Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence
by Millie Gaston, Lucy Pearce, Sireen Bannayan

Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence was born in 1867 and is now known for her involvement in the struggle for women’s rights. Her political affiliation with the Suffragette movement began officially in 1906 when she met Emmeline Pankhurst and became treasurer of the ‘Women’s Social and Political Union’ (WSPU). At the outbreak of World War One in 1914, some of the Suffragettes (including Pankhurst) announced an end to militant campaigning for the duration of the war, but Pethick continued, openly attributing the war to the world being managed by men. In 1914 she went on a suffrage speaking tour of the United States, and in 1915 she attended the Women’s Peace Conference in the Hague which resulted in her becoming treasurer of the British section of the Women’s International League. Whilst continuing the suffragette movement, she also campaigned for world peace. Later in the suffrage campaign she was ousted from WSPU due to her opposition to Pankhurst’s radical, militant tactics.

After leaving she became the president of the Women’s Freedom League, which welcomed men, women, militants and non-militants. Pethick was a pioneer in advocating for women’s rights, so much so that her home was considered the unofficial headquarters of the WSPU. Now a site protected by the National Trust, her home ‘The Mascot’ overlooked Holmwood Common and was deemed by the press to be the country home for the Suffragettes. ‘The Mascot’ was the site for members of the WSPU to debate and talk strategy. Pethick was keen to ensure the party had secure financial grounding, therefore using her home as an additional headquarters allowed for her to work alongside her husband to ensure that finances were always in order. The country views ensured that visitors, which included other Suffragettes and future Prime Ministers, could not only discuss politics, but could also walk the grounds, relax and picnic across the common. By opening her home, Pethick provided respite and refuge to all those involved in the struggle.

In 1912 the WSPU organised a campaign that involved smashing shop windows, which was initially strategised by Christabel Pankhurst. Despite Pethick’s disagreement with these forms of protest, her leadership of the WSPU meant she was responsible for most of the organisation's actions. This led to the imprisonment of both Pethick and her husband Fredrick. They were jailed for nine months and sued for public damages. Their time in prison was recounted in Fredrick’s memoir Fate Has Been Kind (1943). They both went on a hunger strike to continue their protesting, which resulted in force-feeding. It occurred twice a day, and was described as unpleasant and painful (1943). Regardless of the violating nature of the procedure, Pethick and her husband remained persistent in their protests.

Pethick published a memoir titled My Part in a Changing World (1938) which recounted her early life and involvement with the Suffragette movement. She was later involved in Marie Stopes’ campaign advocating for working-class women’s birth control. She dedicated the rest of her life to continuing the campaign for women’s rights and travelling with her husband. Following a heart attack in 1954, she died at her home in Surrey.