Family reunited with ancestor's 1910 wedding dress

Three generations of the same family have been reunited with the wedding dress worn by their suffragette ancestor more than a century ago.

Jennifer Slater, 77, viewed the precious heirloom along with her daughter and two grandchildren, the youngest aged eight.

The dress was worn by Mrs Slater's grandmother Lily Cathcart for her wedding in 1910 and has been preserved at Leeds Discovery Centre.

Their visit was a celebration of the legacy of Lily, who, according to family records, was an active and passionate supporter of votes for women.

Lily pursued a career in teaching and became a pupil teacher at Quarry Mount School, where she learned on the job.

She went to Darlington Training College in 1905 to study for her teaching qualification.

On 10 September 1910, aged 26, she married her husband Charles at Buslingthorpe Church in Leeds in what was a "lavish affair".

Mrs Slater said the family had never got to see her grandmother actually wearing the bridal gown because the photographer didn't turn up on the wedding day.

However, during their visit to see the dress, they were "fascinated" to find pieces of confetti from her wedding still caught up in the fabric.

Mrs Slater said her grandmother had always encouraged her three daughters to champion women's rights, advising them to “get your certificates and qualifications and then you can live an independent life, and be dependent on no man".

Lily died in April 1969, aged 85, but her legacy lived on through her daughters and eight grandchildren, seven of who followed in her footsteps and became teachers.

Mrs Slater, herself a retired teacher and headteacher, said: "My grandmother's achievements were really quite exceptional for that period in time.

"Women didn't really go to work back then, let alone study and get qualifications.

"So considering that, it's not surprising that she was part of the suffragette movement because she had been able to realise her own ambitions in a way that 99% of other women couldn't."

She added that her grandmother's values had been passed on to the women in the family.

"I think we all understood the need to be like our mother and grandmother who had shown us what it was to realise our potential and have the means to be independent."

Although Lily’s wedding dress is too fragile to go on permanent display, it remains part of the centre's fashion and textiles collection.

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council's executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said: “The history of Leeds is full of fascinating stories and people who have laid the foundations of the city we know today.

“Through our museums and galleries, it’s wonderful to have the chance to learn more about them, be inspired by their experiences and to ensure their contribution is not forgotten by future generations.”

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