# Isabel Cleghorn

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**Isabel Cleghorn** [LLA](/source/Lady_Literate_in_Arts) (14 March 1852 – 4 December 1922) was a British educationist and suffragist. She was the headteacher at [Heeley](/source/Heeley) which is now part of Sheffield and she was the first woman President of the [National Union of Teachers](/source/National_Union_of_Teachers) in 1911.

## Life

Cleghorn was born in [Rochester](/source/Rochester,_Kent). Her parents were Mary Ann (born Robinson) and Alexander Cleghorn. She became a pupil-teacher and she was awarded a scholarship to go to London to be trained at [Stockwell Training College](/source/Stockwell_College_of_Education).[1]

She became the headteacher of the Heeley Bank School for Girls when it opened in 1880.[1] The school was in the [Heeley](/source/Heeley) area of Sheffield. She soon began a correspondence course with the University of St Andrews for their [Lady Literate in Arts](/source/Lady_Literate_in_Arts) qualification which she gained in 1888.[1]

In 1896 her book, *Needlework for Scholarship Students*, was published. [2] This was a book that could be used at Sheffield Pupil Teacher Centre where she had been a teacher of sewing from 1889.[1]

In 1907 she began to serve on consultative committees of the national Board of Education with other suffragists like [Sophie Bryant](/source/Sophie_Bryant).[3]

She was the first woman to lead the *Sheffield Teachers Association* and the *Sheffield Headreachers Association*. She went on to succeed [Marshall Jackman](/source/Marshall_Jackman) as President of the [National Union of Teachers](/source/National_Union_of_Teachers) in 1911 and she was the union's first woman member to hold the position.[1] She brought forward a proposal that the union should support the call for women's suffrage. It was defeated as it was in 1912, 1913 and 1914.[4]

## Death and legacy

Cleghorn died at her home in [Sheffield](/source/Sheffield). Her figure was recreated by a theatre company to explain women's suffrage and their advancement.[4]

## References

1. Matthew, H. C. G. (ed.) (2004-09-23). ["The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography"](http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/55564). pp. ref:odnb/55564. [doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/55564](https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/55564). Retrieved 2022-11-02.

1. Cleghorn, Isabel (1896). [*Needlework for Scholarship Students*](https://books.google.com/books?id=5PLYMgEACAAJ). Simpkin, Marshall.

1. Goodman, Joyce & Harrop, Sylvia (2002-11-01). [*Women, Educational Policy-Making and Administration in England: Authoritative Women Since 1800*](https://books.google.com/books?id=OF6GAgAAQBAJ&dq=Isabel+Cleghorn+-gaskell&pg=PA162). Routledge. p. 162. ISBN 978-1-134-63970-0.

1. ["Pupils meet votes campaigner"](https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/pupils-meet-votes-campaigner-173185). *www.thestar.co.uk*. 2019-01-02. Retrieved 2022-11-02.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Isabel Cleghorn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Cleghorn) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Cleghorn?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.