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" Women have always been the guardians of wisdom and humanity which makes them natural, but usually secret, rulers. The time has come for them to rule openly, but together with and not against men" ....... so said the German-born British writer Charlotte Wolff  ( 1904-86) in the 1950s

Her Name is Charlotte

 .....  FIRST woman to command a Royal Navy ship when she took command of HMS Brecon which boards and searches merchant and fishing boats for explosives and firearms

* Charlotte Auerbach

born 1899 died 1994

..... one of the FIRST to discover a highly effective chemical mutagen - mustard gas. She was born in Germany and arrived in Britain in 1933. In Edinburgh she joined the Institute of Animal Genetics where she was based throughout her career. In 1947 she was awarded a DSc by the University of Edinburgh and a Personal Chair in 1967. Included among her several honorary degrees and medals were medals from the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Society of London

* Charlotte Brew

..... on April 2nd 1977 she became the FIRST woman to ride in the Grand National but unfortunately did not complete the course. She came within four fences of finishing the four-mile course but it was exhaustion that stopped her horse, Barony Fort, from passing the winning post.  It was the same race in which Red Rum won the Grand National for the third time. Two years later she became the FIRST woman to finish the Grand National, coming eighth on her horse Cheers

* Charlotte Chisholm

..... FIRST black woman to be nominated for the U.S Presidency

* Charlotte Cooper

nee Sterry

..... the FIRST woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal when she won the tennis singles at the Paris Games in 1900 when women competed for the first time after being banned from the Athens Games four years previously. She also won a second gold by winning the mixed doubles when her partner was Reginald Doherty. Her nickname was 'Chattie' because she loved to talk and in 1895/96/98 she had won the Wimbledon singles three times prior to her Olympic successes. In 1901 and 1908 she went on to win her 4th and 5th Wimbledon's. Her daughter, Gwen, became one of Britain's Wightman Cup team and her husband Alfred was President of the Lawn Tennis Association. 'Chattie' continued to take a lively interest in competitive lawn tennis and to play in championship events well into her 50s

* Charlotte Dod

born 1871 died 1960

..... known as Lottie she was the FIRST teenage tennis prodigy, FIRST woman to dominate at Wimbledon over a long period, FIRST woman tennis player to deliberately display her ankles and the FIRST player in the women's game to approach the standard of fitness and athleticism of men

* Charlotte Forten Grimke

born 1837 died 1914

..... FIRST African-American to teach white people in Massachusetts, one of the FIRST black teachers to be part of a movement to teach ex-slaves. Although born free and wealthy she was still refused admission to Philadelphia because she was black and so she was tutored at home until she was 16. She was very clever and taught herself French, German and Latin and read many books. At the age of 19 she graduated with honours from Salem Normal School and began to teach

* Charlotte Guest

born 1812 died 1895

..... FIRST British woman to manage an ironworks. When her husband died in 1852 she inherited the Dowlais Iron Company and in addition to looking after her ten children she became its manager and ran it until she married again in 1855. Besides doing this she was also a writer, patron and a dedicated collector of china and ceramics. When her second husband died in 1884 she presented a superb collection to the South Kensington museum. In 1891 she gave a collection of fans to the British Museum and on her death left the museum a collection of playing cards

* Charlotte Hodge

..... FIRST textile artist to have a one-person exhibition at the Portico Gallery. The exhibition was called 'Big Colour' and ranged from embroidered wall pieces and abstract textile hangings to vividly coloured acrylic and mixed-media paintings

* Charlotte Kiszko

..... in 1993 she was the FIRST Woman of the Year in Rochdale, Manchester

* Charlotte Knollys

born 1844

..... FIRST woman private secretary to a Queen (Alexandria). She was a constant companion to the Queen, took charge of all her private correspondence and was the only person not of royal blood who could enter the Queen's boudoir without invitation and ad a pass key to the jewel safes. At one time she saved the Queen's life after a fire broke out. For this she received an inscribed gold medal

* Charlotte Cecilia Pitcairn Leitch

born 1891 died 1977

..... always known as Cecil she was the FIRST outstanding woman golfer of the 20th century and changed the perception of women's golf

* Charlotte Nichol

..... FIRST woman broadcaster on BBC Radio Sport in 1990 and took over as football producer in 1991

* Charlotte E Ray

born 1850 died 1911

..... FIRST black woman lawyer when she received her law degree from Howard University and the FIRST woman admitted to the Bar in Washington D.C. She opened her own law practice but although being an excellent lawyer, she was black and female and it worked against her. She closed her office but continued to serve her people through activities in other organizations. From 1895 she was active in the National Association of Coloured Women 

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