Catherine Williamson

Catherine Ellis Williamson (1 May 1896 – 25 April 1977) was an Irish politician.

Born in Dublin, Wiliamson studied at Cheltenham Ladies College and in St Germain-en-Laye in Paris. For part of World War I, she taught Braille at St Dunstan's in London, before becoming a director of J. J. Williamson & Sons, her family's tannery business in Canterbury.[1]

Williamson joined the Labour Party and was elected to Canterbury City Council in 1935, serving as Mayor of Canterbury from 1939 to 1941:[1] the city's first woman mayor.[2] Soon afterwards, she defected to the Common Wealth Party, for which she stood in the Ashford by-election, 1943, taking 30.3% of the vote against a single opponent. She stood in Canterbury at the 1945 UK general election but, facing both Labour and Conservative opponents, could only take 2.6% of the votes cast.[3]

Williamson rejoined Labour late in the 1940s, and stood in East Grinstead at the 1950 general election, and in Hastings in 1951.[4] She travelled widely, particularly to China, where she met Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai.[1]

Long a member of the Society of Friends, Williamson also identified as a member of the Church of England, and joined the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Williamson, Mrs Catherine Ellis", Who Was Who
  2. ↑ Canterbury City Council, "History of the Mayoral office"
  3. ↑ F. W. S. Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949
  4. ↑ F. W. S. Craig, British parliamentary election results 1950–1973
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