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Elizabeth Pease, the daughter of Joseph Pease and Elizabeth Beaumont, was born in 1807. In her early twenties, Elizabeth Pease became the leader of the Women's Abolition of Slavery Society in Darlington. In March 1838, Elizabeth joined with Jane Smeal of Glasgow, to publish a pamphlet, Address to the Women of Great Britain, where they urged women to organise female anti-slavery associations. Elizabeth also believed that anti-slavery movement should allow women to speak at public meetings.

Elizabeth supported the campaign for the 1832 Reform Act which enabled her father, Joseph Pease, to become Britain's first Quaker member of the House of Commons. However, unlike most middle-class reformers, Elizabeth was not satisfied with this measure and along with her close friend, Anne Knight, became a supporter of the Moral Force Chartist movement.

Elizabeth Pease was in close contact with the Chartists in Darlington and helped to distribute their literature. In a letter to her friend, Anne Warren Weston, Elizabeth pointed out that some of her friends considered her to be "ungenteel" and "vulgar" because she was a supporter of universal suffrage.

Elizabeth, the most radical of the Pease family, believing that most of the problems afflicting British society was due to "class legislation". She supported workers who went on strike and defended workers who attacked factories in Lancashire and Yorkshire in 1842.

Elizabeth a member of the Peace Society and the Temperance Society also took part in the anti-vivisection campaign. In 1853 Elizabeth married John Pringle Nichol, the professor of astronomy at the University of Glasgow. As Nichol was a Presbyterian, Elizabeth was expelled from the Society of Friends. After marriage, Elizabeth moved to Edinburgh where she lived until her death in 1897.

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(1) Elizabeth Pease attempted to persuade working-class women in Darlington to join the campaign against slavery. Her friend, Jane Smeal, from Glasgow, wrote to her about this matter in 1836.

The females in this city who have much leisure for philanthropic objects are I believe very numerous - but unhappily that is not the class who take an active part in the cause here - neither the noble, the rich, nor the learned are to be found advocating our cause. Our subscribers and most efficient members are all in the middling and working classes but they have great zeal and labour very harmoniously together.

(2) Elizabeth Pease, letter to John Collins (14th December, 1840)

I believe there are few persons whose natural feelings are so opposed to women appearing prominently before the public, as mine - but viewed in the light of principle I see, the prejudice - custom and other feelings which will not stand the test of truth, are at the bottom, and must be laid aside.

(3) Elizabeth Pease, letter to Anne Phillips (29th September, 1842)

The grand principle of the natural equality of man - a principle alas almost buried, in the land, beneath the rubbish of an hereditary aristocracy and the force of a state religion. Working people are driven almost to desperation by those who consider they are but chattels made to minister to their luxury and add to their wealth.