Suffragettes in the Surrey Hills: The Pethick Lawrences | Dorking Museum | Documentary

what first attracted me to Emmeline it was the way she smoked she could get off a moving bus with ease and you know she went walking without gloves she was a thoroughly modern woman [Music] growing up in weston-super-mare Emmeline Pesek shop polite society when she was one of the first young women to ride a bicycle in public she moved to London to work with slum girls and became a socialist I refused Fred at first he wasn't a socialist but he converted for me when Emily married Fred Lawrence in 1901 they both took the surname Pethick Lawrence to demonstrate the equality of their relationship theirs was a true partnership a marriage on equal terms largely forgotten today the Pethick Lawrence is were leading figures in the women's social and political union fighting for hopes for women the list of visitors to their house here the mascot in homeless reads like a roll call of prominent suffragettes and socialism's [Music] as only kenny wrote in her suffragette autobiography if these beautiful words that leaf hill could have spoken Scotland Yard would have force toward many a militant faction the village of Homewood became the unofficial weekend headquarters of the suffragettes it was Keir Hardie leader of the Labour Party and its first MP who introduced Emmeline Pethick Lawrence to Emmeline Pankhurst we determined to organize a society of women to demand immediate enfranchisement not by any means of outworn missionary methods but through political action it was October 1903 we voted to call our new society the women's social and political union deeds not words were to be our permanent mahtim mrs. Pankhurst short of funds and with no staff were struggling to set up a London base for her WSPU Emmeline perfect Lawrence was initially not very keen to get involved with what she described as mrs. Pankhurst pathetic little committee to tell the truth I had no fancy to be drawn into a small group of brave and reckless and quite hopeless people who would prepare to dash themselves against the oldest tradition of human civilization as well as one of the strongest governments of modern times however she was persuaded to take the vital role of treasurer and Christabel Pankhurst later recalled that it was a great day when mrs. Pethick Lawrence joined the Pankhurst's did not understand organisation and they had no idea of Finance theirs was a guerrilla method of political warfare it became my business to give their genius solid foundation Freddy Malins flats at Clements Inn in London became the national headquarters of the WSPU and in 1906 Christabel Pankhurst came to live with them she stayed with them for five years and together they ran the WSPU from London and from here in Homewood Fred paid off the organization's des whilst Emmeline sorted out its finances and recruited staff and supporters in 1907 Fred and Emmeline launched the magazine votes for women which sold 40,000 copies a week during the height of its popularity Emmeline also organized pageants and processions including the spectacular Hyde Park demonstration of 1908 this movement absolutely absorbs me and gives me all I need and all I ever dreamed possible of inspiration and joy when such demonstrations failed the suffragettes chained themselves to railings and tried to force their way into Parliament in October 1906 Emmeline Pethick Lawrence was arrested for disorderly conduct for trying to make a speech in the lobby of the houses of parliament she was sentenced to two months in Holloway it was the first of six spells of imprisonment fred was not able to join the organisation but nevertheless he paid a vital role in six years he stood bail for over a thousand women with his own money and became affectionately known as godfather in 1912 the WSPU campaign became increasingly militant on the 1st of March suffragettes broke 270 windows in central London and a few days later Fred Emmeline and mrs. Pankhurst were arrested on a charge of conspiracy speaking on the eve of the trial Emmeline said this cause is the purpose for which we were born it is good that we shall have by our side mrs. Pankhurst who is our friend who've all women in the world we would wish to have with us in that hour the trial generated much sympathy for the trio and despite the feeling that they had no option but to convince the jury requested that the judge take into account their undoubtedly pure motives all three were sentenced to nine months it was about this time that suffragettes began to go on hunger strike and into ad force feeding women suffered broken teeth bruised faces food in the lungs and infections from dirty equipment women left prison bleak and physically and mentally abused Fred and Emmeline were no exception as mrs. Pankhurst later recalled a sudden scream from mrs. Lawrence's cell then the sound of a prolonged and violent struggle and I knew that they had come to carry their brutal business to our doors she is a strong woman and a very determined one and it had required the United strength of nine wardresses to overcome her as it was she resisted so violently that the doctors could not apply the stethoscope they had great difficulty in getting the tube done the mascot became a place of refuge to these women and Fred and Emmeline used votes for women to praise their heroism despite their generosity hard work and the hardship that they had endured in October 1912 Fred and Emmeline were informed by mrs. Pankhurst that their association with the WSPU was at an end it has always been believed that the Pethick Lawrence is in the Pankhurst fell out because Fred and Emmeline opposed the movements increasing militancy since personal dissensions have never been well to pond in the WSPU I should not say any more about this important dissension than was announced in the suffragettes and votes for women at the first reunion of the leaders mrs. Pankhurst and Miss Christabel Pankhurst outlined a new militant policy which mr. and mrs. Pethick Lawrence found themselves all together unable to approve mrs. Pankhurst and miss Christabel Pankhurst indicated that they were not prepared to modify their intentions and recommended that mr. and mrs. Pethick Lawrence should leave the women's social and political union but that was not the case we shall continue to be jointly responsible with you in the future as we have been in the past we will fight until victory is won we have never for a single instant allowed our individual interest to stand in the way of any necessary action and we never shall the likely cause of the split was instead for its wealth so long as mr. Lawrence can be connected with the movements actions the government will make him pay they see mr. Lawrence as a potent weapon against the movement and they mean to use it if we raised a fund to recoup mr. Lawrence it would mean that our members money would go finally into the coffers of the enemy but the fighting fund would be depleted or ended all they released from prison Fred and mrs. Pankhurst were ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution however mrs. Pankhurst had no SS and so the Director of Public Prosecutions pursued Fred when Fred refused to pay saying that he'd staked his health and his life for the cause and was not about to back down the contents of the mascot were put up for auction in response the suffrages organized a campaign of open-air rallies and meetings in village halls in Dorking in the surrounding villages the campaign was run from a house in Howard Road and the organizers had to reassure worried shopkeepers that there would be no window breaking in Dorking on the day of the auction the 31st of October 1912 hundreds of supporters dressed in suffragette colors gathered here in the garden of the mascot the warfare between us and the government has now been carried on to the financial plane and the only course consistent with my principles is to fight every inch of the way you may be bidding for my treasured possessions but there is a greater prize at stake Liberty many of the items bought were handed back to the couple at the end of the auction and Emmeline had this plaque installed in the hallway of the mascot in commemoration the auction was a triumph for the WSPU and it further enhanced frettin Emmaline's reputations but it also marked the end of their association with the Pankhurst's the suffragettes surged up into my life they invaded my flat and almost took possession of it and everything in it they engrossed the attention of my wife who had become their honorary treasurer and he brought with them an inexhaustible fund of logic and laughter courage charm reason and raillery if the arrival of the suffragettes into the lives of the perfect Laurence's was sudden and dramatic so to their departure the break was final and complete from that moment on I never heard from mrs. Pankhurst again and Christabel who had shared our family life became a complete stranger [Music] Fred and Emmeline continued to fight for the vote for women and one in 1928 the vote was granted to women on equal terms with men it was Emmeline who led the speeches both Fred and Emmeline continued to devote their lives to the causes of equality peace and socialism Emily was instrumental in the formation of the Women's International League for peace and freedom as Secretary of State for India in at least post-war labour government Fred helped negotiate Indian independence on Fred's death aptly said that it was given too few men to play a key role in two great campaigns of liberation while celebrating the 1928 equal franchise act Emmeline recalled we have fought a good fight and to those of you who think oh here you are in at the end I respond no I'm in at the beginning [Music]