Northumberland’s Lawless Lassie
The campaign for votes for women would not have been won in 1918 without the struggles and sacrifices of hundreds of brave suffragettes. One of those extraordinary women, better known for her death under the hooves of the King’s horse in 1913, grew up near the thriving Northumbrian market town of Morpeth. We look back at the indomitable suffragette Emily Wilding Davison, whose remarkable life was filled with audacity, resilience and an unwavering commitment to achieving equality.
Emily Wilding Davison was born in Blackheath, London in 1872, but moved to her family’s home in Longhorsley near Morpeth shortly after her father died in 1893. Her early years in Northumberland are thought to have laid the foundation for her rebellious spirit. Growing up in a region known for its history of social activism and radicalism, Davison was molded by the spirit of defiance that echoed through the region’s mining communities. The struggles faced by the working class and the stark gender inequalities she observed in these communities deeply impacted her world view, inspiring her to fight for a more just society.
From a young age, Davison displayed a strong sense of justice and a willingness to challenge societal norms. After completing her education, she pursued a degree in literature at the University of London, where she developed a keen awareness of the social and political inequalities faced by women. This deepened her commitment to the women's suffrage movement and fuelled her determination to bring about change. In 1906, Davison joined the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), a militant suffragette organisation led by Emmeline Pankhurst. Davison's audacious tactics and fierce determination quickly distinguished her within the movement and she became known for her confrontational approach to activism, embracing direct action and civil disobedience to draw attention to the cause. In 1909, Davison, along with ten other women, was charged with obstruction and assault of police officers outside the House of Commons and was subsequently sentenced to three months in prison. This was her first time in jail; it would not be her last. By December 1911, Davison had stepped up her campaign of militancy and, acting unilaterally, she took to breaking windows and began setting post boxes on fire by stuffing pieces of paraffin-soaked linen inside.
As well as resisting arrest, the suffragettes resisted imprisonment, demanding to be treated as political prisoners. They refused to be put in criminal cells and to wear prison dress, and fought back against prison wardens and matrons. They refused to eat, and prison authorities responded to these hunger strikes with brutal force-feeding. “Ours is a bloodless revolution but a determined one,” she wrote to the home secretary Herbert Gladstone from her prison cell. “We are ready to suffer, to die if need be, but we demand justice!” In a manuscript prepared for the WSPU, she provided a vivid account of the protest made by suffragettes who were being kept in solitary confinement and force-fed in their cells. On 22 June 1912, near the end of a new six-month sentence in Holloway, Davison threw herself over the handrail and wire netting outside her second-floor cell, landing at the bottom of the steps of the floor below. She was knocked unconscious, but the prison authorities resumed force-feeding her through a nasal tube the very next day. She would eventually be released ten days prior to the end of her six-month sentence on the 28 of June 1912, weighing two stone less and with significant wounds to her scalp. Records show that over the course of her jail time, Davison was force-fed a total of 49 times.
Davison recuperated in Longhorsley, but by late November she was once again arrested and imprisoned, this time in Aberdeen where she attacked a clergyman with a horsewhip, mistakenly thinking him to be Chancellor Lloyd George. By this point, she was no longer on the payroll of the WSPU, whose leaders regarded her as a lone wolf. However, they continued to recognise her extraordinary resilience, and in February 1913 she was sent an extra bar for her ‘Hunger Strike’ medal.
The defining moment in Davison's life came on 4 June 1913. At the Epsom Derby, seeking to draw attention to the cause, she entered the racetrack armed with a tri-coloured suffragette flag. In a daring act of protest, she attempted to attach the flag to the bridle of Amner, a horse owned by King George V. The consequence was dire, as Davison was struck by the chest of the charging horse and sustained catastrophic injuries. She died in hospital four days later, surrounded by an honour guard of suffragettes in a room hung with green, white and purple bunting. Davison's action at the Epsom Derby continues to be a subject of debate and speculation. Some argue that she intended to sacrifice herself for the cause, while others believe it was a desperate act of defiance gone wrong. Regardless of her intentions, her sacrifice became a catalyst for change and brought global attention to the suffragette movement, inspiring countless women to take up the cause. It was a turning point that galvanised public support and hastened the path towards women's suffrage.
Emily Wilding Davison was laid to rest in her hometown of Morpeth in Northumberland. The town holds a special place in the history of her activism, and her grave in St. Mary's churchyard serves as a pilgrimage site for those who seek to pay tribute to her unwavering spirit and dedication to the cause of women's suffrage. In 2018, to mark the 100th anniversary of the first women getting the right to vote in the UK, a statue of Davison was unveiled in Morpeth’s Carlisle Park. It was made by Durham sculptor Ray Londsdale and shows Ms Davison while on hunger strike in prison, throwing her food on the ground, knowing she would be force-fed. The location of the statue in Carlisle Park holds significant meaning. The park, with its picturesque surroundings and tranquil atmosphere, serves as a gathering place for the community and a site of remembrance for Davison's contributions. Her statue has become a focal point for visitors and locals alike and serves as an inspiration for future generations. Beyond the statue, Morpeth hosts events and exhibitions commemorating her life and activism, ensuring that her story is passed down through generations. From educational initiatives to guided tours of significant sites, Morpeth embraces its connection to Emily Wilding Davison, honouring her as a prominent figure in the town's history.
Photography by @adventure_cal
As featured in This Is Northumberland 2024