The portraits in this section represent members of the Women’s Suffrage and Political Union (WSPU). More information about the individuals portrayed in this section of this project can be found following links embedded in the notes posted at the end of the gallery of images below.
A short video about the suffragettes produced by the Museum of London can be found here. A slightly longer video produced by the BBC can be found here.
The Pankhursts + the WSPU
The Women’s Suffrage and Political Union (WSPU) was founded Manchester in 1903 by Emmeline Pankhurst, her daughters and local labour organizers. Distinguished by its strategy of direct action, “Deeds not Words” was their motto and public demonstrations were their stock in trade. Intended to garner front page media attention and public sympathy for their cause, the group’s disregard for convention, their ingenuity in dealing with official resistance, and more specifically their militancy brought national and international recognition as well as condemnation. WSPU tactics ranged from interrupting governmental meetings and chaining themselves to government buildings to stone-throwing and window breaking, arson and, at the extreme bombing. Labeled ‘suffragettes’ by the popular press, the term was intended to ridicule and diminish the actions of WSPU until they reclaimed it, giving the name to their journal and publishing this notice in 1914:
“We have all heard of the girl who asked what was the difference between a Suffragist and a Suffragette, as she pronounced it, and the answer made to her that the ‘Suffragist jist wants the vote, while the Suffragette means to get it.’”
The Pankhurst family were central figures in the organization and were already well-known in Manchester and beyond for their radical politics before they launched the WSPU. Born into a politically engaged family, the matriarch Emmeline Pankhurst (1858 – 1928) became a “conscious and confirmed suffragist” at fourteen, after hearing a lecture given by early suffragist Lydia Becker (1827 – 1890). At twenty-eight Emmeline married barrister and socialist, Richard Pankhurst also a strong supporter of women’s rights, together they raised five children, three of whom were also politically active in the WSPU: Christabel Pankhurst (1880 – 1958), with whom Emmeline joined forces to establish the organization, the artist and activist Sylvia Pankhurst (1882 – 1960) and her socialist sister Adela Pankhurst (1885 – 1961). Although Sylvia and Adela were early members of the WSPU, in time they turn their political interests elsewhere. Unconvinced by the escalating violence of the WSPU, their support of the War effort, and belief that resolving social class inequities under capitalism was more important than women’s suffrage on its own, Sylvia was eventually expelled from the WSPU. Adela’s interests also came to deviate from those of the WSPU, initially turning to communist and later fascist politics.
Other Prominent WSPU Members
Annie Kenney (1879 – 1953), co-founded the WSPU’s first branch in London (with Minnie Baldock) and was a chief organizer in the union for a number of years. She and Christabel Pankhurst were among the first of the WSPU’s members to be arrested for their political actions. In 1905 the pair were imprisoned for the disruption of a Liberal Rally in Manchester, with the incident launching the more militant phase of the suffrage campaign.
Schoolteacher Mary Leigh (1885 – 1979) first joined the WSPU in 1906 and was appointed the drum major for the WPSU Drum and Fife Band in 1909. Over the course of her involvement with the organization she was arrested numerous times, mostly for taking part in demonstrations and window breaking.
Emily Wilding Davison (1872 – 1913) “staunch feminist and passionate Christian” joined the WSPU in November 1906 and quickly become known for her militant zeal. Arrested nine times for different acts of civil disobedience, Davison was killed after stepping in front of the King’s horse to tie a WSPU pennant around it at the Epsom Derby on June 4, 1913.
A devoted supporter of Emmeline Pankhurst, Canadian suffragette Mary Richardson (1883-1961) fully endorsed the use of vandalism to draw attention to women’s suffrage and was personally involved in a number of acts of property destruction for which she was arrested nine times. Her most infamous action was to attack Velázquez’s painting, the Rokeby Venus, at the National Gallery.
Edith New (1877 – 1951) left a teaching career to campaign for the WSPU, travelling throughout the UK speaking to different groups about the women’s movement. One of the first two suffragettes to use vandalism as a tactic, in January 1908 she and Oliva Smith chained themselves to the railings of 10 Downing Street to create a diversion for their fellow suffragettes to sneak into the building. Later that year she and suffragette Mary Leigh were arrested for breaking windows at the Prime Minister’s residence.
Social reformer and diarist, Mary Blathwayt (1879-1961) was a confirmed non-militant member of the WSPU. Close friends with Annie Kenney, she gave public speeches and sold pamphlets but refused any activity that might risk her arrest. Nonetheless supportive of their cause, she and her family opened their home to the suffragettes as a place of refuge “Eagle House,” had a special summerhouse called ‘Suffragettes Rest’ where women could practice speeches, write letters and recover from their various battles.
Trained as a teacher, Teresa Billington-Greig (1876 – 1964) was appointed in 1904 by WSPU as a travelling speaker. Although mostly involved in publicity projects, Billington-Greig also took part in demonstrations. After a fracas outside of H.H. Asquith’s home, she was arrested, and become the first suffragette to be incarcerated in Holloway prison. Eventually, Billington-Greig left the WSPU to found the Women’s Freedom League, finding the Pankhurst leadership too autocratic.
Scottish artist, author and children’s book illustrator, Marion Wallace Dunlop (1864-1942) was the first of the suffragettes to go on a hunger strike, refusing food until she was treated as a political prisoner rather than a common criminal. Once her actions became widely known hunger-striking became standard practice for suffragette prisoners.
A campaigner for prison reform, votes for women and birth control, Lady Constance Georgina Bulwer-Lytton (1869 – 1923) was imprisoned on a number of occasions for her WSPU activities. After receiving preferential treatment in Holloway prison because of her privileged background, Bulwer-Lytton continued her campaigns disguised as a working-class London seamstress named Jane Warton. A subsequent arrest as Jane led to a fourteen-day jail sentence of ‘hard labour’ and force feeding. The lectures she gave and articles she wrote on the experience after her release are thought to have help end the practice of force-feeding.
Dame Ethel Mary Smyth (1858 – 1944) was a child prodigy, a talented pianist and composer who gave up music temporarily when she joined the WSPU. Credited for teaching Emmeline Pankhurst how to throw stones, she, herself served prison time for stone throwing
Norah Lyle-Smyth (1874 – 1963) was a British Suffragette, social activist and a photographer. who lent her support to the WSPU volunteering as a chauffeur for Emmeline Pankhurst. Beyond suffrage, Lyle-Smith’s greater interest was in support of working women, which led her to join with Sylvia Pankhurst’s socialist organization The East London Federation of the WSPU, later to become the Worker’s Socials Federation.
A founding member of the WSPU branch in Liverpool, Patricia Woodlock (1873 – 1961) organized weekly meetings at outdoor socialist venues during lunchtime at factory gates. Arrested seven times, she is known to have served the longest suffragette prison sentence in solitary confinement for three months.
Mabel Henrietta Capper (1811- 1966), daughter of a suffragist, was imprisoned six times. Among others, charges against Capper included: obstruction, assaulting police inspectors while disrupting meetings, breaking windows, disorderly conduct and obstruction. Capper was one of the first suffragettes to be force-fed.
German born, British emigree, actress and activist Kitty Marion (1871 – 1944) belonged to two suffrage organizations: The WSPU and the Actresses Franchise League. As a member of the WSPU, Marion was involved in a number of arson attacks, which were intended to attract attention, not to harm people. The most significant was a fire to avenge the death of Emily Davison, for which Marion was sentenced to three years in prison.
Lilian Lenton (1891 – 1972) joined the WSPU when she turned twenty-one and immediately became involved in their more militant campaigns. Arrested in 1913 after a series of arson attacks, Lenton was incarcerated in Holloway Prison where she went on a hunger strike. When news of her particularly brutal force-feeding caused outrage, the government introduced its ‘Cat and Mouse Act’ whereby hunger-striking suffragettes were released to recover and then re-arrested.
Images of other, notable suffragettes can be found on the Actions + Events page, including: Olive Walton, Dora Marsden, Grace Roe, Margaret Scott, Jane Short, Margaret McFarlane, Olive Hockin, Grace Macron, Daisy and Una Dugdale, as well as the Canadian suffragist Nellie McClung.