Votes for Women

[coughingbear]

I have a lengthy post half-written about The Dig, Sutton Hoo and The Dark is Rising, but in the meantime thought some of you might be interested in the ODNB's commemoration of 14 December 1918, the first time a woman was elected to the British House of Commons and indeed the first election in which women could stand as candidates and vote (if over

Comments

[chickenfeet2003]

This reminds me of a rather splendid conversation I had with Connie Lewcock circa 1977 when she described in some detail the destruction of Esh Winning railway station as part of the suffragette campaign.

Some more details here.

[coughingbear]

Oh how fab! Say more about her? And many thanks for the link.

I just found the VADS collection of women's suffrage banners...

[chickenfeet2003]

I was at a party in Durham when I was a student. It was a fairly mixed crowd but the "little old lady" in the corner was definitely atypical. I decided to talk to her and was I ever glad I did. She had been a close friend of Emily Davidson and still put flowers on her grave in Jesmond cemetery. She had been a teacher and had put her boyfriend, a miner, up to dynamiting Esh Winning station while she was speaking at a meeting some miles away. He left all kinds of evidence implicating her but of course she had a cast iron alibi! She told me that they had planned to blow up Durham Cathedral but she was glad they hadn't "because it's such a nice building". I've met a fair few activists from that period but she was definitely one of the liveliest!

[coughingbear]

How wonderful to have met her. I'm glad about Durham too... I was fascinated in the article to read that she didn't feel able to talk about Esh Winning in detail until the 1970s.

[rymenhild]

If it helps encourage you to finish the post, I'm very interested to hear what you have to say about Sutton Hoo and The Dark is Rising. I don't know The Dig, but I bet I'd be interested in that too.

[rhythmaning]

It is astounding that it is less than 90 years since women got the vote.

I was talking to someone just this weekend about "The Dark Is Rising" - still being read by kids today!

[anthrokeight]

This post totally made my day; it is coughingbear for the win!

Thanks so much for writing it.

I am also looking forward to Sutton Hoo/ Dark is Rising. Love the book, love the site... yay!

[rosathome]

I love reading The Dark Is Rising at this time of year. It is one of my favourite pre-Christmas rituals.

Flora Drummond looks fab. I had not heard of her before. I am very intrigued to know why there was a minimum height requirement for postmistresses. Perhaps there were lots of high shelves for keeping parcels on and no stools to stand on.

[coughingbear]

I have no idea (though I do know people who work on Post Office history, so I may ask them). Perhaps they just thought taller people were more impressive - bit like the old police height requirements, which don't exist any more.