A Guid Cause... the Women's Suffrage Movement In

A GUID CAUSE... THE WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT IN SCOTLAND

Project 3 / Learning Activity 1 / Activity 1 Skills for paper 2

SKILLS FOR PAPER 2: THE ST. ANDREWS HALL INCIDENT, GLASGOW 1914

Developing skills for paper 2 Here are a number of questions about the St Andrews Hall incident which took place in Glasgow on 9 March 1914. Thinking about and answering these questions will give you a chance to develop your evaluation and investigation skills and your knowledge and understanding of the suffrage movement. This will help to prepare you for the real thing (on other topics) in paper 2.

Historical context First of all, here’s a bit of historical context.

Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst – leader of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) – was due to address a public meeting at St Andrews Hall in Glasgow on 9 March 1914. This was part of a Scottish tour, with visits also scheduled to take place in Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

Mrs Pankhurst had been released from prison under the terms of the ‘Cat and Mouse’ Act (see sources 36 & 37), and the police intended to re-arrest her to serve the remainder of her sentence.

The initial reaction was mainly by women who had attended the meeting and were complaining about the actions of the police. Of nine letters published in the Glasgow Herald of 12 March 1914, seven complained about police action, and two supported the police.

The debate about the incident and the actions of the police and the WSPU continued to rage, especially when it became clear that the WSPU were going to demand an enquiry into police action.

Janie Allan was a leading Scottish suffragette who attended the St Andrews Hall meeting and campaigned tirelessly for an enquiry into the police action. She contacted local magistrates and local and national politicians.

She wrote to women who attended the meeting and asked them to reply to a list of questions relating to the incident.

Despite Janie Allan’s efforts, the authorities dismissed her demand for an enquiry. The Chief Constable of Glasgow’s report to the Glasgow Magistrates concluded that the police had no case to answer regarding accusations of ill-treatment (needs hyphen) of citizens by police officers.

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1 What does the St Andrews Hall incident tell us about the progress of the women’s suffrage movement before the First World War? Look at sources 50 and 51 and use recalled knowledge.

2 How representative is source 52 as evidence of public reaction against the treatment of suffragettes? In reaching a conclusion, you should refer to:  the origin and possible purpose of the source  the content of the source  recalled knowledge

3 What do sources 53 and 54 tell us about the arguments that had developed for and against the suffrage movement by the time this incident took place? Use the sources and recalled knowledge.

4 How useful are sources 55, 56, 57 and 58 as evidence of the effectiveness – or otherwise – of the militant campaign? In reaching a conclusion you should refer to:  the origin and possible purpose of the sources  the content of the sources  recalled knowledge

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Appendix

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SOURCE 36: ARTICLE ABOUT ‘CAT AND MOUSE’ ACT AOG, 8, 1913 P 659

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SOURCE 36: ARTICLE ABOUT ‘CAT AND MOUSE’ ACT AOG, 8, 1913 P 659

In April 1913 the ‘Cat and Mouse Act’ was introduced. It allowed the release of seriously ill prisoners as a result of hunger-striking and their re-arrest once they had recovered. The implementation of the Act led to further militant action. ‘The suffragette’, 2 May 1913. [Shelfmark: Acc. 4546/6]

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SOURCE 50: ARTICLE, GLASGOW HERALD, 10 MARCH 1914 ‘GENERAL HOME NEWS’ P 8

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SOURCE 50: ARTICLE, GLASGOW HERALD, 10 MARCH 1914 ‘GENERAL HOME NEWS’ P 8

This newspaper article first appeared in the Glasgow Herald on 10 March 1914.

Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was due to address a public meeting at St Andrew's Hall in Glasgow on 9 March 1914 as part of a Scottish tour. Mrs Pankhurst had recently been released from prison as part of the 'Cat and Mouse' Act, and the police intended to re-arrest her so that she could serve the rest of her sentence. The newspaper article, published the day after the event, describes what happened and the reaction of Mrs Pankhurst's supporters.

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SOURCE 51: ARTICLE, GLASGOW HERALD, 10 MARCH 1914 (LAST TWO COLUMNS) P9

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SOURCE 51: ARTICLE, GLASGOW HERALD, 10 MARCH 1914 (LAST TWO COLUMNS) P9

This newspaper article first appeared in the Glasgow Herald on 10 March 1914.

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SOURCE 52: ARTICLE, GLASGOW HERALD, 12 MARCH 1914 (COLUMN 5) P 5

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SOURCE 52: ARTICLE, GLASGOW HERALD, 12 MARCH 1914 (COLUMN 5) P 5

This letter first appeared in the Glasgow Herald on 12 March 1914.

Many of the women who attended the meeting complained about the actions of the police. Of the nine letters which were published in the Glasgow Herald several days after the event took place, seven comment negatively on the harsh tactics used by the authorities to control Mrs Pankhurst's supporters. Only two of the letters support the actions of the police.

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SOURCE 53: ARTICLE, GLASGOW HERALD, 12 MARCH 1914 (COLUMN 4 AND 5) P 8

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SOURCE 53: ARTICLE, GLASGOW HERALD, 12 MARCH 1914 (COLUMN 4 AND 5) P 8

The Editor of the Glasgow Herald gave his view of the incident in the leader article which appeared on 12 March 1914.

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SOURCE 54: ARTICLE, GLASGOW HERALD, 13 MARCH 1914 (COLUMN 5) P 5

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SOURCE 54: ARTICLE, GLASGOW HERALD, 13 MARCH 1914 (COLUMN 5) P 5

Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was due to address a public meeting at St Andrew's Hall in Glasgow on 9 March 1914 as part of a Scottish tour. Mrs Pankhurst had recently been released from prison as part of the 'Cat and Mouse' Act, and the police intended to re-arrest her so that she could serve the rest of her sentence. Many of the women who attended the meeting complained about the behaviour of the police; witnesses said that they used unnecessary force to control the crowd.

The debate about the incident, and particularly the actions of the police, continued to rage for several days after the event.

This letter first appeared in the Edinburgh Evening Dispatch on 11 March 1914.

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SOURCE 55 FRONT COVER: LIST OF QUESTIONS, THE JANE ALLAN ARCHIVE (ACC 4498)

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SOURCE 55 PAGE 1: LIST OF QUESTIONS, THE JANE ALLAN ARCHIVE (ACC 4498)

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SOURCE 55 PAGE 2: LIST OF QUESTIONS, THE JANE ALLAN ARCHIVE (ACC 4498)

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SOURCE 55 PAGE 3: LIST OF QUESTIONS, THE JANE ALLAN ARCHIVE (ACC 4498)

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SOURCE 55 PAGE 4: LIST OF QUESTIONS, THE JANE ALLAN ARCHIVE (ACC 4498)

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SOURCE 55: LIST OF QUESTIONS, THE JANE ALLAN ARCHIVE (ACC 4498)

PAGE 1:

CONFIDENTIAL

Name Grace A. Mackinnon Postal Address 9 Regent Park Square, Glasgow S. Designation Teacher Age 35 Are you connected with the suffrage Movement? Yes Were you present at the meeting? Yes Where you sitting? Specify particularly. In back row of platform, 4 or 5 seats along from left hand side facing hall What warning did you get that police were coming? I heard a cry from the passages on my right and almost immediately after the police burst in. When did the police appear? After Mrs Pankhurst had been speaking for two or three minutes. Where and in what numbers? From area door at right hand side of platform from where I was sitting and from both sides of platform. Did you notice if the police were on the platform and had struck the first blow before they approached the platform from the area, and had reached the barbed wire? I thought so. Did the police come on to platform with drawn batons? I cannot say. Describe the first incident which you noticed, and detail any particular acts of violence you witnessed and part of platform where same occurred. My attention was attracted by a man evidently a superior officer whom I now take to have been Superintendant Douglas rushing at the plants and benches in the area in front of the platform and tearing them down. He looked very angry & excited and was leading on the police who were with him. They subsequently got up on to the platform from the area. Did you notice anyone in charge of police, and can you say where Superintendant Douglas was when arrest was made? I did not notice anyone in command of the police until those left on the platform after the arrest was made were marshalled up into […] and marched off the platform.

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Did you hear any orders given to the police. If so what? I did not hear any orders given. Can you say whether any request was made to Mrs Pankhurst to surrender? I cannot say. Was the action of the police provoked in any way by the conduct of the ladies on the platform, and if so, how? In no way so far as I could see. Give a detailed general statement as to the conduct of the police. Any of the police I saw rushed or jumped wildly on to the platform. They seemed to me ready to attach any one who stood in their way. Did you see any women armed and if so, with what? Yes, with Indian clubs. I did not see these actually used by women the police were wrenching them out of the women’s hands. Were they attacking the police or merely defending themselves? Defending themselves. Did you see any police injured? No. Were any of the women arrested? None that I saw. Would the police have had any difficulty in arresting them if they had wished to do so? None whatever. Can you explain why the women who forcibly resisted and struck the police were not arrested? No. Is it the case that the police instead of effecting arrests took the law into their own hands and administered punishment on the spot? Yes. How many plain clothes men did you see on the platform? I can now only recall two that I saw.

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Did you see policemen or plain clothes men interfere to prevent Mrs Drummond reaching the platform in order to make her speech? If so, describe incident. I did not know exactly what was taking place but saw a group standing in front of the area and Mrs Drummond evidently remonstrating in their midst. My impression is that some gentleman or gentlemen from the audience interfered and Mrs Drummond was then brought on to the platform from the area and began to address the meeting. I thought at first they were trying to take Mrs Drummond out of the hall. Did you see Mrs Pankhurst being put into the taxi? If so describe incident. No. Did you see Mrs Pankhurst after her arrest at any point between the platform and the taxi? If so, describe what you saw. No. Did you see attack made by police after Mrs Pankhurst’s arrest, on Mrs Nixon between the platform and the door into Kent Rd? If so, describe it. No. Did you see a man supposed to be an agent of the police stand up on the platform and tell the audience to go, and did you think he looked like a plain clothes man? Yes. I thought he looked like a plain clothes man. Did you see a man at the back of the hall presumably a police agent tell the audience to go, and did he look like a plain clothes man? I did not see what took place at the back of the hall.

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Did you see any women attack the police and if so, how? No. Did you see the police use their batons in self defence, and if so, what cause had they to do so? No. Those I saw were used in the offensive. Did you see any policeman with his baton drawn before he came on the platform? Yes. State whether you were injured, in which case a further list of questions may be sent you. I was not injured. Did you see resistance offered to police? If so, state by whom and describe nature of resistance. I saw women apparently trying to block the way of the police. Is it true that the police only drew and used their batons in self defence? Give reasons for answer. No. Did you see uniformed police strike any plain clothes men on platform? If so, describe incident. No. Give names and addresses of any persons whom you say assaulted. Please give any other particulars.

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SOURCE 56: CARTOON, THE JANE ALLAN ARCHIVE (ACC 4498)

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SOURCE 56: CARTOON, THE JANE ALLAN ARCHIVE (ACC 4498)

Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was due to address a public meeting at St Andrew's Hall in Glasgow on 9 March 1914 as part of a Scottish tour. Mrs Pankhurst had recently been released from prison as part of the 'Cat and Mouse' Act, and the police intended to re-arrest her so that she could serve the rest of her sentence. Many of the women who attended the meeting complained about the behaviour of the police; witnesses said that they used unnecessary force to control the crowd.

A leading Scottish suffragette, Janie Allen, who attended the meeting campaigned tirelessly for an enquiry into police tactics. She contacted local magistrates, as well as local and national politicians. She wrote to other women who had attended the meeting and asked them to complete a written questionnaire relating to the incident.

Despite the efforts of Janie Allen, the authorities dismissed the demands for an official enquiry. This cartoon, which appeared in the Glasgow News on 10 April 1914, comments on the outcome of the incident.

[Janie Allan Archive (Acc 4498)]

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SOURCE 57: ARTICLE, THE EDINBURGH EVENING DISPATCH, 11 MARCH 1914 P 4

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SOURCE 57: ARTICLE, THE EDINBURGH EVENING DISPATCH, 11 MARCH 1914 P 4

Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was due to address a public meeting at St Andrew's Hall in Glasgow on 9 March 1914 as part of a Scottish tour. Mrs Pankhurst had recently been released from prison as part of the 'Cat and Mouse' Act, and the police intended to re-arrest her so that she could serve the rest of her sentence. Many of the women who attended the meeting complained about the behaviour of the police; witnesses said that they used unnecessary force to control the crowd.

This report, which appeared in the Edinburgh Evening Dispatch on 11 March 1914, describes the public reaction to the St Andrew's Hall incident, and provides an account of the women's suffrage meeting which took place in Edinburgh on 10 March. Emmeline Pankhurst had been due to speak at the meeting.

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SOURCE 58: PHOTOGRAPH OF MRS PANKHURST, THE EDINBURGH EVENING DISPATCH, 10 MARCH 1914, P 4

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SOURCE 58: PHOTOGRAPH OF MRS PANKHURST, THE EDINBURGH EVENING DISPATCH, 10 MARCH 1914, P 4

Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was due to address a public meeting at St Andrew's Hall in Glasgow on 9 March 1914 as part of a Scottish tour. Mrs Pankhurst had recently been released from prison as part of the 'Cat and Mouse' Act, and the police intended to re-arrest her so that she could serve the rest of her sentence. Many of the women who attended the meeting complained about the behaviour of the police; witnesses said that they used unnecessary force to control the crowd.

This photograph of Emmeline Pankhurst appeared in the Edinburgh Evening Dispatch on 10 March 1914, the day that she had been due to address a women's suffrage meeting at the Synod Hall, Edinburgh.