Our History
The first ever WI was formed int 1897 in Stoney Creek in Canada.
The Women’s Institute (WI) movement in Britain started under the auspices of the Agricultural Organisation Society (AOS) with the first WI opening in 1915 at Llanfair PG, Wales. The AOS was keen to improve food production during the War and felt that WIs were the perfect organisation to do this.
Canadian Madge Watt who was by then living in the UK, worked very closely with the AOS and created a team of Voluntary County Organisers to start WIs across England and Wales.
The first WI in Oxfordshire was Kelmscott formed in 1916 (since closed in 1992) by May Morris, daughter of the famous William Morris and her friend May Hobbs who was the wife of a local prominent landowner. Other WIs were formed and the oldest WIs currently still flourishing in Oxfordshire, and formed in 1918, are: Steeple Aston WI, Clanfield WI, Wolvercote WI, Milton-under-Wychwood WI, Cassington WI and Burford & Fulbrook WI. On February 8th 1919, the Oxfordshire Federation was formed. The Federation rented offices from “Barnett House” situated on Broad Street, Oxford. Grace Hadow, a founding mother of OFWI worked for Barnett House. The first Chairman was May Hobbs.
There have been some other well-known names heading up the Oxfordshire Federation over the years.
In Oxford High Street, stands the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, in which there is a plaque to Grace Hadow. Miss Hadow was Chairman of OFWI from 1921 -1924 and again from 1931-32 and President from 1938-39. She had attended Somerville College in the days before women were allowed to graduate and she became Principal of the Society of Oxford Home Students, out of which grew St Anne's College. Grace was eventually elected Vice Chairman of the National Federation of WIs to Lady Denman when she became the first NFWI Chairman from 1917 to 1946.
From 1923-1925 Mrs Susan Buchan, wife of the author John Buchan, was the President of the Federation and founder of Elsfield WI.
Miss Gladys Ashurst was the County Chairman in 1925. In 1924 she had founded Waterstock & Waterperry WI which eventually became the Waterstock & Tiddington WI of today. Gladys Ashhurst was the daughter of the Squire of Waterstock, inheriting Waterstock House near Waterperry on his death in 1929.
Lady Brunner was a member of Greys WI near Henley and rose quickly, via OFWI Chairmanship, to become the third Chairman of the NFWI. She was instrumental in establishing and creating Denman College, the adult residential college for WI members. Denman was named after the first National Chairman, Trudie Denman and officially opened in 1948. For several decades, the college offered many educational opportunities to WI members from across the country and an opportunity for a stay away from home. However, over the years with the changing face of society and improved access to education for women in general, demand for courses declined. The events of 2020 accelerated its decline and in 2023 the building and estate was sold to a descendant of the original owners. The WI Learning Hub continues to offer courses to members across the country via an on-line platform. This affords the organisation the opportunity to fulfil its charitable objects of educating women.