The Women's Institute, Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll, Anglesey, founded in 1915, has the distinction of being the first of its kind in Great Britain. A meeting, convened by Stapleton Cotton, governor of the Agricultural Organisation Society, at Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll in 1915 voted for officers and a committee of seven, electing Mrs Cotton, as President, Mrs W.E. Jones as Vice President and Treasurer and Mrs Florence Wilson as Honorary Secretary. The first Women's Institute worldwide, an offshoot of the Farmer's Institute, was founded by Mrs Adelaide Hoodless and Mr Erland Lee, at Stoney Creek, Canada in 1897.
The Women's Institute in the early 20th century, aimed to promote the role of rural women in meeting the changing needs of an agricultural economy, using community action and solidarity. It sought to promote "better living" in rural areas by encouraging the use of more advanced methods in animal husbandry, horticulture and domestic economy, through technical education and training. These aims were based on the work of Sir Horace Plunkett, agricultural pioneer and founder of the first Agricultural Organisation Society and the agricultural cooperative movement.
From the guide to the Women's Institute, Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll Papers, 1915-1965, (Bangor University)
