Trelissick will be holding a series of exhibitions to remember the legacy of the woman who was one of the first female MPs and donated the garden to the National Trust.

Ida Copeland was a politician and philanthropist who became the country's 25th female MP in 1931 after defeating fascist Oswald Mosley in the Stoke on Trent local elections.

Jon Cummins, Visitor Experience Manager at Trelissick, said: "Researching Ida’s story has taught us about her as an individual but also about the relevance of early 20th century social history today. Clearly a strongly willed woman, she was not just a political leader but also a philanthropist. It was Ida who gave Trelissick to the National Trust in 1955 and without that act of kindness to the nation we would not be able to enjoy Trelissick as we do now.

"Whether a new visitor or a regular supporter I hope our exhibitions in 2018 provide the both the opportunity to learn something new, but also to reflect on how society has changed in the last 100 years."

There will be three exhibitions on Ida Copeland; the first is called I Dare and begins on May 16, and highlights her political campaign in which she urged "every man and woman... to exercise their great privilege of voting." I Dare is based on documents and photographs from the Trelissick archive that local artist Keith Sparrow has used as an inspiration for large-scale illustrations.

Keith said: "It’s always an extra pleasure to be asked to contribute to a project with close links to the city. The history of the various owners through the years is fascinating, and having access to the Copeland archives for this work was a real pleasure.

"Using the medium of graphic comic art and manga (Japanese comics) to tell Cornish stories is a passion of mine, so these canvases are an attempt to shed light on Ida Copeland’s political life in that style, and I hope it manages to engage visitors of all ages in the story of one of our earliest female MPs."

The second exhibition, I Dream, opens on July 15 and will be based on Guides badges, exploring the way that Ida empowered young people by giving them activities to try out, and the third and final exhibition is called I Do and will run from September 16, focusing on Ida's charitable activities.

For opening times and admission details visit nationaltrust.org.uk/Trelissick.