Catalogue description Committees: * Central Committee Of The National Society For Women's Suffrage 1871-1888 * Central Committee of the National Society for Women's Suffrage, 1888-1897 * Central National Society For Women's Suffrage 1897-1909 * London Society for Women's Service (Fawcett Society) 1903-1962

Primarily minutes and papers.

Note: a manuscript note in the hard copy catalogue stated 'Halpin's lawyers have minute books 29 Feb-30 May & 30 May-31 Jul, & volume of Annual Reports 1918-1925'. It is not clear if these were returned - this is awaiting a physical check.

This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

In 1900 the Central and Western Society for Women's Suffrage (CWSWS) and the Central and East of England Society for Women's Suffrage (CEESWS) were reunited as the Central Society for Women's Suffrage. Thereafter the Society remained one body, but changed its name:

1897-1900 Central and Western Society for Women's Suffrage

1897-1900 Central and East of England Society for Women's Suffrage

1900-1907 Central Society for Women's Suffrage

1907-1919 London Society for Women's Suffrage

1919-1926 London Society for Women's Service

1926-1953 London & National Society for Women's Service

1953-date Fawcett Society

The change of name in 1919 reflected the change in emphasis of the Society's Objects, due to the Act giving women the franchise and also to the fact that the Society had added to its Objects a broader service to women as a result of its contribution to the prosecution of the 1914-1918 war.

As the records run on frequently from volume to volume and correspondence file to correspondence file irrespective of changes of name they ahve been catalogued as series irrespective of the name of the Society at a particular date.