Betty Papworth | |
|---|---|
 Papworth in 1998 | |
| Born | 1914 Stepney, London, England |
| Died | July 2008 (aged 94) |
| Burial place | Golders Green Crematorium, London, England |
| Occupation(s) | communist and anti-war activist |
| Organisation(s) | Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Stop the War Coalition |
| Political party | Communist Party of Great Britain |
| Spouse | Bert Papworth |
Betty Papworth (1914 – July 2008) was a British communist and anti-war activist. She was a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Stop the War Coalition.
Biography
[edit]Papworth was born into a large Jewish family in 1914 in Stepney, in the East End of London.[1] She married Transport and General Workers Union official Bert Papworth.[2][3]
With the rise of the British Union of Fascists, Papworth became a member of the Stepney branch of the Communist Party of Great Brittain (CPGB)[4] and took part in the Battle of Cable Street in 1936.[2] In 1938, she visited the Soviet Union (USSR).[2] She was a member of an Aid For Spain committee during the Spanish Civil War, through which she befriended the American actor, singer and political activist Paul Robeson.[2][5]
During World War II, Papworth worked making gyroscope compasses at the London Sperry aircraft factory.[4] After the 1941 Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, in 1942 she asked guests at her nephew’s bar mitzvah to donate money to the Aid For Russia campaign.[1][2] After the war, she ran the family clothing company in Cricklewood and remained politically active, as one of the first members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).[1]
In later life, Papworth joined the Stop the War Coalition,[6] learned the Russian language and sold the Greater London Pensioners Association newsletter outside Parliament weekly.[2] In 2004, she travelled to Israel with Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn to witness the release of the Israeli peace activist and whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu from prison.[2]
Papworth died in July 2008.[1][2] She was cremated and her ashes were buried at Golders Green Crematorium.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Carrier, Dan. "Obituarity : Betty Papworth". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Carrier, Dan (14 August 2008). "Betty Papworth". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
- ^ Eaden, J.; Renton, D. (10 May 2002). The Communist Party of Great Britain Since 1920. Springer. ISBN 978-1-4039-0722-6.
- ^ a b Stevenson, Graham (4 January 2010). "Papworth Betty". Retrieved 20 March 2025.
- ^ "Betty Papworth | Interview | American Masters | PBS". American Masters. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ Murray, Andrew; German, Lindsey (2005). Stop the War: The Story of Britain's Biggest Mass Movement. Bookmarks Publications. ISBN 978-1-905192-00-7.