Ada Salter, born in Raunds, Northamptonshire, to Methodist parents, was a pioneering social reformer and politician. Active in social justice from a young age, she did missionary work in London’s slums before marrying Dr. Alfred Salter in 1900. They became Quakers and attended Deptford Meeting.

Ada Salter was a prominent social worker and, in 1909, became one of London’s first female councillors. She later served as London’s first female mayor and the first female Labour mayor in Britain. A leader in the trade union movement, she played a key role in the Bermondsey Uprising of 1911, advocating for better working conditions for women.

A pacifist, she was involved in international peace movements and worked to improve housing, parks, and establish London’s green belt, secured in 1938. Today, statues of Ada and Alfred Salter are in the Ada Salter Garden in Bermondsey, and the Quaker Socialist Society hosts an annual Ada Salter Lecture.