Noreen Branson

Noreen Branson
Noreen Branson, 1926
Born(1910-05-16)16 May 1910
London, England
Died25 October 2003(2003-10-25) (aged 93)
Occupation(s)Historian, trade unionist, communist revolutionary
OrganizationThe Bach Choir
Known forSmuggling funds to anti-colonial Indians and communists.
Writing volumes 3 & 4 of the official history of the CPGB.
Notable workHistory of the Communist Party of Great Britain, Volume 3 (1985) & Volume 4 (1997)
Political partyIndependent Labour Party (1931)
Communist Party of Great Britain (1932–1991)
Spouse
(m. 1931; died 1944)
ChildrenRosa Branson
RelativesHenry Ulick Browne, 5th Marquess of Sligo (paternal grandfather)

Noreen Branson (16 May 1910 – 25 October 2003) was a British communist activist, historian, founder of Revolt newspaper, and a life-long member of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB). In 1931 she married fellow communist and International Brigadeer, Clive Branson, and in 1934 she carried out a mission for Harry Pollitt to smuggle funding to Indian communists resisting the British colonial occupation of India. Noreen Branson was most known for her work as a historian, working as a researcher for the Labour Research Department, collaborating with historians Eric Hobsbawm and Roger Simon, and writing the 3rd and 4th volumes of the CPGB's official history.