Born: 25 September 1867, United Kingdom
Died: 14 June 1950
Country most active: United Kingdom
Also known as: Katharine St John Conway
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Katharine Glasier was an English socialist politician, journalist, and novelist, best known for her pivotal role as a founding member of the Independent Labour Party (ILP) in 1893.
Glasier’s early involvement in activism was inspired by her teaching career at Redland High School in Bristol, where she witnessed a striking demonstration by female cotton workers, leading her to join the Bristol Socialist Society. Subsequently, she left her teaching position to work at a boarding school in Bristol while caring for Dan Irving and his wife. During this period, she also joined the Fabian Society and began lecturing for the organization.
Throughout the early 20th century, Katharine Glasier was a prolific writer, contributing to various publications and publishing three novels: “Husband and Brother” (1894), “Aimee Furniss, Scholar” (1896), and “Marget” (1902–3). She also released a collection of short stories titled “Tales from the Derbyshire Hills” in 1907.
In 1916, Glasier assumed the role of editor for the ILP’s newspaper, the “Labour Leader,” succeeding Fenner Brockway. Her editorship initially saw increased circulation, but her support for the Bolsheviks led to disputes and a subsequent decline in sales. In 1920, her husband passed away, and she experienced a nervous breakdown in April 1921, prompting her resignation as editor, which was then taken over by H. N. Brailsford.
In the 1920s, Katharine Glasier expanded her interests by joining the Society of Friends and the Theosophical Society. She also served as the ILP’s National Organiser until 1931, when the ILP parted ways with the Labour Party. Following a brief association with the Socialist League, she continued to work for the Labour Party.
In recognition of her humanitarian efforts, Katharine Glasier was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1948 by Labour MP Gilbert McAllister for her contributions both in England and abroad.