YORE SHOES

This is the shoe of Emmeline Pankhurst. It was lost during a scuffle with police during the 1908 – 1914, the most militant stage of the Suffragette movement.

 

Emmeline was born in 1858 in Manchester. She founded the Women's Franchise League in 1889 which wanted to give women the vote. In 1903 she helped to form a more radical group, the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) whose members were called the suffragettes. Emmeline's daughters Christabel and Sylvia were also in this group and took part in the protests for women’s rights. In 1913, Emily Davison, another member of the group was killed when she threw herself under the king's horse at the races out of protest.

Emmeline was arrested lots for her beliefs and also went on hunger strike. More than 1000 other women were also imprisoned. After some time government passed the ‘Cat and Mouse’ Act which meant hunger striking women would be released till they were strong and then arrested again. This all ended quickly in 1914 when the First World War broke out and women put their efforts into the home front. In 1918, after a long period of women helping out, government gave voting rights to women over 30 years old. Emmeline died in 1928 shortly after women were given equal rights to men.