A blue plaque to commemorate an Oldham suffragist is set to be unveiled next month.

The plaque in honour of the pioneering suffragist Marjory Lees is being installed at her former home which is now the Werneth Park Lifelong Learning Centre on Frederick Street.

The Werneth Park Centre already bears a blue plaque in memory of her mother, politician and activist Dame Sarah Lees, who was the first woman mayor of Oldham.

Marjory was born in Oldham in 1878, and like her mother, became active in local politics and the wider women’s suffrage movement.

She campaigned for votes for women and took part in the Great Pilgrimage of 1913, travelling from Oldham to London, to join 50,000 suffragists and supporters of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) for a rally calling for votes for women.

Marjory became president of the Oldham Women’s Suffrage Society and in 1919, she was elected to the council following her mother’s resignation from the same seat, serving on the local authority until she stepped down in 1934.

Along with her mother and Mary Higgs, Marjory was one of the founders of the Beautiful Oldham Society.

She was also a school governor at Limeside School, now Oasis Academy Limeside.

In 1936 Marjory Lees gifted Werneth Park to the people of Oldham.

Marjory is also remembered by the Marjory Lees Dental Centre, a reference to her campaigning to improve the health of mothers and babies.

She died aged 91 in 1970.

Werneth Cllr Nyla Ibrahim, said: “Marjory Lees was an exceptional woman who made a huge contribution to Oldham, and especially to improving women’s lives.

“Werneth’s Labour councillors are proud to commemorate her and to have paid for the blue plaque which will be unveiled on September 9.

“Both suffragists and suffragettes faced hostility and strong opposition to their campaigns to get votes for women and Marjory was brave and determined in the work she did.”

Cllr Shoab Akhtar added: “Marjory Lees’ gift of Werneth Park to the people of Oldham has made a huge difference to generations of children, including my own, who have played in the park.

"It is only right that she gets a blue plaque marking her life.”

Marjory’s blue plaque will be unveiled at 12.30pm on Saturday, September 9, her 145th birthday, as part of the Oldham Histories Festival 2023.

Tours of the Werneth Park House will be running from 11am on the day.