Edith Summerskill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Baroness Summerskill
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| Minister of National Insurance | |
| In office 28 February 1950 – 26 October 1951 |
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| Prime Minister | Clement Attlee |
| Preceded by | James Griffiths |
| Succeeded by | Osbert Peake |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food |
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| In office 4 August 1945 – 28 February 1950 |
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| Prime Minister | Clement Attlee |
| Preceded by | Florence Horsbrugh |
| Succeeded by | Stanley Evans |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| In office 4 February 1961 – 4 February 1980 Life peerage |
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| Member of Parliament for Warrington |
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| In office 26 May 1955 – 4 February 1961 |
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| Preceded by | Hyacinth Morgan |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Williams |
| Member of Parliament for Fulham West |
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| In office 6 April 1938 – 6 May 1955 |
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| Preceded by | Cyril Cobb |
| Succeeded by | Constituency Abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 April 1901 |
| Died | 4 February 1980 (aged 78) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Dr Jeffrey Samuel |
| Children | Shirley Summerskill |
| Alma mater | King's College London Charing Cross Hospital Medical School |
Edith Clara Summerskill, Baroness Summerskill (born 19 April 1901 – died 4 February 1980) was an important British doctor, a strong supporter of women's rights, a politician from the Labour Party, and a writer. She was made a member of the Privy Council in 1949, which is a group of important advisors to the King or Queen.
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Early Life and Education
Edith Summerskill went to King's College London. She was one of the first women to be accepted into medical school at Charing Cross Hospital Medical School. This was a big step for women at the time.
She helped start the Socialist Health Association. This group played a key role in creating the National Health Service (NHS) in 1948. The NHS provides healthcare for everyone in the UK. Edith also pushed for women to have equal rights in the British Home Guard, a defense organization during wartime.
In 1938, she became involved with the Married Women's Association. This group worked to make sure married women had equal rights. Edith Summerskill became the first president of this important association.
Becoming a Politician
Edith Summerskill started her political journey at age 32. She became a local councillor for Middlesex County Council in 1934 and served until 1941.
She tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for the House of Commons a couple of times. She finally won a seat in 1938, becoming the Labour MP for Fulham West. She won thanks to the votes of working women. When her Fulham West area was changed in 1955, she became the MP for Warrington.
Working in Government
After the Labour Party won the election in 1945, Edith Summerskill joined Clement Attlee's government. She first worked as a Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Food. Later, she was promoted to lead the Ministry of Social and National Insurance. Here, she was known as the Minister of National Insurance.
Besides her government roles, Edith also served on the House of Commons Political Honours Scrutiny Committee. This committee checks who gets special honors.
She was a Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food from 1945 to 1950. Then, she was the Minister of National Insurance from 1950 to 1951. She was also part of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee for many years, and she was even the Chair of the Labour Party in 1954–55.
In 1961, she left the House of Commons. She was then given a special honor, becoming a life peer. This meant she became Baroness Summerskill and could sit in the House of Lords. In 1966, she received another high honor, becoming a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH).
Edith Summerskill was a strong feminist. She worked hard to improve women's rights. For example, she helped pass the Clean Milk Act in 1949. As president of the Married Women's Association, she fought for equal rights for housewives and divorced women. Her efforts led to important laws like the Married Women's Properties Act in 1964 and the Matrimonial Homes Act in 1967. These laws gave women more control over their property and homes.
Letters to My Daughter
In the 1950s, Edith Summerskill wrote a book called Letters to My Daughter (1957). It was a collection of letters she wrote to her daughter, Shirley. Shirley, like her mother, was a feminist. She studied medicine and later became a doctor and an MP herself.
In her letters, Edith Summerskill shared her belief that women are superior to men in many ways. She gave three main reasons:
- First, she believed women could enjoy both biological creation (like having children) and intellectual creation (like thinking and inventing).
- Second, she suggested women were physically stronger and lived longer. She thought they were tougher and had more stamina.
- Finally, she believed women had equal, or even greater, intelligence than men.
The book shows a conversation between mother and daughter about important topics. These included education for women, equality, and women's achievements. Edith wrote about how women had to fight hard to be recognized in fields like medicine and politics. She said that women were not always welcomed into universities or public life.
Edith Summerskill always worked to raise awareness about women's equal rights. When asked why more women hadn't achieved fame in arts and sciences, she said she was amazed that so many had succeeded despite the difficulties they faced. She believed that women were making progress in music, art, literature, and even science and technology.
Personal Life
Edith Summerskill married Dr Jeffrey Samuel in 1925. Their children used their mother's last name, Summerskill. Her daughter, Shirley Summerskill, followed in her footsteps. Shirley also became a doctor, a Member of Parliament, and a government minister. Edith's grandson, Ben Summerskill, became the chief executive of the British gay equality charity Stonewall in 2003.
