Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd, OM, PC, was a British politician who was born on 8 October 1929 and died recently on 26 February 2023.
She served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for West Bromwich and West Bromwich West from 1973 to 2000. From 1992 to 2000, she served as Speaker of the House of Commons. She is the only woman to have served as Speaker. She sat, by tradition, as a Crossbench peer in the House of Lords.
She attended council schools for her education before enrolling in Dewsbury College of Business and Art (now Kirklees College).
She performed briefly at the London Palladium from 1946 until 1952 while performing as a member of the Tiller Girls dance group.
But, a foot infection put an end to her dance career, so she decided to go into politics instead.
Betty Boothroyd’s parents: Meet Ben Archibald Boothroyd, Mary Butterfield
Betty Boothroyd is the only child of her parents; Ben Archibald Boothroyd and Mary Butterfield.
At Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, Ben Archibald Boothroyd was born in the year 1892.
He was the son of domestic help Elizabeth Dean and mill worker William Boothroyd.
Ben Boothroyd was forced to drop out of school at the age of 14 to work in a textile mill since he was a child of poverty.
Notwithstanding the difficulties he encountered, he was unwavering in his resolve to better his life and the lives of his family.
Mary was the daughter of textile worker Emma Robinson and joiner Fred Butterfield.
At the age of 12, Mary Butterfield was forced to drop out of school to work in a woolen factory.
She did, though, keep up her education by reading books and the news.
Betty and Irene Boothroyd were the twins of Ben and Mary Boothroyd.
Irene Boothroyd and Betty Boothroyd were both born in Dewsbury in the same year, 1929.
