Case Study: Minnie Baldock Born: 1864 Died: 1954 Occupation: factory worker, mother, campaigner Claims to fame: founded the first London Branch of the WSPU © Museum of London Her background Square. Minnie’s imprisonments put a • Elizabeth Crawford, The Women’s financial strain on her family, and Suffrage Movement: a reference Minnie Rogers was born into a poor wealthier women sent money to her guide, 1866–1928 family in Bow, East London. She husband to help. Harry was very (Routledge, 1999) worked in the hard conditions of a supportive of Minnie, saying at a WSPU factory from a young age to support meeting in Hyde Park that ‘I am proud Glossary herself. In the 1880s, Minnie met and to be the husband of such a woman… married Harry Baldock and they had and I glory in her courage.’ Minnie was WSPU – Women’s Social and two sons. They joined the Independent pleasant and articulate and the WSPU Political Union Labour Party (ILP) and supported the liked her to speak to women of many West Ham Board of Guardians struggle for women’s suffrage. backgrounds, especially the middle- – a charitable group established to She became an activist for working- and upper-class ‘ladies’, to get them oversee funds to the poor in the area class causes and organised working to join the society and donate funds. and to support their welfare needs, women like herself to campaign. In She kept a scrapbook (as many such as the poor house 1905, she stood as a candidate for suffragettes did) containing election to the West Ham Board of photographs and newspaper clippings Guardians. In 1906, Minnie was of all the key events, including her own Questions chairwoman of the Unemployed arrests. Minnie became seriously ill in 1. What problems might Minnie Women of South West Ham (UWSWH) 1911 with cancer and needed an have faced growing up? group and organised for WSPU operation. She was no longer able to member Annie Kenney to speak to be involved with the very active 2. Why do you think she kept a them. As a result, the UWSWH voted campaigns. However, she continued to scrapbook? to become the Canning Town branch be a supporter of and advocate for 3. How typical do you think she of the WSPU – the very first branch in women’s rights until her death in 1954. was of suffragettes? London. Useful links/resources: As a suffragette • Minnie Baldock’s scrapbook: Minnie was arrested and imprisoned https://artsandculture.google. numerous times due to her suffrage com/asset/scrapbook-compiled- campaigning. She once used a by-the-suffragette-minnie- megaphone to repeatedly shout out baldock/gwEo01EUcf4Ljw about votes for women in Parliament .