The first Suffragette hunger striker

At the beginning of the 20th century those denied the right to vote in Britain included convicted criminals, those incarcerated in lunatic asylums – and women, all women. The WPSU and their suffragette ‘army’ fought to earn women the right to vote. In July 1909 the suffragettes developed a new and very powerful tactic which was initially the action of a lone woman. The artist Marion Wallace Dunlop went on hunger strike. She had been sent to Holloway on a charge of wilfully damaging the stonework of the House of Commons. Classified as a second division criminal prisoner, she went on hunger strike to protest against not being classified as a political prisoner. The success of her action in promoting the suffragette cause quickly led to the adoption of the hunger strike as official policy of the WSPU.

This is Wallace Dunlop’s Holloway brooch awarded to her for her action. The brooch depicts the portcullis of the House of Commons, two hanging chains and a superimposed arrow in purple, green and white enamel, the colours of the movement. It is accompanied by her enamel shield-shaped WSPU membership badge, in purple white and green, with ‘Votes for Women’ and ‘WSPU’ in gilt lettering. Both are in a purple presentation box for a medal with an inscription to Wallace Dunlop inside the lid. It is accompanied by a letter from George Bernard Shaw’s sister Lucy Carr Shaw to Mrs Pankhurst, containing a message of praise by George Bernard Shaw, and other related ephemera. A scarce number of Holloway brooches come onto the market today and to be holding the one which belonged to the first female hunger striker is most moving.

sold