Christmas card from Christabel Pankhurst to Jessie Kenney, 1954
Friendship
Christmas card from Christabel Pankhurst to Jessie Kenney, 1954. [transcript is available below]
The front depicts a cathedral with the subtitle “Christmas Blessings” and a star with the subtitle “I am the light of the world.” John 8:12. The inside of the card reads: “On the birthday of Our Lord, May you know the joy and comfort of those who dwell safely within His abiding love.”
Christabel writes that the cathedral on the card reminds her of Notre Dame and their time in Paris during the final phase of the campaign for the vote. Christabel spent the last two years of the suffragette struggle exiled in Paris in order to evade the British authorities. During this time Annie and Grace Roe were left in charge of operations in London and Jessie worked as Christabel's secretary in Paris. Her thoughts go to Annie, who had passed away the previous year, and her son, Warwick, and husband, James. “The fine record she made as she passed through the world we can all be highly proud of. She fought a good fight and finished her course triumphantly.”
Pankhurst, Christabel
Unknown
December 1954
Copyright: Estate of Christabel Pankhurst (c/o Helen Pankhurst). All rights reserved.
Source: UEA Archives. Transcript: Hazel Brain
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KP/JK/3/Pankhurst,C./19-20
Letter from Lillian Buckley to James Taylor, 1953
Friendship
Lillian Buckley, a fellow suffragette and a colleague of Annie from her time at the Bristol WSPU [Women’s Social and Political Union], writes to James Taylor to express her condolences for Annie’s death. Annie was a South-West WSPU Organiser for a number of years in the early 1910s before relocating to London to head the Movement during Christabel Pankhurst’s exile in Paris. Lillian writes about Annie: “Never had I met such an amazing character or one who was such a complete joy to work with. After she left Bristol the work did not forge ahead with the same genius of inspiration, as no-one in my experience, has ever had the same kind of spirit which made all the members of the WSPU in Bristol feel they ‘Can do’.”
Buckley (nee Dove-Willcox), Lillian
Unknown
11 July 1953
Copyright: Licensed under UK orphan works scheme. Licence number: OWLS000161
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KP/AK/6/1/7
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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Letter from Christabel Pankhurst to Annie Kenney, 1949
Friendship
Letter from Christabel Pankhurst to Annie Kenney from 25 January 1949
[Transcription is available below]
Christabel writes about the death of fellow suffragette, Flora ‘the General’ Drummond. “It is really very difficult to realise our General has left the world. A chapter has closed for us.” Spearheading the militant suffragette movement, Christabel, Annie, the General and Grace Roe were all very close friends and continued to take interest in each other’s lives after their militant days were over. During the votes for women struggle, the General was imprisoned nine times and went on a hunger strike several times. She got her nickname because of her habit to lead Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) marches and demonstrations riding a horse and dressed in a general’s uniform. In the 1930s, Drummond formed a right-wing league, Women’s Guild of Empire, which was opposed to communism and fascism. Christabel writes that the General’s political beliefs may have led her to feel that “affairs public had taken a turn other than she had hoped” after WWII. This refers to Clement Atlee’s landslide victory over Churchill in the 1945 General Election, which gave Labour its first majority government.
Pankhurst, Christabel
Kenney Papers, University of East (UEA) Anglia Archives
Unknown
25th January 1949
Copyright: Estate of Christabel Pankhurst (c/o Helen Pankhurst). All rights reserved.
Source: UEA Archives. Transcript: Jules Robbins
Creative Commons: This image is also available within Creative Commons BY-NC and all copyright and the source must be attributed. The image must not be used for commercial purposes.
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KP/AK/2/Pankhurst,C/16
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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Letter from Constance Lytton to Annie Kenney, April 1909
Friendship
Letter from Lady Constance Lytton to Annie Kenney, 23 April 1909.
Lady Constance writes to Annie (on the same day they'd been planting trees together) to thank her for the “glow and life” she has given her during their recent meeting. Annie’s warm and lively personality seems to have renewed her hope at a time when Lady Constance was feeling mentally drained as a result of her imprisonment in Holloway: “I was so down, so smashed and failure”.
She mentions a car ride she took with Mrs Pethick-Lawrence; and asks Annie’s advice about further action in Hertfordshire and Ireland.
She signs the letter: “Your loving
Con”
Lytton, Lady Constance
Unknown
23 April 1909
Copyright: Owned by Knebworth Estates – www.knebworthhouse.com. All rights are reserved.
Source: UEA Archives. Transcript: Zoe Kelly
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