CROYDON RADICAL HISTORY NETWORK

CROYDON’S SUFFRAGETTES Croydon Radical History Notes No.1. April 2015

INTRODUCTION

There does not appear to be a published study of Croydon’s suffragettes.

There are two dissertations which can be read in  Antoinette M. Burton’s Burdens of Croydon’s Local Studies (CLS). History: British Feminists, Indian Women, and Imperial Culture, 1865-1915. (Univ of  Anne Stonebank. Suffrage and the Women North Carolina Press. 199???) & Dwelling in of Croydon: 1907-1914. Harbouring Hopes; the Archive: Women Writing House, Home, The Struggle for Women’s Freedom. (BA and History in Late Colonial India. (Oxford Dissertation. University of Greenwich. CLS: University Press 2003) – latter re Bonerjee S70(324)STO)  Laurie Magnus’s The Jubilee Book of the  Ruth Margaret Davidson. Approach to Social Girls' Public Day School Trust 1873–1923. Action: Public Women in Croydon 1900- (Cambridge University Press. 2014) – re 1914. (MA Dissertation. September 2003 Neligan (CLS S70(3240DAV)  Kate Luard’s Unknown Warriors: The Letters of Kate Luard RRC and Bar, Nursing Sister in In addition to these dissertations a framework can France 1914-1918. (The History Press. 2014) be built from a number of accessible book and web – re-Neligan. resources which allows the start of in-depth  Joy Bounds’s A Song of Their Own: The research. Fight For Votes For Women in Ipswich (The History Press. 2014) – miscellaneous  Lee Webster’s article The Croydon women  Sandra Stanley Holton’s Feminism and who laid down their lives for equality on Democracy: Women's Suffrage and Reform Inside Croydon on 3 June 2013. Politics in Britain, 1900-1918 (Cambridge  Elizabeth Crawford’s The Women’s Suffrage University Press. 2003) Movement: A Reference Guide 1866-1928; &  Cherly Law’s Suffrage and Power: The The Women's Suffrage Movement in Britain Women's Movement 1918-1928. I.B.Tauris. and Ireland: A Regional Survey. (Routledge. 1997. 2013)

Web Resources

 (http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/11666931)  http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/23870199  http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=FS19120302.2.28.12  http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2712&dat=19110519&id=BXQ9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZisMAAAAIBAJ&p g=4621,18206982  http://collections.museumoflondon.org.uk/Online/object.aspx?objectID=object-454703&start=1&rows=1

Suffrage Organisations

 Croydon WPSU branch. Formed 1906. It had a shop at 50 High St. Its Secretary was Miss D. Arter. The Secretary in 1913 was Mrs Cameron Swan. The WPSU office was raided by the police on 30 June 1914. A meeting poster can be seen at http://www.diomedia.com/public/en/18079145/imageDetails.html  Croydon Actresses Franchise League branch.  Croydon Women’s Freedom League branch  Anerley Womens Freedom League branch. 1913 Secretary Miss J Fennings.  Purley NUWSS. Formed January 1912. 40 members enrolled. Joint Secretaries: Miss Wallis and Miss Brailsford.  Conservative and Unionist Women’s Franchise Association branch 1913. Secretary Miss Edith Moor (Glan Aber)  South Norwood Suffrage Society.

People

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 Miss D. Arter, ‘Melrose’, 38 Blenheim Park  Miss Edith Moor. Glan Aber. Secretary Rd. First Secretary Croydon WPSU 1906. Conservative and Unionist Women’s  Florence Baxter of South Croydon Franchise Association branch 1913. photographed campaigner Vera Wentworth  Dorinda Neligan – see below.  Annie S Biggs. She wrote My Life and Why I  Mary Pearson - member of the Women’s am a Suffragette in Croydon Citizen 1907 Freedom League who was were imprisoned.  Miss Brailsford. Highwood, Peaks Hill. Joint  Miss Dorothy Simmons, B. A., Secretary Secretary Purley NUWSS. Croydon WPSU 1907. 5 Heathfield Rd.  Mrs Dempsey – member of the Women’s  Helen and Margaret Smith, imprisoned Freedom League who was imprisoned. following February 1907 deputation to the  Miss Lottie Denham presided at South Commons. One of these may also be Norwood Suffrage Society meeting April referred to as Miss E. Smith of Norbury in 1913. Croydon Times, 20 February 1907 – see  Miss J Fennings, 149 Croydon Rd, Anerley: below). Secretary, Anerley Womens Freedom League  Polly Smith. Wife of local builder J. A. branch 1913. Smith, on 13 March 1912 she was involved in  Kattie Gliddon was member of the Croydon smashing shop windows in the West End WPSU in 1910 and 1911. Her papers include when 119 were arrested. She had 4 press cuttings are held at the Women’s children, the youngest being 8 years old. Library at London School of Economics (Cat: While she refused to pay the fine it was paid GB 106 7KGG/4/3 & 4) for her, she was bound over and released.  Marion Holmes – see below. The hammer belonging to her husband  Miss James, tax resister – see under Dorinda which she had borrowed had been Neligan below. confiscated by the police. (John Bailey-  Mrs Leeds and her husband - members of the Smith. A Local Suffragette. Bourne Society central committee of the Central National Bulletin. No. 181. August 2000). Society for Women’s Suffrage. She became  Rev Rudolph Suffield. Unitarian Minister honorary secretary of the Union of Practical Croydon 1870-77. Member National Suffragists (1888-9) They lived at Tower Association for the Repeal of the Contagious House, Birdhurst Rd, Croydon. Diseases Act 1883/4.  Mrs William T Malleson, and daughters Alice  Mrs Cameron Swan, 79 Mayfield Rd, and Catherine. Unitarians, Alice member of Sanderstead. She worked from Croydon Kensington Society 1865, lived at Duppas WPSU offices at 2 Station Buildings, West Hill. Croydon – see below.  Miss Miller. There is a newspaper photo of  Mrs Terry, 6 Morland Ave, Secretary Croydon her talking of Rev. Penman of Thornton WFL. Heath, under the title The Persuasive  Miss Wallis, Birkdale, Foxley Lane. Joint Suffragette. (CLS. Well Known Residents. Secretary Purley NUWSS. S70(929)WEL. p. 54).

Mrs Cameron Swan

 In March and April 1912 she was in Australia touring and lecturing (http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/11666931), http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/23870199, http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=FS19120302.2.28.12 Her husband chaired meeting in support of the vote in May 1911 http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2712&dat=19110519&id=BXQ9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZisMAAAAIBAJ&p g=4621,18206982. She was Secretary of Croydon WPSU in 1913.

Dorinda Neligan (1833-1914)

She was Irish, educated at the Sorbonne and served League her goods were restrained and sold in April with the British Red Cross in the Franco-Prussian 1912. Along with those of Miss James at Messrs. King War. She was headmistress of Croydon High School and Everall’s Auction Rooms, Croydon; a (1874-1901). She supported the Women’s simultaneous the protest meeting being addressed Emancipation Union in 1894, the Central Society for by Mrs. Kineton Parkes. Women’s Suffrage in 1900, the WPSU 1909, and (https://sniggle.net/TPL/index5.php?entry=06Jun10 later WFL and Church League for Women’s Suffrage, In 1913 she lived at Oakwood House, Croydon. Her and was patroness of the Actresses’ Franchise sister was on the Committee of the Croydon branch League. She was arrested on 29 June 1909 for being of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage part of the deputation to Prime Minister Asquith Societies. One of her pupils was Janaki Bonnerjee from Caxton Hall, On 18 November 1910 she was a who wrote her family history including a chapter member of the deputation to the House of about Neligan. Another pupil at the school was Mrs Commons. As a supporter of the Tax Resistance Elsa Gye (1881-1943) a musician who devoted 2 herself to the suffrage cause.

Marion Holmes (née Milner, 1867-1943)

Born in Leeds and grew up near Barnsley. From age and Clay. As a freelance journalist she was active in ten the family lived in Nottinghamshire where she the Society for Women Journalists. She also married aged 21, having two daughters. Having published biographical sketches of sketches of moved to Margate she set up the local Pioneer people like Josephine Butler, Florence Nightingale, Society; then moved to Croydon. She was President and Elizabeth Fry and wrote ABC of Votes for of the Croydon Women’s Social & Political Union. Women (1910 and 1913). She was the first female Christabel Pankhurst came to the meeting to election agent in the Parliamentary election in celebrate her release from prison on 5 March 1907. Keighley in April 1918. ‘For Marion Holmes the She was opposed to the Women’s Co-operative history of antislavery made the whole question Guild’s adult suffrage initiative introduced into the votes for women cut and dried. “In a word, the Commons in 1907: ‘“Half a loaf is better than no difference between the voter and the non-voter is bread.” The women of this country are in the the difference between bondage and freedom.”’ position of political starvation at the present time.’ The Museum of London has a postcard of her: After the split in the WPSU she joined the Women’s http://collections.museumoflondon.org.uk/Online/ Freedom League, and became a National Executive object.aspx?objectID=object- member and co-editor of The Vote newspaper. She 452358&start=56&rows=1. wrote two plays: A Child of the Mutiny and Brass

Events

 1907 – Croydon WPSU members Marion Holmes, and Helen and Margaret Smith imprisoned for taking part in deputation to the Commons in February.  1909 - Suffragette week Croydon High St – see photo Suffragette on Croydon on Line (http://www.croydononline.org/history/photographs2.asp?wtP=13)  1909 - Muriel Matters, an Australian and actress who chained herself to the grille of the Ladies’ Gallery in the House of Commons in 1908, scattered Votes for Women leaflets over London from an airship landing in a tree in Coulsdon.  AFL Croydon met at Pembroke Hall on 11 November 1909.  1910 - Bertha Mason was a visiting speaker at the Croydon branch of the NUWSS giving an illustrated lecture on the movement’s forerunners.  Croydon WPSU published Arncliffe-Sennett’s An Englishwomen’s Home. (1910)  1911 -Croydon Women’s Social and Political Union theatre event. Israel Zangwill’s Prologue performed by the AFL at the Lyceum in 1911.’ (http://exeuntmagazine.com/features/art-theatre-and-womens- suffrage/)  1912 - another visiting speaker to the Croydon WPSU Mary Dawes Thompson had her lecture published as a WPSU pamphlet Adam and Eve.  Women’ Freedom League meeting with Mrs Despard (Croydon Times. 2 April 1913)  South Norwood Suffrage Society meeting 141 Portland Rd. Miss Lottie Denham presided. Speaker Mrs Terry on ‘The vote and why we want it.’ (ditto)

Leonara Tyson

She and her mother Helen joined the Women's 2005). See more at: Social and Political Union (WSPU.) in 1908. In http://collections.museumoflondon.org.uk/Online/ February 1908 they were both arrested while taking object.aspx?objectID=object- part in a deputation to the House of Commons. 454703&start=1&rows=1#sthash.FmwNB4Ri.dpuf From February 1910, Leonora was the Honorary http://collections.museumoflondon.org.uk/Online/ Secretary of the Lambeth branch of the WSPU, and object.aspx?objectID=object- subsequently transferred to the Streatham branch. 454703&start=1&rows=1. From 8 March to 8 May 1912 she was imprisoned in Apart from biographical notes about Marion Holmes Holloway for her part in the W.S.P.U. window- there is no mention of Croydon on the ‘How the smashing campaign. In 1959 she lived in Purley. Her Vote was Won’ website: story is told in Anne Ward’s No Stone Unturned: The http://www.thesuffragettes.org. Story of Leonora Tyson a Streatham Suffragette (

Mary Sophia Allen (1878-1964)

Although not a resident of Croydon when she was a suffragette Mary Allen was imprisoned for her activities three times. In 1914 she pioneered the first female police force, recruiting and training hundreds of women. Later she became Chief Women's Officer of the British Union of Fascists. She died penniless in a Croydon nursing home. (Nina Boyd. From Suffragette to Fascist: The Many Lives of Mary Sophia Allen. (The History Press. 2013) 3

Barbara Duncan Harris, 1881-1959

Quaker and feminist. NUWSS Organising Secretary (Ruth Davidson (Royal Holloway, University of for the Hampshire, East Sussex and Surrey County London). Barbara Duncan Harris Pioneer, Fighting Federation. Initiated the Infant Welfare Movement Spirit in Abstracts for the Aftermath of Suffrage in Croydon. Chair British Section Women’s Conference. An International Conference, Friday International League between the World Wars. First 24th and Saturday 25th June, 2011. Humanities Labour woman councillor in Surrey County Borough. Research Institute, University of Sheffield)

Women’s Activism 1914-1939

The story of women’s civil activism from 1914 is by of Utopia: Female Engagement within Civil Society Ruth Davidson in Citizens at last. Women’s Political and the Infant Welfare Movement in Croydon and Culture and Civil Society, Croydon and East Surrey. East Surrey 1914-1939 (2010) can be heard at 1914-1939. (PhD. Royal Holloway. July 2010. CLS http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2010/11/ruth- S70(324)DAV.) Ruth Davidson’s podcast talk Dreams davidson-dreams-of-utopia

CROYDON SUFFRAGETTES IMPRISONED

(Croydon Times, 20 February 1907. p. 2)

‘Amongst the ladies arrested at the House of W. S. & P. U. despite to express their grief and Commons, on Wednesday (details of which have indignation at the imprisonment of their president, already been fully reported in all the daily papers) Mrs Marian Holmes, and two of their member, Miss were Helen and Miss Margaret Smith, for partaking in Wednesday’s deputation to the House of Commons Mrs Marian Holmes, 39, Brighton-road, to present a resolution expressing indignation at the Croydon omission from the Kings’ Speech of any measure Miss E. Smith, of Norbury enfranchising women.”

Mrs. Holmes is well known as the President of the The committee hope that the Croydon women will Croydon Branch of the Women’s Social Political show their appreciation of this courage and Union., Miss Grover was an eye witness of the arrest devolution to the cause by joining the Branch. The of Miss Smith, who she asserts was doing nothing to hon. Secretary, Miss Dorothy Simmons, B. A., will be justify the action of the police. glad to receive their names at her address, 5 Heathfield-road. A subscription of any amount On Thursday, Mrs Holmes and Miss Smith were both constitutes membership. fined 20s. and costs, or 14 days. A letter was also written to the Prime Minister The Committee of the Croydon Branch of the protesting against the use of mounted police against Women’s Social and Political Union met on Thursday unarmed and defenceless women, and wishing to evening, and the following resolution was know how long these “methods of barbarians” are unanimously adopted: “The Croydon Branch of the to continue.”

Note: Is E. Smith either Helen or Margaret or a third Smith?

W.S.P.U.”AT HOME”

(Croydon Chronicle 5 April 1913. p. 16)

A meeting was held at the local offices of the enthusiasm was equal. Mrs. Shaw likened the National Women’s Social and Political Union in High- present-day “militants” to the early Christians, and street on Thursday afternoon, when Mrs. Shaw read enlarging upon that analogy compared the early a lengthy paper on “Militancy in the Light of days and subsequent growth of the militant Christianity.” Miss Isabel Green presided. In the movement with the small and insignificant society course of the papers, which contained many which arose in the days of our Lord and afterwards quotations, Mrs Shaw maintained that the militant became the great Church. Militancy was not only Suffragettes were doing right in displaying that morally right, but it was expedient. They often glowing enthusiasm which ought to be the heard of so-called “innocent sufferers” in this characteristic of a Christian. Philosophic calm was struggle, but she would remind them that these not required of a Christian nor to be expected of a people derived what they got, because apathy and Suffragette. Christ demands enthusiasm of them and innocence to a righteous causes was not innocence. He therefore imposed tasks to which only A material weapon was need to fight a material foe,

4 and history showed that no reform had been futile?” she would answer “Whatsoever is born of accomplished except by violence or the provocation God overcometh the world.” of violence. To the question “Is the strike indeed

Sean Creighton April 2015 [email protected]

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