Imagine living in a world where your voice is silenced. Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst fought to change that. Today we stand before the Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst Blue plaque. It commemorates their tireless efforts. It marks their residence at 50 Clarendon Road.
Emmeline Pankhurst was born Emmeline Goulden in Manchester in 1858. At 14 she attended her first women’s suffrage meeting. In 1879, she married Richard Pankhurst. He was a barrister and radical. Richard even wrote the first women’s suffrage bill in Britain. Their homes became meeting spots for social reformers.
Emmeline and Richard had five children. Two daughters, Christabel and Sylvia, became leaders in the women’s suffrage movement. Emmeline and Christabel together founded the Women’s Social and Political Union in 1903. The WSPU was more militant than other suffrage groups. Its members were called suffragettes. Their motto was “Deeds not words”.
Christabel obtained a law degree in 1906. After that she moved to London to the WSPU headquarters. She became its organizing secretary. Emmeline adopted new methods. These included processions to the House of Commons and rallies. In 1913, Emmeline was sentenced to three years in prison. This was after activities like smashing the Prime Minister’s windows.
Emmeline refused to eat or drink in prison. She was released but rearrested repeatedly. She served 30 days in total. These hardships and harsh treatment grew public sympathy.
Christabel organized many WSPU plots. To avoid imprisonment, she lived in Paris from 1912. She continued her work for the cause from there. She became known as a powerful orator and writer.
The First World War began in 1914. This led to a truce in the suffrage movement. Emmeline supported the war effort. In 1915, she adopted four “war babies”. These were children born out of wedlock. In 1916, she rented 50 Clarendon Road. She lived there with the children. Christabel lived with her mother there at times.
In 1918, some women got the right to vote. Emmeline returned to England in 1926. She was hailed as a leader. She was selected as a Conservative candidate. Emmeline Pankhurst died on 14 June 1928. Shortly after, all women over 21 got the vote.
Christabel moved to the United States during the Second World War. She died in Los Angeles in 1958.
This Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst Blue plaque commemorates their fight. It serves as a reminder of their sacrifices. It reminds us of their vital role in the women’s suffrage movement. Let us remember their legacy. Let us continue to strive for equality. Their work paved the way for future generations.