Millicent Fawcett - Married Life

Married Life

These visits were the start of Millicent's interest in women's rights. In 1865 Elizabeth took her to see a speech by John Stuart Mill on the subject; Millicent was impressed by this speech, and became an active supporter of his work. In 1866, at the age of 19, she became secretary of the London Society for Women's Suffrage. Mill introduced her to many other women's rights activists, including Henry Fawcett, a liberal Member of Parliament who had originally intended to marry Elizabeth before she decided to focus on her medical career. Millicent and the politician became close friends, and despite a fourteen-year age gap they married in 1867. Millicent took his last name, becoming Millicent Garrett Fawcett. The MP had been blinded in a shooting accident in 1858, and Millicent acted as his secretary. The marriage was described as one based on "perfect intellectual sympathy", and Millicent pursued a writing career of her own while caring for him. Their only child, Philippa Fawcett, was born in 1868.

In 1868 Millicent joined the London Suffrage Committee, and in 1869 she spoke at the first public pro-suffrage meeting to be held in London. In March 1870 she spoke in Brighton, her husband's constituency, and as a speaker was known for her clear speaking voice. In 1870 she published Political Economy for Beginners, which although short was "wildly successful", and ran through 10 editions in 41 years. In 1872 she and her husband published Essays and Lectures on Social and Political Subjects, which contained eight essays by Millicent. In 1875 she was a co-founder of Newnham Hall, and served on its Council.