In 1897, the
National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies was formed and it was led by
suffragist Millicent Fawcett and in 1918 some women in Britain got the vote. At this point the
National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship became the new name of the suffragist organisation. In 1928, all women over the age of 21 were given the vote as a result of the
Equal Franchise Act irrespective of their property, education or previous interests. The following year the idea of urban Guilds was launched by
Margery Corbett Ashby, for women to meet and learn about citizenship and how to use the vote. The idea was to be based on the successful
Women's Institutes, but the new guild was designed to appeal to urban women. The original purpose of the Guilds was, “to encourage the education of women to enable them as citizens to make their best contribution towards the Common Good; and to serve as a common meeting ground for women irrespective of creed and party, for their wider education including social activities”. Corbett Ashby was interviewed by the historian,
Brian Harrison, as part of the Suffrage Interviews project, titled
Oral evidence on the suffragette and suffragist movements: the Brian Harrison interviews, and spoke, in her April 1975 interview, about the formation of the Guild, its early work and the relationship and differences between the Guild and the Women's Institutes. The first Guild was opened in
Hayward's Heath. Guilds were able to meet and help others locally by forming Federations. In 1932, the organisation had 146 guilds and it became the National Union of Townswomen's Guilds and
Gertrude Horton became its National Secretary.
Alice Franklin became the honorary (ie. unpaid) secretary in 1933. The two of them had published a national handbook from the central offices in Cromwell Place in London in 1938. The handbook included regulations and advice on finance and democracy and how to organise a meeting. Horton gave 3 interviews to Brian Harrison as part of the Suffrage Interviews Project, speaking about the NUTG in all of them, including their formation, the involvement of Corbett Ashby, Hubback and
Eleanor Rathbone, and their role as educational rather than feminist in educating new voters and to providing a common meeting ground. She also talks about the organisation of the NUTG, including the finance department, the general office, production 'The Townswoman' and fundraising tea parties. In the early 1950s, the Guild had over 130,000 members. A member of the Weybridge Guild, Miss E Hamilton Smith, was also interviewed by Brian Harrison and gave her views on the roles and relationships of key players within the Guild during this period as well as the organisation of its HQ at Great Smith Street. ==Campaigns==