Charlotte Carmichael Stopes (1841-1929) was a British scholar, a prolific writer and supporter of feminist causes. After becoming the first women to gain a Certificate of Arts in Scotland, Stopes published widely on Shakespeare and social reform, receiving an award from the British Academy in 1916 for her contributions to Shakespearian literary research. This volume, now reissued from the 1907 third edition, was first published in 1894. It contains Stopes' investigation into the history of British women's legal and civic rights. Through an analysis of state papers, parliamentary records and scholarly works on legal history, Stopes provides numerous historical examples of women holding extensive constitutional and legal rights, which are arranged according to the holder's social status. This pioneering feminist history became a key text used by women's suffrage activists to justify their position. For more information on this author, see http://orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=stopch