A stitch in time sees family reunited with Suffragette’s precious wedding dress

Worn by Lily on her wedding day on September 10, 1910, the beautiful dress was filled with weights, designed to give it a fashionable “scroop” or rustling noise, but also making it fragile and requiring delicate handling by the city’s textile experts over the past five-and-a-half decades.

Remarkably, it still has several tiny pieces of confetti from the wedding day embedded in its delicate embroidery.

A classic example of the elegant style of the time, the dress is made of cream silk satin with a silk chiffon pleated overlay. Its high stand collar is trimmed with lace, extremely fashionable for the period, and the front of the dress is heavily decorated with silver beads.

Lily’s granddaughter Jennifer Slater was shown the fragile garment alongside her own daughter Christina Bromley as well as Lily’s great, great grandson Alexander and great, great granddaughter Emmeline, whose namesake Emmeline Pankhurst was one of the leading lights of the Suffrage movement, which fought to secure the vote for women.

Their visit served as a fitting tribute to the life and legacy of Lily, whose dedication to equality and women’s rights has echoed through the decades.

Born at Scott Hall Farm in the Potternewton area of Leeds in 1884, family records show Lily was an active and passionate supporter of the Suffrage movement.

Holding what were at the time very modern ideas about the place of women in society, she diligently pursued a career in teaching, becoming a pupil teacher at Quarry Mount School before attending Darlington Training College in 1905 and being awarded a string of certificates for her academic achievements.

She married her husband Charles at Buslingthorpe Church, with the service described a lavish affair which included top hats, a red carpet, and Lily’s glamorous dress, hand made by her cousin.

She also was a devoted mother to her three daughters, always encouraging them to pursue equal pay advising them to “get your certificates and qualifications,  and then you can live an independent life, and be dependent on no man.”

Lily died in April 1969 at the age of 85, but her values lived on through her daughters and eight grandchildren, seven of whom followed in her footsteps and became teachers.

Speaking about her visit, Jennifer, the last person to put the dress on before it was donated, said: “It’s wonderful to see my grandmother’s dress again and it brings back a lot of memories. It’s extraordinary to think what she accomplished in her life and teaching career, particularly when much of what she did would have been so unusual for women at that time.

“To me, she was always just granny, a lovely, kind woman who I would enjoy spending time with as a child. But looking at the women in our family today, it would certainly seem that the values of independence and equality she instilled in her daughters have been passed down to each of us and I’m sure she’d be very proud.”

Although Lily’s wedding dress is too fragile to go on permanent display, it will remain part of the extensive fashion and textiles collection safely stored at the Leeds Discovery Centre.

Home to more than a million objects, the centre is the museums service’s state of the art facility, where items spanning millions of years of history are kept when not exhibited.

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said: “The history of Leeds is full of fascinating stories and people who have laid the foundations of the city we know today.

“Through our museums and galleries, it’s wonderful to have the chance to learn more about them, be inspired by their experiences and to ensure their contribution is not forgotten by future generations.”

Leeds Discovery Centre is open to the public, and tours must be booked in advance.

To find out more about times and how to book, please visit: Leeds Discovery Centre - Leeds Museums & Galleries

ENDS