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Women in Wolverhampton's
History No section about women in politics can ignore the subject of votes for women and the Suffragette movement in the early twentieth century. Though a national movement, its members came from all parts of the country and from all sections of the community. Mary Wollstonecraft in her Vindication of the Rights of Women had raised the demand for votes for women as early as 1792. Further attempts to give women the vote had taken place in the 1860's. Earlier suffrage groups formed a National Union of Women's Suffrage Society. By 1904 a Wolverhampton branch was known to be in existence. The report for 1907-1908 gives the names of the Wolverhampton branch members. The president was Mrs Thomas Graham, a relative of the owner of the liberal newspaper Express and Star, Mrs Taylor, Secretary, and Mrs May, Treasurer. However, it was with the founding of the Women's Social and Political Union in 1903 by Emmeline Pankhurst and others that a new phase in suffrage began. In November 1906 Emmeline Pankhurst visited Wolverhampton and made two speeches at the Wolverhampton Labour Club. Two years later 'Votes for Women' came to the fore in the town. During the by-election for the Wolverhampton East constituency the suffrage movement supported L.S. Amery, the Conservative Party candidate. In March 1908, during a speech by Mrs Billington-Grey at a suffragette meeting at the Co-operative Hall in Wolverhampton, a test tube of sulphuretted hydrogen was thrown injuring a Mrs Taylor of Rugby Street.
The Wolverhampton Journal, April 1908 The election result proved disappointing for the suffragettes of Wolverhampton with their preferred candidate losing by just eight votes.
The Wolverhampton Journal, June 1908 In 1908 women could not vote in parliamentary elections. However, there was great joy in Wolverhampton during this by-election when a woman realised that one of the names on the electoral register was open to interpretation. Lois Dawson was listed on the register under the name of Louis Dawson. As such she was eligible to vote. Complete with her voting card, Lois duly arrived at the polling station, went in and voted - much to the delight of the local suffragettes:
Express and Star, 5th May 1908
© Copyright. Wolverhampton City Council, 2002
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