Florence White (1886- 1961) was a campaigner.
By the age of 12 , Florence was working a 12 hour day in Tankard’s Mill, but was later able to start a small dressmaking business with her sister.
Her fiancée died in France in 1917, so – like so many other women of her generation – Florence was deprived of a married life.
She became involved in local politics and joined the Liberal Party, working alongside other women fighting for equality.
Florence set up the National Spinsters Pensions Association in 1935 and campaigned for pensions for women at 55.
This national movement had great success with branches throughout Britain and huge rallies and marches.
By 1940, the government agreed to reduce the pension age for women to sixty.
This was a partial victory, but it went much of the way to meeting the campaign’s aims.
