Suffragettes in Scotland

sheilajim · Post by **sheilajim** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:31 am

Did ordinary women get involved with the Suffragette movement in Scotland?

I remember an argument between my mother and my aunt many years ago. My aunt was claiming that their mother went to jail for a few days for demonstrating for the right of women to vote. My mother was horrified at the notion of their mother ever being in jail, even for such a cause.

I don't know who to believe, but I was under the impression that only relatively rich women were involved with the Suffragette movement. My grandmother was anything but rich.

Is there any way that I could find out about this family mystery? It would have occurred just before WW1.

Regards

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 7:43 am

Hello Sheila,

Two books by Leah Leneman, “The Scottish Suffragettes” and “Guid Gause—The Suffrage Movement in Scotland” may be the best available. There’s a summary here.
http://www.fempages.org/scottsuff/suff.htm

There’s a good summary of the Pankhurst WSPU suffragette movement here.
http://www.newstatesman.com/200504040026

There’s some interesting material within this book “Votes for Women” If you search in the “search in this book” box for CLASS and look at page 142 and previous pages and elsewhere you’ll find interesting stuff about working class women’s involvement in the UK. It’s only a limited preview book however and bits may be missing.
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=kio ... 0&lpg=PA20

Any newsworthy events, possibly with names, may have been reported in the Scotsman or the London Times. http://archive.scotsman.com/search.cfm

Hope this helps,
Alan

Muriel · Post by **Muriel** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 11:06 am

Ordinary women were very definitely involved in the women's suffrage movement, altho' not necessarily the Pankhurst organisation. One of my great aunts wanted to be a Suffragette but, she told us, her father wouldn't let her (she couldn't work out why we all collapsed in giggles

She joined a non-militant organisation called, if I remember, correctly The Women Citizens - this was in Bridgeton.Muriel

sheilajim · Post by **sheilajim** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:24 pm

Hi Alan

Thank you so much for that info.

It looks as though I will have plenty to read. You hear a lot about the suffragette movement in England, but not in Scotland.

Muriel, that is funny about your Gt Aunt and her not understanding why you all started laughing.

I doubt that my Grandmother was ever in prison. It is possible, if my aunt is correct, that she went to jail for a few days, then was released. My aunt was a few years older than my mother and might have heard or understood more at the time. I don't know. I will look into it, but it will probably be one of those unsolved mysteries.

Thanks again
Regards