After the Representation of the People Act was passed in February 1918 giving the first women the vote (as well as all men), the British bureaucratic machine went into action to implement its provisions, despite the country still fighting a…
1918 – would you be able to vote – or wouldn’t you?
Posted in A Song of their Own - women's suffrage
Votes for Women – at last
This year, 2018, marks the centenary of the first time that women were able to vote in a British General Election. For women over the age of 30, who were householders or married to householders, the long fight to have…
Posted in A Song of their Own - women's suffrage
ELIZABETH GARRETT ANDERSON – a remarkable woman
The centenary of the death of Suffolk’s Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (1836-1917) is celebrated this year. She was a remarkable woman – most notably she became the first woman doctor to practice medicine in this country – and was a pioneer…
Posted in A Song of their Own - women's suffrage
Lilian Cranfield – one of Ipswich’s Ridley suffragette sisters
Lilian was one of four Ridley sisters and, together with two of her older sisters, Ada and Bessie, was a supporter of the campaign for Votes for Women (see Blog Ada Ridley – Suffragette Artist for more information about the…
Posted in A Song of their Own - women's suffrage
Suffrage Stories – highlights 2015
The story of the fight for Votes for Women reaches an ever-wider audience. To coincide with the opening of the film Suffragette, the Houses of Parliament put on some special events, including a tour and talk on the main suffragette activity within…
Posted in A Song of their Own - women's suffrage
The Ipswich suffragettes and the cab driver
When Constance Andrews was released from Ipswich prison in May 1911 after a protest connected to the Votes for Women campaign, she was driven through the streets of Ipswich in an open cab. In this iconic photograph of the event,…
Posted in A Song of their Own - women's suffrage
Ada Ridley – suffragette artist
Ada Ridley is mentioned in my book, A Song of their Own, but since completing the book I’ve become aware of other interesting aspects of her life. Ada was born in the 1860s, the second oldest of 4 sisters –…
Posted in A Song of their Own - women's suffrage
5 more reasons to love the Ipswich suffragettes
Let’s look at some other aspects of the suffragettes, and why they are so admirable. **Despite their serious purpose, they had a lot of fun. Working together to achieve important and fundamental change is serious, hard work, and can be…
Lots of reasons to love the Ipswich suffragettes
The suffragettes were of course individual women who each made their own contribution to the campaign for the vote. However, there are admirable features of them as a group. Here are the first 5 of 10 reasons why I love the suffragettes.…
Posted in A Song of their Own - women's suffrage
Hortense Lane – Ipswich suffragette with a sad story
Hortense Lane was one of the first active suffragettes in Ipswich. As early as 1909, she appeared in court for refusing to pay her ‘Inhabited House Duty’ as a protest at not having the vote. This was before the No…
Posted in A Song of their Own - women's suffrage
