RIP Emily Wilding Davison 100th Anniversary

 















The 4th June was the 100th anniversary of the death of Suffragette Emily Davison who stepped in front of the Kings horse at the Epsom Derby in 1913. Hat tip video Captain Swing.

Sylvia Pankhurst and the East London Federation of Suffragettes

"Campaigning greats - Sylvia Pankhurst and the East London Federation of Suffragettes - Wednesday, 14 November 2012

This event is an opportunity to learn from campaigning greats. The East London Federation of Suffragettes, led by Sylvia Pankhurst, galvanised women and men to campaign for Votes for Women.

Professor Mary Davis, leading biographer of Sylvia Pankhurst, will speak, and Cllr Rachael Saunders will present her research on the campaigning methods and tools used by suffragettes in the east end of London. The chair is Kathryn Perera, Chief Executive of Movement for Change, the home of community organising in the Labour Party.

Hosted by Tower Hamlets Labour Party and the East London Fawcett Society, kindly supported by London UNISON Labour Link.  To sign up please click here". 

(Hat tip Chris Weavers)

"How the Vote Was Won"

Hat-tip SERTUC

Battling Belles of Bow

This walking tour “The Battling Belles of Bow” is organised by SERTUC who ask colleagues to: “follow in the footsteps of Sylvia Pankhurst who chose east London as the starting point for her campaign for women's suffrage and seeing the plight of the working women and mothers also established a crèche, restaurant and model toy factory in the area. East End women were key to the success of the Suffragette movement and the route highlights their supporters and their workplaces including the Bryant & May Match Factory, site of the famous Match girls' strike of 1888”

I’ve worked as an Estate Officer in Bow, East London - for nearly 20 years. Firstly at a local housing office in Malmesbury Road where I once managed George Lansbury House and was also responsible for a time for the maintenance of Minnie Lansbury clock in nearby Electric House. Our estate also had properties in Fairfield Road where the privately run “gated community” called “Bow Quarter” is on the site of the original Bryant & May Factory.

Then I worked 300m away in another estate office in Armagh Road which was only around the corner from 1915 Sylvia Pankhurst clinic at “Gun Makers Arms “and the Suffragette meeting point now called the “Lord Morpeth “pub. I am now based right in the centre of Bow near the famous Roman Road Market.

This walk seems well worth a fiver!

Tea with Mrs Pankhurst

Tonight I went to a marvellous piece of political theatre performed at the main hall of TUC Congress House by New Strides. The production was before a packed audience and sponsored by SERTUC.

The play is an attempt at a snapshot history of the women's suffrage/suffragette movement. From the very different viewpoints of working class socialist and pacifist Selina Cooper and that of upper middle class, Tory libertarian and (dare I say) militant terrorist Emmeline Pankhurst.

The reaction of the audience that I spoke to afterwards was pretty much similar to mine. We were all a little shocked that Emmeline Pankhurst on the one hand before July 1914 was a convicted terrorist found guilty of being involved in a plot to blow up the Home Secretary Lloyd George’s home then went on during the First World War to become an ardent supporter of the war and encouraged the handing out of white feathers to men who were not in the military. She actually died while campaigning to become an Conservative Party MP!

Her historical contemporary (and tactical opponent for much of their lives) Selina Cooper I felt was portrayed in perhaps a tad too much true working class heroine of the people mode. But while it would appear that her role so far in the movement has not been properly recognised or remembered. Mind you I have a problem with those who claim to be anti-fascist but remained a pacifist in the 2nd World War.

The fascinating answer to the question about whether women’s suffrage in Britain was actually brought about by violent militant protest, socialist campaigning or women’s war work is left at the end of the play to the audience.

I think on balance that the only conclusion you can take from the play is that it was the ardent support for war by Emmeline Pankhurst and her (control freak) daughter Christabel that made the crucial difference. The “good” daughter Sylva Pankhurst (who was apparently disowned by her mother for being "weak") did not apparently play any major role in the 1918 decision to grant the vote to women (over the age of 30) neither did Selina Cooper.

In reality the reasons were more complicated.

This play was first performed in the Edinburgh festival in 2003 and I would recommend it if it comes to a theatre (or union hall) near you. Make your own minds up.

Update: I forgot to mention that the tea and cake was very nice as well.

Tea With Mrs Pankhurst

SERTUC - double click above to bring up detail

The Belles of Bow

I came across an advert for this historical walking tour organised by the Museum of London. I assume the walk will go past the “Lord Morpeth” Public House in Old Ford Road which is built on the site of what was a Toy factory set up by Sylvia Pankhurst (picture is from the old pub sign). This pub is a poplar venue for “leaving do’s” by local workers which I have frequented once or thrice (or more). I work from a office only about a 10 minutes walk away.

Nearby was the site of ex-public house called the “Gunmakers Arms” which Sylvia used as a crèche and soup kitchen for the local poor. She renamed it the “Mothers Arms”.

Check out this site for extracts of Sylvia’s journal.

Check out this link to the last time(s) I posted on Bow Belles.

Sun 8 Mar, 2.30-4.30pmThis walking tour with Blue Badge Guide Rachel Kolsky follows in the footsteps of Sylvia Pankhurst, who chose east London as the starting point for her campaign for women's suffrage. Pankhurst established a creche, restaurant and model toy factory in the area, believing that East End women were key to the success of the Suffragette movement. The route highlights Suffragette supporters and workplaces including the famous Bryant & May match factory, site of the Match Girls' strike of 1888.Book in advance £8, 18+