[Transcript by Hazel Brain]
Transcript – KP/JK/3/Pankhurst,C./19
[Christmas Card which depicts a cathedral on one side with the subtitle “CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS” and a winter landscape with palm trees and a star with the subtitle “’I am the light of the world’ John 8:12. The other side reads “On the birthday of Our Lord, May you know the joy and comfort of those who dwell safely within His abiding love.”]
1007 Ocean Avenue
Santa Monica
California
14th December 1954
Dearest Jessie
This card reminds me just a little of Notre Dame, Paris and the time you were there with me in the final, decisive phase of our campaign for the vote. Let us always be
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thankful that we were victorious. Our bloodless war ended in real victory, unlike the bloodshedding wars between nations especially world wars I and II which have, as it were, [tried] warfare [illegible words]. Now the only hope for world peace and freedom is not in human effort, but in divine deliverance.
I shall think of you on Christmas Day and your and my thoughts will turn to [beloved] Annie.
You miss her greatly, I know.
Warwick she has left
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to represent her. How happy she must have been – and you also – that he has turned out so well – so much his mother’s son. Annie’s husband misses her too.
The fine record she made as she passed through the world we all can be highly proud of. She fought a good fight and finished her course triumphantly.
I have written a Christmas letter to our dear [illegible] secretary of WSPU [the Women’s Social and Political Union] days. She is living in the Villa Maria 1 Kloof Nek Rd [Road] Capetown S. [South] Africa. She likes to hear from us
[Vertical writing inserted between Pages 2 and 3]
I know. Much Christmas love and dear memories of our past Suffragette days and hope and [faith] for the future.
Christabel
KP/JK/3/Pankhurst, C/13
Letter from Christabel Pankhurst to Jessie Kenney, 7th Feb.1936. on her receiving her D.B.E Honour.
50, Pembridge Villas, W11
7th Feb.1936
Dearest Jessie,
Your congratulations are so very welcome to me. I am pleased that you are glad about the Honour which I feel belongs to us all and to the Cause most all.
It is not, as in some cases, just an individual recognition. The very time and circumstances in which the Honour has been given made it more significant than it would otherwise have been.
It comes not only at the end of Jubilee Year but at the end of the reign in which our campaign was waged and our victory won. It was the very moment for it to be given. Earlier or later would have made a great difference. Mother has the statue which is the very highest honour that humanity can pay and that makes us very thankful does it not?
It will seem to me as I receive the honour from King Edward that Mother and all of you are with me. It will be a great moment in the history of the Movement that begun thirty-one years ago, with that protest at the Free Trade Hall. I shall be thinking of Annie, my fellow soldier in that first battle! It is good that Grace and now you have voyaged home at the time when our Honour comes to us.
Often do I think, Jessie dear of our times at Clements Inn and your wonderful loyal help to me in those momentous years. You played your part nobly and my loving recollection of what you did will never fade. Those were glorious years and for the hardness of them we are rewarded by seeing the greatness and completeness of our victory. What other Movement for reform has ever so completely triumphed! What a privelege [privilege] we have had and how rich are our memories! We know too that all the experience has wprked [worked] into our being something of value which can never be lost and without
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which we should have been infinitely poorer in all that matters essentially.
Thank you, dear, dear Jessie, for your letter and all that you did in the Cause.
With love,
Christabel [signed]
[Transcribed by Hazel Brain]
Transcript – KP/JK/3/Pankhurst,C./1
Midland Hotel
BIRMINGHAM
29 Nov [November] 1918
My darling old Jessie
I am so very sorry about the news your letter brings but I hope you are better by now.
The weather here is damp and horrid – only one gleam of sun (reported in the Daily Mail) has visited us so far.
But the Smethwick [people’s friendliness] seems
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to make up for it.
You can imagine what work it has been to get the organisation side going. 3000 absent voters to
circula[rise], committee [loans] hard to get [through] the political views of their landlords etc. etc. But all is smoothing out and in the next two weeks we shall [illegible deletion] reap
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the fruits of all this [illegible] work.
The [happiest] band is the [Meetings] Department.
Miss [illegible] and Maguire and Co [Company]. They are on familiar ground so far as the work is concerned and they are doing it well.
My final meeting was last night
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and was most encouraging. No Unionist opposition and the only Labour opposition came from measly Bolsheviks and very few at that.
But of course meetings are not the final test and we act accordingly.
I have written to Dr. S[-----] asking if it is really impossible to get the stuff mother
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has when she is in U.S.A. [United States of America]
If he arranges anything I will let you know so that you may share the benefit. What you need is more
Bu[---] and dry [“dry” underlined twice] weather, for dampness is the worst thing for your troubles.
I have some hope
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that Dr. [illegible].S. will rise to the occasion as the one thing needed on this job is plenty of “push and go”.
Annie may be interested in the enclosed cutting, do please hand to her
With best love
C.P. [Christabel Pankhurst]
Transcript – KP/JK/4/3
PRIME MINISTER
10, Downing Street.
Whitehall, S.W.1
Miss Jessie Kenny has been known to me for some years and I should have no hesitation in recommending her for a responsible secretarial post. She has a great gift of organisation and has had a great deal of experience in this direction. I feel certain that she would display keenness and ability in any work she undertook. During the war she rendered valuable service in helping to organise women for war work.
Signed: F. I. Stevenson
(Secretary To Rt. Hon. David
Sept. 1919.