English women's suffrage

Component identifier:

Series 3

Content Summary:

This series documents in considerable detail the women's suffrage movement in England between 1908 and 1928, when English women finally achieved equal suffrage. The militant suffrage movement led by Emmeline Pankhurst of the Women's Social and Political Union (W.S.P.U.) forms the core of this series, but the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (N.U.W.S.S.), known as the law-abiding or constitutionalist suffragists are also represented. Of special interest are the medals, flags and other memorabilia collected by Bessie Rischbieth from several English suffrage activists. There are letters from 1911 to 1963, a pictorial volume of the movement in 1911-1913, pamphlets, copies of the newspapers The Suffragette and Votes for Women; court orders for the appearance of suffragettes who were charged for various offences and biographical notes on various women. Comprises Items 1-449.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Bessie Rischbieth bequeathed to the National Library her collection of papers and books in so far as they related to the 'national, empire and/or international development of the modern women's movements', while papers of personal and local interest were bequeathed to the State Library of Western Australia. The papers were received in November 1967, and were augmented by the records of the Australian Federation of Women Voters in 1970.

Arrangement:

Previously unnumbered items have been retained within original files and assigned a new running number with an "A" prefix. The additional numbering restarts at 1 (e.g. "A1) in each series where it has been used.

Subjects:

Women's rights

Contents

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