Suffragettes – Stories from Parliament (Part 2 of 2) Video Lecture | How does UK Parliament's Education Service works? - Personal Learning

stories from Parliament votes for women
are too
as Lady Constance Lytton with
influential friends I'd been given
special treatment in prison would I be
treated differently if I changed my
appearance and my name I decided I would
join the suffragettes next march of
protest disguised as an ordinary working
woman a woman by the name of Jane
Wharton I went to buy a pair of glasses
and the plainest least fashionable dress
and coat and hat and had my hair cut
short I could tell my ugly disguise was
a success you know ladies I think she's
actually bought that hat I felt
embarrassed as well as pleased by my
disguise but this was nothing compared
to what my fellow suffragettes were
going through in prison many were now on
hunger strike refusing to take food and
being forced to eat in the cruelest way
so I traveled by train up to Liverpool
to join the protest outside the prison
where we knew this cruel treatment was
in force in front of the prison
governor's house Miss Emily Davison
spoke to the assembled crowd if there
are no men in Liverpool who'll stand up
for these prisoners here let the women
do their part stay and blockade the
Governor's House till the prisoners are
released two policemen seem to have
their eyes fixed on me I was determined
to get arrested and imprisoned so I
began to throw the stones I was holding
though I didn't throw them at the
governor's windows all I did was drop
them over the hedge into his garden but
that was enough right that's it
the two policemen grabbed me by the arms
and matched me after the station Miss
Davison struck one of them on the back
Figg let her go away so she was arrested
- I was sentenced to 14 days hard labor
and thanks to my disguise Jane Wharton
as I now was receive none of the special
treatment that had been offered to lady
Litton now I learned exactly what my
fellow suffragettes were subjected to
each day award renew all my meals but as
each meal was brought to my cell I don't
want any thank you very well then on the
fourth day a doctor entered my cell with
five wardresses
so then this one's Jane Wharton Jane
Wharton and this is your fourth day
without food you must be fed at once but
I would urge you to take food willingly
you'll find it much more pleasant when
our government gives votes to women I
shall eat this is absurd behavior all
started by that Dunlop woman miss
Wallace Dunlop began the hunger strikes
and all imprisoned suffragettes now
follow her example very well let's lie
her down on our bed why hate you Union
resist this is no way to help your cause
if he thrust a tube down my throat hello
I choked as it reached inside cut down
and down it went
then the sloppy liquid fluid was poured
in but it made me sick in seconds it
seemed an eternity before they took the
tube out
I knew that Lady Constance Lytton would
not have been treated like this but
ordinary
Jane Wharton was a despised helpless
creature and when she was out of prison
no one would believe a word she said
there were so many Jane Wharton's in our
land we had to help them by winning
votes for women before long through the
wall I heard the sounds of frost feeding
in the cell next to mine it was almost
more than I could bear but at last the
ghastly process was over and all was
quiet then I tapped on the wall and
called out No Surrender
votes for women and they came an answer
from beyond the wall I think it was Miss
Davison I couldn't be sure but now as I
think back I am quite sure of her most
famous deed on the 4th of June 1913
Emily Davison was at the front of the
crowd of the Epsom Derby with the horse
race in full flow she stepped under the
barrier and on to the trap two horses
thundered past her but as another the
King's horse galloped round the bend she
lunged towards it and was bowled over
and trampled under its hooves
some said it was suicide to bring
attention to our cause
but Emily had bought a return ticket to
the race I believe that she had no
intention of dying as she did I believe
that she was trying to hang a
suffragette flag on the passing horse so
that when it crossed the finishing line
the King's own horse would be flying the
slogan votes for women perhaps it was a
turning point I don't know it had taken
years but in 1918 women were given the
vote if they were over 30 perhaps in
time women will have the vote on the
same terms as men perhaps one day they
will even be elected themselves I hope
for this at least that anyone in future
times who has the right to vote will use
it and we'll remember the struggles of
the suffragettes deeds not words deeds
not words
you