Letter from Mary Blathwayt to Annie Kenney including tree clippings
Friendship
Annie’s Arboretum is a plantation of trees planted by suffragettes who had undergone imprisonment to mark their sacrifice for the Votes for Women cause. It was located at Eagle House in Batheaston, the home of the Blathwayt family. Over 60 trees were planted during the militant campaign (1905-1914), but were later destroyed in the 1960s to make way for a housing estate. Writing to Annie Kenney (1879-1953), between 25-26 February 1951, Mary Blathwayt (1879-1961) encloses tree leaves from the arboretum, including clippings from conifer trees planted by Lady Constance Lytton (1869-1923) and Annie on 23/4/1909; Mary Howey on 2/9/1910; and Christabel Pankhurst (1880-1958) on 6/11/1910. These clippings and a tree that was left on site are the only (known) remaining biomatter from Annie’s Arboretum.
Blathwayt, Mary
Unknown
25-26 February 1951
Copyright: Estate of Mary Blathwayt. All rights reserved. Included here by kind permission of later generations of the Blathwayt family.
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English (United Kingdom)
AK.2.Blathwayt.4.6
Letter from Jessie Kenney to Warwick Kenney-Taylor, 1950
Reputation
Jessie Kenney writes to her nephew, Warwick Kenney-Taylor, to give him her account of her role in the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). This becomes necessary through the course of correspondence between Jill Craigie, a scriptwriter interested in capturing the story of the suffragette movement. Jessie worries that she will brushed off as “Christabel’s Secretary” and not given full recognition for the importance and variety of her contribution to the Cause. “I was then as much an organiser as Mother [Annie Kenney] and Mrs Drummond [Flora ’the General’ Drummond] although I was only 21, but as I worked behind the scenes I was never known so much only in the organisation. London members were devoted to me and my name counted for much behind the scenes.”
Kenney, Jessie
Unknown
April 1950
Copyright: Estate of Jessie Kenney. All rights reserved. Included here by kind permission of Warwick Kenney-Taylor (son of Annie Kenney) and later generations of the Kenney and Taylor families.
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English (United Kingdom)
KP/AK/5
Letter from Grace Roe to Annie Kenney, 1950
Friendship
In this warm and affectionate letter to Annie Kenney, Grace Roe confirms the life-long friendships and connections between the women who participated in the militant suffragette struggle. Christabel Pankhurst has told her about the passing of their colleague “Aunt Ada,” aka Mrs Goulden Bach, Emmeline Pankhurst’s sister. Grace recalls that “it was Mrs Bach who came to tell me you had been arrested on that eventful day and it was Mrs Bach who gave me the first news of Mrs Pankhurst’s long sentence.” She ends her letter with the exclamation: “Annie darling I love you Never forget it - Grace”
Roe, Grace
Unknown
2nd January 1950
Copyright: Licensed under UK orphan works scheme. Licence number: OWLS000158.
Source: UEA Archives. Transcript: Zoe Kelly
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English (United Kingdom)
AK/2/Roe/3