Read Part One HERE
In this post I will continue to focus on a woman named Lucy Jesse Townsend. She lived from 1781 - 1847. This was a time when the roles of men and women were clearly defined and deeply embedded in society. The men controlled all business matters whilst the women looked after domestic things. Therefore, women were only portrayed as appearing helpful in the national Anti-Slavery Society led by William Wilberforce, rather than activists in their own right, their role always minimalised.
However, they then took to going from door to door canvassing and distributing leaflets emphasising the suffering of women under slavery. They began a systematic promotion to boycott slave-grown sugar.
Very soon there was a network of over seventy anti-slavery women's groups throughout the country.
Lucy's organisation was published in America and it became a model for similar organisations in the US.
Amelia Moilliett also held anti-slavery meetings at her Hampstead Hall home. She noted that at the meeting on 25 January, 1827, 60-70 ladies of influence attended.
In 1836, Lucy moved to Thorpe, Notttingham, where her husband became Rector at St. Lawrence's Church. At that time she gave up the job of honorary secretary of the society but remained as a committee member. Lucy attended the World Anti-Slavery Convention in 1840. At that convention she met women who represented other leading ladies' organisations, such as Eliza Wigham from the Edinburgh Ladies' Emancipation Society, Mary Ann Rawson from the Sheffield Society, Jane Smeal from Glasgow, Amelia Opie from Norwich, Elizabeth Pease from Darlington and Anne Knight from Chelmsford.
Lucy died in 1847.
Read Part Seventy-Three HERE
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