Vera Woodhouse, Lady Terrington
Encyclopedia
Vera Florence Annie Woodhouse, Lady Terrington (née Bousher) (1889 – 1973) was a British
Liberal Party
politician, and one of the first women Members of Parliament
(MP).
At the 1922 general election
, she stood as a Liberal candidate in the Wycombe constituency
but the Conservative
MP Colonel W. B. du Pré
held the seat with a majority of 4473. She stood again at the December 1923 general election
, and was elected to the House of Commons
with a majority of 1682 votes. She lost her seat a year later, at the 1924 general election
.
In Parliament
, she supported the abolition of the means test
for old-age pensions, and supported the Guardianship of Infants Bill which would have given both parents equal rights to custody. She also campaigned against cruelty to animals.
She was married three times: in 1912 to Ivo Sebright, whom she later divorced; in 1918 to Harold Woodhouse, Lord Terington, divorced in 1926; and to Max Lensveld (1949), with whom she moved to South Africa
. She did not enter public life in South Africa. She died on the 19th May 1973, cremated at Eastbourne on the 30th May 1973; and her ashes were interred in East Hoathly, East Sussex Churchyard on the 1st August 1973. At the time of her death she was living at Monks Cottage, Graywood, East Hoathly. Her age was given as 84.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician, and one of the first women Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP).
At the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
, she stood as a Liberal candidate in the Wycombe constituency
Wycombe (UK Parliament constituency)
Wycombe is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It currently elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of elections....
but the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP Colonel W. B. du Pré
William Baring du Pré
Colonel William Baring du Pré was a British Conservative Party politician.Du Pré was educated at Winchester and the RMA and was originally commissioned into the King's Royal Rifle Corps but served in the Boer War with 47th Coy., Imperial Yeomanry. He was captured in the "Yeomanry Disaster" at...
held the seat with a majority of 4473. She stood again at the December 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, and was elected to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
with a majority of 1682 votes. She lost her seat a year later, at the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
.
In Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, she supported the abolition of the means test
Means test
A means test is a determination of whether an individual or family is eligible for help from the government.- Canada :In Canada means tests are used for student finance , and "welfare" . They are not generally used for primary education and secondary education which are tax-funded...
for old-age pensions, and supported the Guardianship of Infants Bill which would have given both parents equal rights to custody. She also campaigned against cruelty to animals.
She was married three times: in 1912 to Ivo Sebright, whom she later divorced; in 1918 to Harold Woodhouse, Lord Terington, divorced in 1926; and to Max Lensveld (1949), with whom she moved to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. She did not enter public life in South Africa. She died on the 19th May 1973, cremated at Eastbourne on the 30th May 1973; and her ashes were interred in East Hoathly, East Sussex Churchyard on the 1st August 1973. At the time of her death she was living at Monks Cottage, Graywood, East Hoathly. Her age was given as 84.