Nancy Astor, the first woman to be elected to sit in the British House of Commons and to serve as a cabinet minister, was born in 1879. She was the daughter of a Yorkshire farmer and served as a missionary for the London Missionary Society in India, where she met her husband, Robert Ivo Astor. They had three children, but only one daughter survived to adulthood, and Nancy became a passionate advocate for social reform and women's equality. Her early life was marked by tragedy: she lost her mother at age six; her brother died in World War I; and her son died at age twenty-four.
Her husband lost his seat in Parliament about a year after their marriage and returned to running his country estate
Read more
Nancy came into her own as an independent politician and social activist following his death. She became an outspoken advocate for women's rights and helped found the Women's Party in England during World War II. She also advocated for better housing conditions for workers.
In 2004, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lady Nancy as a damehood (lady) of the British Empire (DBE).