Isabella Ford, 1855 – 1924

Ford was born into a wealthy family of radical quakers; her father was an influential Leeds solicitor and she had two sisters and a brother, who all became politically active.

She was very active in the suffragist (rather than suffragette) movement, and also devoted a lot of time and resources to the role of women in the Trade Union movement, founding in 1896 the Women’s Trade Union Club in Belgrave Street, Leeds. She was an important figure in Leeds and West Yorkshire through the early years of the Labour Party.

Her life is well documented in a biography by June Hannam .

Isabella Ford was born in The Mount on Clarendon Road in Leeds 2, now demolished.
She is buried at the Friends’ Meeting House, New Adel Lane, North Leeds.

Tom Maguire, 1866 – 1895

Maguire was born of poor Irish parents on The Bank of East Leeds.
In a short life, terminated in poverty by pneumonia, he became an influential socialist and trade unionist. He was a friend and adviser of the likes of William Morris, was a co-founder of the Leeds Socialist League and the architect of the famous Leeds Gasworkers strike of 1891.

In addition to being a political thinker and activist, he was a prolific poet. His collected works were published by Edward Carpenter after his death – the best of his poems have been re-published by the Ford-Maguire Society with a lengthy introduction by John Battle MP giving the political and artistic context to his work.

It is available for £3.50 post free from The Secretary of the Ford-Maguire Society.
(Currently out of stock).

Tom Maguire is buried in Beckett Street cemetery, Leeds.