Mary Sophia Allen

(1878-1964)

Welsh-born British woman who worked for women's rights

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Mary Sophia Allen OBE (12 March 1878 – 16 December 1964) was a British woman who worked for women's rights. She is chiefly noted as one of the early leaders of the Women's Police Volunteers. Allen repeatedly sought to challenge or modernise existing systems around her: ensuring the Women's Police Service could become an auxiliary force after women were admitted into certain British police forces, standing once for the House of Commons as an Independent Liberal, turning over her Women's Auxiliary Service to breaking the General Strike of 1926 then until wartime restrictions meeting and talking with European fascists and anti-communist brigades, entailing frequent trips abroad, publicly joining the British Union of Fascists in 1939. In retirement Allen was an activist for animal rights.