Women's Tax Resistance League - Uxbridge

The Women’s Tax Resistance League (1909–1918) was a group closely associated with the Women's Freedom League (estb 1907), which supported non payment of taxes until women secured the vote.

The Women's Tax Resistance League was officially established on the 22nd October 1909

The Women's Freedom League colours were Yellow (or Gold), White and Green

Uxbridge Women’s Tax Resistance League.

On Thursday evening, 16th March 1911, a good public meeting was held in the Town Hall, Uxbridge. The chair was taken by the Hon. Mrs. [Evelina] Haverfield, who gave a most earnest and spirited address upon the fundamental basis of the Suffrage movement. Mrs. [Margaret] Kineton Parkes spoke on the principles of tax resistance, and gave a short resumé of the work being done by the society formed to put these principles into practice.

Mrs. [Anne] Cobden Sanderson made an urgent plea to the women of Uxbridge to boycott the Census, and gave most lucid and logical reasons why the women should refuse to be counted, and endeavoured to show the serious results which follow to women from legislation without their consent. This meeting was entirely given and arranged by Miss [Kattherine] Raleigh, who is a member of the New Constitutional Society for Women’s Suffrage, and also the “Women’s Tax Resistance League.”

Report in Votes For women - journal of Women's Freedom League

25th March 1911

Katherine Ann Raleigh

Katherine Ann Raleigh (8 Park Road, Uxbridge) was the most influential Suffragette in the Uxbridge area, and was the driving force behind the Uxbridge NUWSS, Women's Freedom League and Women's Tax Resistance League.

Eldest in a gifted family, she was University women and a member of the University Club. When she arrived in Uxbridge, she drew around her a circle of friends at her weekly gatherings to whom she freely gave the benefits of her knowledge of literature and her talent for dramatic reading.

A Greek scholar, Librarian for the Hellenic society, She spent much time in Germany studying Folk lore, Member of English Folk Lore Society.

Katherine Ann Raleigh, became well known for her Suffragette work, wrote numerous pamphlets.

Raleigh was the first women (Uxbridge) council candidate in the Borough

Katherine Ann Raleigh died in January 1922 and is buried at Abney Park Cemetery, Highbury.

Katherine Raleigh deserves more recognition within the Borough. Photo Gazette 22 January 1922

In 1913 Marion Cunningham was secretary of the Hayes-Southall Women's Freedom League, lead by Charlotte Despard  (see other posts)

In July 1917 Miss Katherine Ann Raleigh, the assiduous local worker on behalf of the Women's cause (Suffragette) had refused to pay certain taxes as a protest to the government in not guarantying the franchise (Vote) to women,
Her property was seized and sold on this occasion a half dozen silver tea spoons in a case. these were bought by another suffragette Miss Underwood ( Believe this is F. A Underwood 31 Rush Hill Road, Clapham (Clapham Women's Freedom League)

Tory thugs broke up Women's Tax Resistance League and other suffragette meetings in West Drayton and Harefield

Uxbridge Tax Resistance League held meetings at the Pump Uxbridge

Uxbridge & District Women's Freedom League

Secretary: Miss Katherine Raleigh 8 Park Road, Uxbridge.

Hayes-Southall Women's Freedom League
Secretary: Marion Cunningham Mid London (late central) Women's freedom League

Secretary Mrs Tritton 1 Northcote Avenue, Ealing.

Quaker Suffrage Society established 1911

Secretary Sophia Seeking 6 Brookfield, West Hill, Highgate, London

Evelina Haverfield

Evelina Haverfield nee Scarlett was born in Scotland on the 9th August 1867. On her marriage to Major Henry Haverfield she moved to Devon, Caundle Marsh, Dorset and later Peace Cottage, Brendon, North Devon.

She accompanied her second husband John Blaguy to South Africa, where he was in the militar y. Her sister Ella Scarlett- Synage) a doctor, was also in South Africa working with Millicent Fawcett in monitoring the British Concentration camps for Boer prisoners and their families.

On her return to Britain, Evelina Haverfield became a prominent suffragette, initially involved in in the West of England National Union of Women Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) she joined the Women's Social & Political Union (WSPU) 1909 and became secretary of Paddington branch of the WSPU in 1910.

Her horse riding skills were used to great advantage by the suffragettes when tackling mounted police and in providing mounted horse escorts for suffragette events.
She was arrested for her part in the suffragette "Black Friday" on 18th November 1910 an accused of assaulting a police officer, on her arrest she was reported as stating that " next time I will bring a revolver".

A year later, 1911 she was sent to Holloway jail for two weeks for her part in suffragette disturbances on 21st November 1911
By 1914 she had joined Sylvia Pankhurst's East London Federation becoming its treasurer.
It was during her suffragette work that Haverfield came into contact with Vera Holme, who would later become her Lesbian partner.

During World War One Haverfield was appointed Commandant in Chief of Women's Reserve Ambulance (Green Cross Society) in August 1914, but left after a disagreement and became involved in the Scottish Women's Hospital in Serbia from 1915.
She spent the rest of her life fighting for the rights of the Serbian people

Evelina Haverfield died on the 21st March 1920 of pneumonia in Bajina Basta , Serbia, and is buried in the local cemetery, later a children's health centre was named after her in the town.

Picure right of Evelina's grave (Thanks to Tom Allan)

Hillingdon Herald - Women's Centre circa 1988

Edith How-Martyn - Suffagette and Middlesex County Councillor

Edith How-Martyn (1875-1954) was educated at the North London Collegiate School and University College, Aberystwyth.

She gave up her lectureship in mathematics at Westfield College, London to commit herself to the suffragette movement.

In 1906 she became one of the first Women's Social and Political Union members to serve time in Holloway Gaol; after being arrested outside the House of Commons in October 1906 she was charged with obstruction and sentenced to two months in prison. How-Martyn was released after a month on a King's Pardon.

How-Martyn was joint Honorary Secretary of the WSPU, and when the Women's Freedom League split from the increasingly autocratic WSPU in 1907 she was co-founder and Honorary Secretary of the Women's Freedom League (WFL) until January 1911.

She stood as an independent progressive candidate in Hendon, Middlesex at the 1918 general election, securing 2,067 votes representing 10% of the poll. Labours Frank Bailey securing 16% of the poll.


In 1919 Edith How-Martyn stood for a seat on Middlesex County Council and was elected as the first women councillor on that body.

Three colours of the Women's Freedom League - Green, White and Gold

Hayes and Southall had a branch of the Women's Freedom League with Marion Cunningham as Secretary.

Below is a house in Hayes with a sign which reads "Taxation without Representation is Tyranny - Votes For Women" . States by Adam & Eve Public House but Marion Cunningham lived at Hayes End.

Pinner Prisoners - Suffregetes

Suffregetes

Pinner Prisoners

At the May 1912 meeting of the Pinner (Harrow) Women’s Social & Political Union (WSPU) it was reported that Pinner presently had two suffragette prisoners in jail.

The Pinner Prisoners were Mrs Janie Torrero and Madame de Roxe

Mrs Janie Terrero, Secretary of Pinner WSPU of Rockstone House, Pinner (who’s husband was at the Pinner WSPU meeting) had written from her Holloway prison cell a letter to the local WSPU branch detailing “the horrors of the hunger strikes and force feeding” in terms both dramatic and affecting according to the local newspaper.

At the same meeting the speaker Mrs Penn Gaskell stated

“The Clarion call of Christabel (Pankhurst) and others like it was in their ears and she hoped they were awakened and revolting at last”. The other speaker being Miss Wyley recently released from Aylesbury prison

At Uxbridge the WSPU organiser was Miss Clara Giveen

A meeting of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) was held at Hayes on Sunday 21st February 1912 at 3:00pm the speaker being Miss Phyllis Ayrton. At Hayes the leading suffragette was Marion Cunningham of Oakdene, Hayes, who’s house in 1912 was searched by police looking for Christabel Pankhurst.

A letter from Marion Cunningham to Mrs Pankhurst was found in the house of Miss Annie Kenney’s house was read out at during an Old Bailey case

“I applaud your courage and perfectly believe in militancy. Nothing else can succeed but many of your union cannot agree with you…..Isolated cases involve much agony to the perpetrators and little or no damage to the government. Whatever is done now must be something big, something done by all members, some careful night attack where all women get off scot free if possible. Why not a gigantic raid on pillar-boxes with specially made Indian rubber bags filled with staining acids – say sulphuric hydrogen, I am a volunteer for that “

The WSPU also organised a huge suffragette meeting with Mrs Emmeline Pethwick Lawrence as speaker at Uxbridge town hall on Tuesday 27^th February 1912 suffragette and president of Esperance girls club and Esperance co-operative dress making society

“It was not the Government who brought about great reforms. Neither the liberal or the conservative government would have given old age pensions or workmen’s compensation, unless the people had exacted it for themselves

they did not care for the few propertied women but they did care and were working for the great masses of women who were earning their own livings. Was it reasonable to suppose that they would spend their time, lives and money and make all the sacrifices they did for the sake of a few propertied women. No, their one great aim was to see that the women in the industrial world..."

Also active locally was the non violent National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) headed by Miss Katherine Raleigh,

The Watling street section (one of six) of the great NUWSS , Women’s Suffrage Pilgrimage went through Uxbridge on the way to great demonstration on July 26^th 1912 at 7pm on Thursday the 24^th July.

A local branch of the Womens Tax Resistance League (linked to the WSPU on the principle of "No vote - No tax"). was established with Miss Katherine Raleigh and, Mrs Budding, Mrs Parkes and Miss Lees, who’s meeting at West Drayton village green in 1912 was attacked by thugs as was another Suffragette meeting at Harefield.

Michael Walker

The Monument

In 1913 suffragettes of the WSPU stormed the Monument in London (built to mark the Fire of London)

You can see in the WSPU flag flying from the railings

Local Hayes WSPU supporter Marion Cunningham lived at Oakdene, Hayes End,

The National Unemployed Workers Movement (NUWM) also occupied the Monument during the Thirties and unveiled a banner

Marion Cunningham - Hayes Suffragette

HAYES SUFFRAGETTES

Suffragette outrages.

Hayes ladies support the militants.

At the resumed hearing at Bow Street on Thursday of the Suffragette Conspiracy charges, Detective Inspector Hawkins stated that, "In his search of Miss Jessie Kennedy and Miss Rachel Barrett's flat he found a letter addressed to Mrs Pankhurst and signed by

Marion Cunningham of Oakdene, Hayes End, Middlesex which said,

'I applaud your courage and perfectly believe in militancy. Nothing else can succeed but many of your union can agree with you.'

These dashes appeared in the letter as given here. 'Isolated cases involve much agony to the proprietors and little or no damage to the government. Whatever is done now must be something big, something done by all members. Some careful night attacks where all women get off scott-free if possible. Why not a gigantic raid on pillar boxes with specially made Indian rubber bags filled with staining acid, say sulphuric hydrogen? I am a volunteer for that.'

Advertiser, May 10, 1913.

NOTE
Marion Cunnigham Hayes Suffragette was a very vocal and supporter of militant action, however her middle class background seemed to have spelt difficulty with the local Labour and trade Union movement in Hayes,

Marion Cunningham was secretary of the Hayes-Southall Women's Freedom League, lead by Charlotte Despard in 1913

THE UXBRIDGE WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE SOCIETY (FOUNDED IN 1902)

For some years it was affiliated to the " National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies," but is now an independent Society, The methods of the Society are constitutional and non-militant. Membership is open to men and women in sympathy with the aim or the Society, which is to obtain the Parliamentary vote on the same terms as it is, or may be, granted to men. The election policy is strictly non-party. The minimum subscription, 1s., entities the member, to attend all general business meetings, to bring forward resolutions, and to vote, also to receive announcement of all meetings of the Society.

The work of the Society is educational, and is carried on by means of meetings in halls and in the open air. For some time the Society has held an "At Home," open to the public free, on (as a rule) the first Monday in each month. Mrs Fawcett, Miss Abadam. Miss Fielden, Mr. Kennedy. Mr. Gugenheim, Mr. Victor Duval, Mrs. Kineton-Parkes, Lady Meyer, The Hon. Mrs.Haverfield, Lady Frances Balfour, the Rev. Hugh Chapman, Mr. Cecil Chapman, Miss Alison Nielans, Mrs. Fagan and many others have addressed meetings.

The official address of the Uxbridge Women’s Suffrage Society is—

Mrs Blower, 7, Park Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, where any member may consult the list of members. Tho Treasurer is Mrs. Masters.

Source: Kings Gazette Directory 1913

NOTE

Katherine Ann Raleigh was the most influential Suffragette in the Uxbridge area, and was the key person behind the Uxbridge NUWSS. Eldest in a gifted family, she was University women and a member of the University Club. When she arrived in Uxbridge she drew around her a circle of friends at her weekly gatherings to whom she freely gave the benefits of her knowledge of literature and her talent for dramatic reading. A Greek scholar, Librarian for the Hellenic society, She spent much time in Germany studying Folk lore, Member of English Folk Lore Society.

Katherine Ann Raleigh, became well known for her Suffragette work, wrote numerous pamphlets. The first women (Uxbridge) council candidate in the Borough died January 1922 and buried at Abney Park Cemetery, Highbury. Katherine Raleigh deserves more recognition within the Borough. Photo Gazette 22 January 1922

Marion Cunnigham Hayes Suffragette was a very vocal and supporter of militant action, however her middle class background seemed to have spelt difficulty with the local Labour and trade Union movement in Hayes,

Marion Cunningham was secretary of the Hayes-Southall Women's Freedom League, lead by Charlotte Despard in 1913

Meanwhile, local Tory thugs broke up suffragette meetings at West Drayton and Harefield