New Hampshire Suffragist and Civic Leader: Lois (Warren) Shaw of Manchester (1884-1964)

Photograph of Lois (Warren) Shaw with one of her daughters. From Photograph from: Jailed for Freedom by Doris Stevens, 1920. Internet Archive.

She was born Lois Warren, daughter of John E. & Sarah Harriet “Hattie” (Brown) Warren on 5 September 1884 in Westbrook, Maine. The 1900 U.S. Census shows her living in Westbrook Maine with her family, her birth date given as September 1884. She attended Vassar from 1899-1900, and began as a freshman student at Radfcliffe in 1900/01. She graduated from Radcliffe in the 1905/1906 Class.

Lois Warren married on 5 Sep 1905 in Portland Maine to Winfield L. Shaw, son of Horace H. & Celeste M. (Gay) Shaw.  She moved to Manchester, New Hampshire with him, and raised their family there at 16 Salmon Street. In the 1940 U.S. Census she was living in New Boston, New Hampshire. She is known to be buried in the Cemetery Road Cemetery, New Boston, New Hampshire with her tombstone stating her death date as 6 February 1964.

Sketch of the “prison pin” awarded to Lois (Warren) Shaw and other suffragists who had been imprisoned. From The Suffragist magazine, 1919. Internet Archive.

On the Find-A-Grave site the unsourced place of death is listed as Grasmere, South Lakeland District, Cumbria, England.  A second biography of her at “The Biographical Sketches of Militant Suffragists,” in a crowd-sourced document, echoes this location based on the entry at find-a-grave (not a reliable, or primary source).  While it IS entirely possible she died in Grasmere, England, it is even more probable that she died at the nearby hospital in Grasmere, New Hampshire, which is a village in Goffstown, the next town over from where she spent the end of her life.

But what did she do to end up on the “Militant Suffragists” list? At least one event comes to mind. The book “Jailed for Freedom,” by Doris Stevens states that “She was chairman N.W.P. Sentenced to 8 days in Charles St. Jail after participation in Boston demonstration to welcome President (24) Feb., 1919.”  This was during an event planned to welcome President Woodrow Wilson back to the United States, and a special “welcome” was planned by the Boston area suffragists [detailed here] as they attempted to pressure the United States Senate into passing the 19th Amendment.  Mrs. Lois (Warren ) Shaw, a member and representative of the National Woman’s Party was present, and was among those arrested for loitering.  Upon hearing the news, Mrs. Shaw’s husband sent her a telegram. “Don’t be quitters” he wired, “I have competent nurses to look after the children.” [See an article about some of the other women arrested].

On March 9, 1919 the Boston Herald newspaper published an article stating she was (with others) to be awarded a “prison pin” made of bronze in imitation of a cell door with a linked chain over the bars.  As you can see from the news story to the right, her sister-in-law was also arrested but charges against her were dismissed by the court.

=== PARTIAL GENEALOGY of Lois (WARREN) Shaw ===

John & Margaret Warren of England and Watertown MA

John Warren, son of John & Margaret (?) Warren, bapt 12 May 1622 Nayland, England , d. 27 January 1703 Watertown MA. He m. abt 1614 in England to Margaret –.

John Warren, son of John & Michael (Jennison) Warren b. 21 May 1678 at Watertown MA, d. 1726 Weston MA. He m. abt 1699 to Abigail Hastings.

Capt. Samuel Warren, son of John & Abigail (Hastings) Warren, b. 18 March 1703 in Watertown MA, d. 26 Jan 1775 in Grafton MA. He m. 26 Aug 1728 to Tabitha Stone.
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Children of Samuel & Tabitha (Stone) Warren:
1. Samuel Warren, b. 20 April 1730 Grafton MA
2. Sarah Warren b. 24 Dec 1731 Grafton MA
3. Rebeckah Warren b 16 April 1733 Grafton MA
4. Abigail Warren, b. 29 April 1735 Grafton MA
5. John Warren, b. 8 Aug 1736 Grafton MA
6. Tabbatha Warren, b 6 Aug 1738 Grafton MA
7. William Warren, b 29 May 1740 Grafton MA
8. David Warren, b. 24 March 1742 Grafton MA
9. +Joseph Warren, b 22 Apri 1745 Grafton MA
10. Martha Warren, b. 31 May 1747 Grafton MA

Joseph Warren, son of Samuel & Tabitha (Stone) Warren b. 22 April 1745 Grafton MA, d. 19 July 1808 Grafton MA. Buried Riverside Cemetery, stone reads “ae 63”. He married 28 March 1765 in Grafton MA to Lois Lyon.
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Children of Joseph & Lois (Lyon) Warren:
1. Samuel Warren, b. 7 Dec 1765 Grafton MA
2. +John Warren, b 28 Nov 1767 Grafton MA
3. Salle Warren, b. 30 Nov 1769 Grafton MA
4. Tabitha Warren, b. 8 May 1772 Grafton MA
5. Lois Warren, b 14 June 1779 Grafton MA
6. Phila Warren, b. 21 Feb 1783 Grafton MA; m. 12 March 1801 in Grafton NH to Nathaniel Whipple.

John Warren, son of Joseph & Lois (Lyon) Warren b 28 Nov 1767 in Grafton MA d 1828; He m1) 20 May 1797 at Uxbridge MA to Mary “Polly” Chapin. She was b 1774 and d. 1804. He m2d) Susanna Grout/Groat of Westborough MA [int. 28 Sep 1804], daughter of Jonathan & Hannah (Merrimam) Grout. She b. 1780 d 1837.
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Births from Book: Vital Statistics of Grafton, Worcester Co.MA
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Children of John & Mary (Chapin) Warren:
1. Mary Chapin Warren, b. 1799, d. 1882
2. John Augustus Warren, b 1801
3. Caroline Fisher Warren, b. 1803, d. 1812
Children of John & Susanna (Grout) Warren:
4. Sally Hall Warren, b. 1805, d. 1812
5. Anna Grout Warren, b. 1 May 1807 Grafton MA; she m. 14 Oct 1829 in Grafton MA to Josiah H. Hammond.
6. Joseph Dennis Warren, b 8 Nov 1808 Grafton MA, prob dy
7. Jonathan Meriam Warren, b. 4 Feb 1810 Grafton MA
8. Samuel Alonzo Warren, b. 1811, d. 1812
9. Susanna Caroline Warren, b. 4 Sep 1813 Grafton MA
10. +Joseph Alonzo Warren, b. 17 June 1815 Grafton MA
11. Samuel Lennis/Dennis Warren, b. 13 Sep 1817 Grafton MA. He was a merchant in Boston MA. He m. 13 Sep 1847 to Susan Cornelia Clarke [History of Descendants of Elder John Strong]
12. Sally Elizabeth Warren, b. 24 April 1820 Grafton MA
13. Adelia Maria Warren, b 9 Jan 1822 Grafton MA
14. Hannah Lorinda, b 25 July 1824 Grafton MA

Joseph Alonzo Warren, son of John and Susanna was b 17 June 1815 in Grafton MA [Grafton MA recs], d before 27 June 1903 in Wauwautosa, Wisconsin, and buried there; m. 10 Feb 1837 [int. 17 Jan 1837] in Grafton MA to Sarah Harriet/Harris F. Potter of Fitzwilliam NH, daughter of Ebenezer & Sarah (Harris) Potter Jr. She b. 30 Dec 1814 in Fitzwilliam NH and d 30 Jan 1843 in Wauwautosa Wisconsin. They lived in Grafton MA and Wauwautosa WI. Sarah was a descendent of Sgt Ebenezer Potter (1750-1845) of Cheshire Co NH for service in the MA Continental Line. He was b. in Marlboro MA and d. Fitzwilliam NH. Joseph m2d) Sep 1844 in Wauwatosa WI to Harriet Florilla Green. She was b. 1817 and d. 1899
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Children of Joseph A. & Sarah Harris (Potter) Warren:
1. Maria Susanna(h) Warren, b 7 March 1838 Grafton, Worcester Co. MA; she married Henry Rogers Hayden.
2. +John Ebenezer Warren, b 6 Oct 1840 Grafton MA, bapt 11 June 1841 Grafton MA [see]
3. Sarah H. Warren, b abt 1843 Wisconsin
Children of Joseph A. & Harriet F. (Green) Warren:
4. George Harwood Warren b 1852 WI, d. 1860
5. Harriet Floretta/Florella Warren, b. March 1858 WI, d. 6 May 1884 Mower Minnesota; she m. Oliver Henry Loomis, 2 children.
6. Carolin Georgiana Warren, b. 1860, d. 1861

John Ebenezer Warren, son of Joseph A. & Harriet F. (Green) Warren was b. 6 Oct 1840 Grafton MA, baptized 11 June 1841. supt paper mill. He married Sarah Harriet Brown. She b Wanwatosa, WI, dau of Silas Madison & Elizabeth Hunt (Leland) Brown. She was b 4 Sep 1842 in Wauwautosa Wisconsin and died 26 July 1914 in South Portland Me. She is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Portland Maine [baptism from MA Vital Records > Grafton, page 135: “Warren, John Ebenezer, s. Joseph, bap. [June 11] 1841. C.R.  [Passport application]
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On 1890 Veterans Schedule of Cumberland Co. Maine
Private, Co B, Maine — May 1861 to Aug 1861, 3 months
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1860 US Census
Joseph A. Warren
Harriet F. Warren
Maria S. Warren 22
John E. Warren 19
Sarah H. Warren 17
George H. Warren 7
Floretta Warren 2
Betsy Green 70
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1870 US Census > Maine > Cumberland > Westbrook
John E. Warren 29 b abt 1841 MA Clerk Pep Ml
Sarah H. Warren 27 b abt 1843 Wisconsin Keeping House
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1900 U.S. Census > Maine > Cumberland > Westbrook
John E. Warren 49
Sarah H. Warren 51
Mortimer Warren 26
Lois Warren 15
Clara M. Wood 20
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Children of John Ebenezer & Sarah Harriet (Brown) Warren:
1. Dr. Mortimer Warren b 17 Dec 1873 in Westbrook, Maine (3rd child), died 8 October 1944, buried Evergreen Cemetery, Portland Maine. Physician blood specialist. Later pathologist in the Maine General Hospital. In 1900 U.S. Census he is listed as a medical student at the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore MD. He graduated in the class of 1896. He married 22 August 1906 in Maine to Mary Elizabeth Pendexter of Bath Maine, a “trained nurse.”  She died 8 August 1911 in New York City (per A Weekly Volume of American Ancestry).  He married 2nd about 1912 to Pascia Personya/Personyn. She was born .  She was active in the suffragist cause.  Mortimer and Pascia has two children including Mortimer Personyn Warren, born 23 Nov 1915 in Manhattan NY.
2. + Lois Warren, b. 5 September 1884 in Westbrook, Maine.

Lois Warren, daughter of John E. & Harriet (Brown) Warren was born 5 September 1884 in Westbrook, Maine. [this story is about her, see photographs and details above.] Lois Warren married on 5 Sep 1905 in Portland Maine to Winfield L. Shaw, son of Horace H. & Celeste M. (Gay) Shaw.  She moved to Manchester, New Hampshire with him, and raised their family there at 16 Salmon Street. In the 1940 U.S. Census she was living in New Boston, New Hampshire. She is known to be buried in the Cemetery Road Cemetery, New Boston, New Hampshire with her tombstone stating her death date as 6 February 1964. Her husband Winfield Lowry Shaw was born 2 August 1878 in Portland Maine and d 7 May 1960 in Bronx, NY.  He was a Harvard College graduate (A.B. in 1900). A biography in a Harvard Alumni publication states that after college he worked for 3 years with the Shaw Godding Shoe Company of Springfield Maine.  He was V.P. and General Manager of  McElwain Shoe Co. in Manchester, NH during some of his wife’s suffragist years. Later he was Eastern Division Manager of the International Shoe company and chairman of the New Hampshire State Planning and Development Commission. He was also the first Vice President of the new New Hampshire Horse Association at its origin in 1939.   He too is buried in the New Boston cemetery.
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Children of Winfield L. & Lois (Warren) Shaw:
1.  Janet Warren Shaw, born 13 Dec 1906 Cambridge MA; died 21 August 1925 in Dublin NH in a car accident.
2. Catherine Warren Shaw b. 26 Jan 1908 Cambridge MA, died 24 November 1956 NY; She m1) Joseph Albert Gage, Jr. and lived in Boston MA. She m2d) Elmer Wesley Greene.
3. Mary Warren Shaw b 8 October 1909 Braintree MA. She died 28 March 1997. She married Lawrence Wellington Shirley.  Buried Shirley Hill Cemetery, Goffstown NH.
4. Rhoda Shaw, born 2 Sept 1911 in Braintree MA; died 7 August 2011 in New Boston NH.  She married John McLane Clark and lived in Manchester, New Boston and Claremont NH.  Children include Linda Clark McGoldrick of Littleton (deceased), Alexander Shaw Clark, Winfield Shaw Clark and Catherine Shaw Clark of New Boston and Ellen Clark Anderson of Sun City, California.
5. Lois Warren Shaw, born 23 March 1917 Braintree, MA.  She married 8 March 1841 in New Boston NH to John Dean Orr, son of Benjamin Hall & Caroline (Dudley) Orr.