Catherine Griffiths (1885-1988)

Islington Museum

Catherin Griffiths was born in Wales and moved to Finsbury, now Islington, with her husband after the First World War. As a teen, she trained as a State Registered Nurse and was a suffragist. In one protest, she smashed windows and was arrested for placing tacks on the seat of Chancellor of the Exchequer in the House of Commons. During the First World War, she served as a nurse in France.

After moving to Islington, Griffiths was involved in local politics, becoming one of the original members of the Women’s Committee of the Labour Party in Finsbury. Griffiths was a labour councillor between 1937 and 1965 and became the Mayor of Finsbury in 1960-61. She was particularly active in the areas of health, maternity and child welfare, housing, cleansing, libraries, and civil defence.

In 1983, Griffiths was awarded the Islington Freedom of the Borough. She was the guest of honour at the House of Commons for the 70th anniversary of women gaining universal suffrage. Griffiths continued to work as a nurse throughout her political career and was an unstoppable force for good. At age 100, she had seen the world change around her, and encouraged us to carry that banner and never stop fighting for what we believe in.