THE centenary of women getting the vote has brought the name of one of Colchester’s foremost councillors to the forefront once again.

Historian Trudie Mundell is keen to keep the memory of Catharine Alderton alive having begun to look into her life and work a number of months ago.

She was working on a book about the wider history of the town when she came across her name.

“I was actually looking at the late Victorian period in Colchester and the people who were living in Old Heath Road in 1897 and she was among them,” explains Trudie, who lives in Wivenhoe.

She has since dug deeper and written an articlefor a history magazine about Catharine, who was born in 1869.

“I also realised that this month marks 100 years since she became the first woman to be a Colchester Councillor so it seemed a really good time to be talking about her and her marvellous achievement for that time.”

The advent of her becoming a councillor on September 4 1918 was made possible after a change in the law to give some women over 30 the vote.

Catharine was co-opted on to the councillor after 73 ladies signed a petition in support of her.

She trained as a teacher and taught Latin, Science maths and Elocution at a private girls school in Lexden.

Catharine also served on committees for nursing and was the first woman to sit on Colchester Hospital Committee.

Trudie adds: “She was one of the leading Suffragists in the country and was President of the Liberal Women’s Suffrage Union.

“In 1913 she lead a rally of Suffrage supporters from St John’s Green in Colchester all the way to London Hyde Park.

“They passed through Tiptree and Kelvedon with eggs and stones thrown at them and much heckling.”

Once she had made it to councillor Catharine stood for parliament.

“She did well in the polls considering few women had a vote,” adds Trudie.

But despite not becoming an MP Catharine did notch up a series of first and achievements, including becoming the inaugural Justice of the Peace in Colchester.

It was in 1923, and into 1924, Catharine was made Mayor of Colchester, not only the first in the town but one of the first in the country.

Trudie says this meant she was probably the first woman to attend an Oyster Feast, traditionally hosted by the Mayor.

“When she hosted the Oyster Feast in 1924 her guest was the Duke of York, the future King George VI.”

He was the first member of the Royal family to attend an Oyster Feast, and Catherine laid on a separate lunch in the Mayor’s Parlour for a group of other ladies, hosted by her sister, and the Duke was taken there first to meet them.

Millicent Garrett Fawcett was one of the first woman guests at a Colchester Oyster Feast. The others were Councillor Dame Catherine Hunt, Viscountess Cowdray, wife of MP, Lady Worthington Evans, another Suffrage supporter, and Mrs Swanwick , chairman of the Women’s International League and another active Suffrage supporter.

Then he went into the Hall!

Catharine changed the usual toast of ‘Army navy and Air Force’ to ‘International Peace’

She was presented at the end of her tenure with the Oyster shell from one of the Dukes Oysters, set into a silver ash tray.

Trudie

She hosted the Oyster Feast in October 1924 and the Duke of York, future King George VI was guest of honour, first member of royal family at Oyster Feast,

Millicent Garrett Fawcett was one of the first woman guests at a Colchester Oyster Feast. The others were Councillor Dame Catherine Hunt, Viscountess Cowdray, wife of MP, Lady Worthington Evans, another Suffrage supporter, and Mrs Swanwick , chairman of the Women’s International League and another active Suffrage supporter.

Catharine laid on a separate lunch in the Mayor’s Parlour for other ladies, hosted by her sister, and the Duke was conducted there first to meet them.

“Then he went into the Hall!

“Catharine changed the usual toast of ‘Army navy and Air Force’ to ‘International Peace’,” says Trudie.

She also invited Millicent Garrett Fawcett, a well-known suffragist who in turn became the first female guest at an Oyster Feast.

It was such a bold move, it actually made headlines all round the country.

Seven years later, in 1929 she was elected Essex County Councillor and in 1949 became its first woman Alderman.

Having been made an MBE in 1944, Catharine, who was married to Archibald and had a son, died seven years later in 1951 aged 82.

Her legacy and memory lives on though in the form of a portrait in the Town Hall and a plaque outside the house where she once lived.

It was the Colchester Civic Society which last year year put up a plaque outside Catharine Alderton’s former home

Trudie says : “I just think she is a lady worthy of mention.

“she really was something special and someone who should be remembered.”