Lily Waring
Today’s post, about Lily Florence Waring, is the second written by our volunteer Carol relating to Warrington’s links with Women’s Suffrage. We don’t have a photograph of Lily, so below I have copied an example of one of her paintings that is held at Warrington Museum. I will pass over to Carol now to share some of her findings relating to Lily:
I first came across Lily Florence Waring’s name in the Warrington Women’s Suffrage Society fundraising cook book and the annual reports 1908 – 1911. Not only was she a speaker at public meetings and a participant at national demonstrations but she held the positions of Honorary Secretary and Press Secretary at the Warrington Society. This was to change when in 1911 Lily was appointed to the official position of National Organiser for the Women’s Suffrage Society. In her new role she travelled through the UK and this was recorded in the 1911 Census. On a visit to Penwortham in Preston she is described as “Women’s Suffrage Agitator”. I came across a letter from L.F.Waring to the Warrington Examiner on August 17th 1918 on the issue of “Woman and The Vote” in which she outlines her concerns. This letter and the Census description naturally caught my interest and I decided to try and uncover further biographical details.
Whilst carrying out searches I found that Lily was a graduate of Girton College Cambridge. Later she graduated from Cambridge School of Art, Manchester Art College and later studied in Paris. Lily continued her academic and artistic work throughout her life as a teacher, academic author and artist. Her specialism was Serbian Studies and in 1917 her work “Serbia” was published with a preface by the Serbian Minister in London. Set in the context of the First World War this was a work of significance. This work was successful as it was reprinted a number of times.
Lily’s art also received public attention as she exhibited at the Beaux Gallery in London. Her artistic credentials were further enhanced by several of her paintings selling at the Channel Islands Auction House and at Rosebery’s Auction House London, both prestigious auction houses. Lily’s art is still remembered as a number of her paintings are held in the Warrington Museum’s collection.
Lily the author produced poetry and works of fiction which were published in the 1960’s – ‘Landmarks’ (a collection of poems), Their Several Ways (a novel set in the North of England) and The Demon Seed (a novel to the backdrop of the First World War).
From the evidence collected it can be said that Lily Florence Waring was a woman who had many talents. Through these she expressed her thoughts and concerns. Lily Waring is a name to remember.
This article was originally posted on Wednesday, March 7th, 2018.