14 Facts About Esther Roper

Esther Roper was an Irish-English suffragist and social justice campaigner who fought for equal employment and voting rights for working-class women.

Esther Roper was born near Chorley, Lancashire, on 4 August 1868.

Esther Roper was the daughter of Edward Roper, a factory hand who later became a missionary, and Annie Roper, the daughter of Irish immigrants.

Esther Roper was one of the first women to study for a degree at Owens College in Manchester.

In 1891 Roper graduated from Owen's College with a First class honours degree in Latin, English Literature and Political Economy.

Esther Roper maintained links with the college becoming a leading member of its women only Social Debating Society.

Esther Roper was elected to its executive committee in 1896.

Esther Roper is credited with re-energising the organisation's work which had lacked direction since the death of previous secretary Lydia Becker.

Esther Roper broadened the scope of the MNSWS votes for women campaign, steering the focus away from securing the interests of middle-class women, to actively seeking out the involvement of working-class women as petition signatories and speakers for the cause.

In 1896, suffering from exhaustion Esther Roper holidayed at Scottish writer George Macdonald's guest house in Italy.

Esther Roper edited and introduced both The Poems of Eva Gore-Booth and The Prison Letters of Countess Markievicz.

Esther Roper commissioned artist Ethel Rhind to create a stained glass window commemorating Eva's life.

Esther Roper was signatory on a number of letters to The Times newspaper concerning equal treatment for men and women in employment.

Esther Roper died of heart failure at her home in April 1938.