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| - 1 October 1847 – 20 September 1933. Theosophist, woman’s rights activist, writer and orator; supporter of Irish and Indian self government. Involved, among other things, in the London matchgirls strike of 1888 and the London Dock Strike (1889). Friendly with Edward Aveling and William Morris. Member of the London School Board 1888-91 Tower Hamlets. Article in Wikipedia [1].
- Annie Wood Besant (pronounced /ˈbɛsənt/; Clapham, London October 1 , 1847 – September 20, 1933 in Adyar, India) was a prominent Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self rule. Annie became involved with Union organisers including the Bloody Sunday riot and the London matchgirls strike of 1888 and a leading speaker for the Fabian Society and the (Marxist) Social Democratic Federation and was elected to the London School Board for Tower Hamlets, topping the poll even though few women were qualified to vote at that time.
- Annie Wood Besant (October 1, 1847 – September 20, 1933) was a prominent English women's rights and labor activist, writer, orator, social reformer, author, freedom fighter and worldwide head of the Theosophy movement, who struggled with Mahatma Gandhi for India's freedom.
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| - Annie Wood Besant (pronounced /ˈbɛsənt/; Clapham, London October 1 , 1847 – September 20, 1933 in Adyar, India) was a prominent Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self rule. In 1873 she separated from her husband, Frank Besant, and moved to London where she became a prominent speaker for the National Secular Society and writer and a close friend of Charles Bradlaugh. In 1877 they were prosecuted for publishing a book by birth control campaigner Charles Knowlton. The scandal made them famous and Bradlaugh was elected MP for Northampton in 1880. Annie became involved with Union organisers including the Bloody Sunday riot and the London matchgirls strike of 1888 and a leading speaker for the Fabian Society and the (Marxist) Social Democratic Federation and was elected to the London School Board for Tower Hamlets, topping the poll even though few women were qualified to vote at that time. In 1890 Annie Besant met Helena Blavatsky and over the next few years her interest in Theosophy grew and her interest in left wing politics waned. She travelled to India and in 1898 helped establish the Central Hindu College in India. In 1902 she established the International Order of Co-Freemasonry in England and over the next few years established lodges in many parts of the British Empire. In 1908 Annie Besant became President of the Theosophical Society and began to steer the society away from Buddhism and towards Hinduism. She also became involved in politics in India, joining the Indian National Congress. When war broke out in Europe in 1914 she helped launch the Home Rule League to campaign for democracy in India and dominion status within the Empire which culminated in her election as president of the India National Congress in late 1917. After the war she continued to campaign for Indian independence until her death in 1933.
- 1 October 1847 – 20 September 1933. Theosophist, woman’s rights activist, writer and orator; supporter of Irish and Indian self government. Involved, among other things, in the London matchgirls strike of 1888 and the London Dock Strike (1889). Friendly with Edward Aveling and William Morris. Member of the London School Board 1888-91 Tower Hamlets. Article in Wikipedia [1].
- Annie Wood Besant (October 1, 1847 – September 20, 1933) was a prominent English women's rights and labor activist, writer, orator, social reformer, author, freedom fighter and worldwide head of the Theosophy movement, who struggled with Mahatma Gandhi for India's freedom. Born Annie Wood in Clapham, London, her childhood was unhappy after her father's death when she was five. Besant was educated by Ellen Marryat, sister of the noted writer of sea adventures, Frederick Marryat. Miss Marryat was a strict Calvinist, but she saw to it that Annie's education was not too narrow and included travel in Europe. In 1867, Annie Wood married a vicar, Frank Besant, resulting in the birth of two children, but her increasingly irreligious views – when she refused to attend communion, Frank ordered her to leave the family home – led to a legal separation in 1873, with her husband retaining custody of their son (and she later lost custody of their daughter because of her progressive views). At this point, Annie Besant completely rejected Christianity and in 1874 joined the National Secular Society. She studied science at university, something considered very unfeminine at the time, but did not ever take her degree, because there "was one examiner in the University who told her beforehand that however brilliantly she might do the papers which were set, he would not pass her, because he had a strong antipathy toward her atheism and to certain of her activities for the masses, which he considered immoral" (Nethercot, Arthur H, The First Five Lives of Annie Besant, p. 186).
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