WOMEN, POLITICS AND WELFARE
The Papers of Nancy Astor, 1879-1964, from Reading University Library

Part 2: Subject Files - Children and the Family

"Nancy Astor could be as bold as brass: but she was in fact a kind and compassionate woman with, especially where women were concerned, a great sense of justice."
Clement Attlee

This project makes available for the first time the correspondence and papers of Nancy Astor. 

This second part concentrates on her work concerning Children and the Family, which was a central preoccupation of her political career.  There are subject files for:

• Adoption, Baby Week, Maternity and Child Welfare;
• Education, Playing Fields and School Milk;
• Family Endowment and Guardianship;
• Head Mistresses and Nursery Schools;
• Child Slavery;
• the Children's Bill (in which she played an active part);
• Juvenile Delinquency and Children in Institutions;
• Nursery Schools.

Nancy Astor played a major part in advancing the cause of women.  Serving as a member of Parliament for over 25 years, she was a powerful advocate of minority issues, famous for her oratory.  This collection will enable scholars to re-assess her career and provides important primary evidence on the major social and political issues of the Twentieth century.