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Sir William and Lady Julia Chance: Suffragist Campaigners of Godalming

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Sir William and Lady Julia Chance: Suffragist Campaigners of Godalming Sir William and Lady Julia Chance: Suffragist campaigners of Godalming William Chance (1853-1935) and his wife Julia (1864-1949) were stalwart supporters of women’s suffrage in Surrey. They moved from London to “Wharfenden House”, Frimley (now part of Lakeside Country Club), following their marriage in 1884. They are listed as residents there in the 1891 Census but by 1897 were preparing to have a house built on Munstead Heath Road, Bramley. Here they met fellow suffragist Gertrude Jekyll and the resulting house called “Orchards”, designed by Edwin Lutyens, is considered to be one of his best. William became the second Baronet Chance following the death of his father in 1902. John Grant in his directory Surrey: Historical, Biographical, Pictorial comments that: “In these days of somewhat hysterical invective indulged in by its opponents of both sexes, it is refreshing that so clear and logical a thinker as Sir William Chance sees none of the disasters ahead oftentimes associated with affording representation to a large class of the thinking community, who are at present only considered eligible for taxation. Sir William wrote recently about the suffragists ‘They know they can expect no help from the present Government, which has betrayed them over and over again. They know it is doubtful whether the new Franchise Bill will pass through this Parliament at all; indeed it is quite possible that the amendments referred to in the memorandum may lead to its rejection. They have got the Government into a fix, and they have no intention of getting them out of it. If the Unionist Party only recognised this they would look on women suffragists as their best friends. They need only lie low and look on while these women do the work of turning the Government out for them.’” Lady Julia Chance was a prolific letter writer on the subject of women’s suffrage to the editors of local and national newspapers. As early as 1908 The Times published a letter in support of the Women’s Liberal Federation inviting David Lloyd George to speak on Women’s Suffrage at a meeting on 5 December (3 Dec 1908). Lady Julia Chance, Christiana J Herringham, Bertha Newcombe, Lady Frances Balfour, Lady Isabel Somerset, Beatrice Webb and Gertrude Jekyll, were among the signatories to this letter. The Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) opposed the invitation. Sir William Chance was supportive of the setting up of a local branch of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) he presided over local meetings, including one in Godalming, reported in The Times, 11 February 1909, at which a letter from Dr Alfred Russel Wallace was read. Dr Wallace writes: “As long as I have thought or written at all on politics, I have been in favour of woman suffrage. None of the arguments have any weight with me, except one, which may be thus stated: - All human inhabitants of any one country should have equal rights and liberties before the law; women are human beings; therefore they should have votes as well as men.” A letter from Mrs [Mary] G F Watts, expressing sympathy with the movement, her support for the formation of a local branch, and her readiness to be involved was also read. Mary Watts became President of the Godalming and District Women’s Suffrage Society (NUWSS), Gertrude Jekyll and Sir William Chance Vice-Presidents, and Theodora Powell was secretary. Common Cause, dated 3 March 1910, writes of the Surrey, Sussex and Hants Federation of NUWSS, that the organiser, Miss Gordon, “has been working in Godalming also, where several meetings have been held. Miss T W Powell gave an “At Home” at Munstead Rough, at which there was a large attendance, and where a resolution in favour of the enfranchisement of women was carried unanimously. Mrs Romanes [Romanis] occupied the chair and Miss Gordon and Lady Chance were the speakers.” Lady Julia Chance wrote to Lord Farrer of Abinger, on 15 July 1910, inviting him to give his support to the Guildford Branch of the NUWSS which had been formed the previous February (SHC ref: 2572/1/57 (9)). She added that it was difficult to rouse Guildford to much interest or enthusiasm for the cause because it was largely occupied by “retired” people and a large number of “Antis” owing to the retired Indian element. She continues: “...Guildford badly needs more influential support in its own neighbourhood and if you would consent to be named a VP it would give the cause a great gift”. She includes news of the activities of the Godalming Branch mentioning that Mrs G F Watts was President and Miss Gertrude Jekyll and Lady Midleton were Vice-Presidents. She reported that the branch was launching a vigorous campaign over Surrey with a view to educating the working women and enlightening them on the suffrage question claiming that “many are quite ignorant on the subject and fall prey to the first “Anti” who tells them that it is…for women to want the vote. We do not hope to educate Mrs Humphrey Ward in the recognition of these alarming facts.” In another letter written by Julia to her cousin Miss Strachey, dated 19 July 1910, she suggests that there should be an immediate canvass particularly among the working classes and trades to prepare the way for the Autumn suffrage campaign. She writes that work has begun in Godalming and urges the NUWSS to encourage other branches to make a similar effort [LSE Women’s Library ref: 9/01/0836]. In a letter from an anonymous “Suffragist” from Godalming published in the Surrey Advertiser on 10 September 1910, Sir William Chance was referred to as a man of standing, stating that “A reference to his public utterances will reveal the fact that he was a convinced suffragist many years before the “suffragettes” were heard of (or the word coined, in fact) in company with the late Lord Salisbury, Mr Balfour, Mr Haldane and many other men of eminence, on the plain ground of elementary right and justice – namely, that women who pay taxes should be granted the rights of citizenship, and should not be classed with criminals and paupers.” A report of an open-air Women’s Suffrage meeting in Godalming was published in the same issue of the Surrey Advertiser. The meeting in Wharf Street was arranged by the Godalming Women’s Suffrage Society and was well attended. Amongst those attending were Sir William and Lady Chance, Mr G T and Mrs Pilcher, Miss Baker [Noeline] (secretary of the Guildford Women’s Suffrage Society), Miss Powell (secretary of the Godalming Women’s Suffrage Society), Miss Burnett and others. Mr John Simpson, a member of the Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage, was the principal speaker and proposed a resolution that women should be given the vote under the terms of the Conciliation Bill. Sir William Chance seconded the resolution which was carried by a large majority. The Surrey Advertiser of 2 November 1910 reported a separate suffragist demonstration and great gathering at Guildford at which Sir William Chance spoke in favour of the resolution on women’s suffrage. He thought women worked equally as well as men in the public sphere. Sharing the podium was Mr A W Chapman, vice- chairman of Surrey County Council. The other speakers included Lady Frances Balfour, Miss Frances Sterling and Mr H N Brailsford. Attendees included Lady Chance, Lady Farrer, Lady Jardine, Lady Roberts Austen, Sir William and Lady Treacher, Sir Owen and Lady Roberts, Sir Robert Hunter, Mrs G F Watts, Gertrude Jekyll, Mrs Corbet, Mr and Mr Basset, Rev. and Mrs Sims, Mrs Springman, Miss Cockle, Miss Todhunter, Dr B Thorne Thorne, Mr H Nevill, Col C T Lane, Col S Babington (former Mayor of Godalming) and Mr A H Olds (representative of the Guildford Teachers Union). The Times reported that Sir William Chance presided at a meeting of the Women’s Local Government Association (WLGA) held in Godalming where Mrs Humphry Ward (Anti-suffrage campaigner), gave the address in which she identified a shortfall in the numbers of women on local governing bodies (2 November 1910). A fuller report of this first annual meeting of the WLGA was published in The Surrey Advertiser of 5 November 1910. Among the large attendance were Sir William Chance, Mrs Davey, Mrs Theodora Williams, Mrs Rendall, Mrs Humphrey Ward and Miss L Parson. There were reports on the forming of branches of WLGA at Haslemere, with Mrs White as secretary, and, at Guildford through the exertion of Miss Fry. Mrs Humphrey Ward gave the address where she expressed her view that women should put effort into local government, serving on councils. Sir William’s support for women’s suffrage took him to platforms outside the local area, and on the 19 November 1910 he addressed an open-air meeting in support of women’s suffrage movement held in Trafalgar Square. Lady Julia Chance also spoke at meetings, as is recorded in John Grant’s Surrey: historical, biographical and pictorial, having recently “given an address at Wonersh on Suffragists and Sex Morality, fearlessly attacking the double standard of morality for men and women, a burning question that is inseparably connected with the movement.” She addressed an afternoon meeting in the village of Hascombe, in the presence of Miss Susan Onslow [a local anti-suffrage campaigner]. Susan wrote a letter to the editor of the Surrey Advertiser giving an account of the meeting (published 7 November 1912). Lady Julia responded with a pithy repost to Susan Onslow’s account of the meeting (published 13 November 1912).
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