Was a woman in your tree known for bicycling, smoking, living independently and earning her own money? If so, she was a New Woman.
The late 19th century saw a major shift in the way that middle-class women were viewed. The New Woman was not waiting at home for a suitor to take over the position previously occupied by her father. She was out in public, living on her own and choosing her own relationships. Her entry into the workplace and her defiant attitudes contributed to changes in literature, fashion, travel, commercial consumption and personal relationships.
The UK had almost one million girls and women in excess of men in the 1891 census, and an extra 1.25 million in 1901.
