Miriam Lightowler

Miriam Lightowler JP OBE born Miriam Butler (29 June 1875 – 19 June 1958) was a local politician and mayor of Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. She raised money for a replacement holiday home and she broke a number of firsts including first woman to be mayor or to be a member of Halifax's board of guardians.

Life Lightowler was born in Halifax in 1875. She attended Holy Trinity School and then Cliff House in Harrogate. She was a Methodist all her life and she got her first experience of politics in her churches leaders meeting. Her father was a liberal and her mother was not allowed to vote. In 1896 she married Henry Charles Lightowler who sold carpets and furnished churches.

In 1913 not every man had the vote and no woman did. Women were being allowed to take on some positions and in 1913 she elected as the first conservative woman to serve on the poor-law union board of guardians that met in Halifax's St John's Hospital. She and her son became directors of the family company.

In 1935 she had been made an alderman and was given a King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.

Lightowler retired in 1950 and she died in Halifax in 1958. Her funeral was attended by a 100-foot turntable ladder that had been named after her by the local fire service.