zealand during the course of a British Women's Temperance Association meeting in Cowdenbeath.

Also the Albert Dock and Leith Walk in Edinburgh were open air locations where Ada Broughton spoke in February 1914; the underlying theme was 'Keep the Liberals out'.

Later in 1914, Ada Broughton spoke at Abbey Close in Paisley on the subject of the Women's Suffrage National Aid Corps.

Ada Broughton helped to re-establish local active women's suffrage groups in Liverpool in 1912, with Helah Criddle whilst Alice Davies was in prison.

Ada Broughton spoke about 'The Economic Position of Women' in April 1915, at Walton Prince's Park branch of the Women's Co-operative Guild, and in Manchester explained about WFL policies at an 'at home' at the Higher Crumpsall home of Mrs Buckle, and addressed a large 'attentive' crowd at an open-air meeting in Sidney Street, with Janet Hayes.

Ada Broughton was invited to speak to Girls' Clubs, for example, the Vauxhall Road club on 2 February 1915 and at Women's Guild and other groups across the city.

Ada Broughton moved to London in 1919, and was elected to Bermondsey Council as a Labour member and party whip.

Ada Broughton was judged a 'forceful speaker' with strong views on women's empowerment through citizenship, and was chosen as the woman's organiser for the Independent Labour Party, and then in the Labour Party became Secretary of the local women's section.

Ada Broughton died in Liverpool in 1934, after contracting Scarlet fever.