Mabel Capper
Encyclopedia
Mabel Henrietta Capper (23 June 1888 - 1 September 1966) was a Brtish Suffragette
. She gave all her time between 1907 and 1913 to the Women's Social and Political Union
(WSPU) as a 'soldier' in the struggle for women's Suffrage. She was imprisoned six times, went on hunger strike and was one of the first Suffragettes to be forcibly fed.
Much of her life was devoted to the struggle against bad luck and discrimination.
. Her father, William Bently Capper was a Chemist and an Honorary Secretary of the Manchester branch of the Men's League for Women's Suffrage
. Her Mother, Elizabeth Jane Crews, whose own father, a Chemist had died when she was nine years old and whose siblings were subsequently divided between foster homes and the Muller Homes Orphanages, was a member of the WSPU.
A brother, William Bently Capper was born in 1890.
When the children were still young the family moved to 21 Oxford Street, Chorlton on Medlock, now Picadilly, Manchester.
Later she became involved with the pacifist and socialist movements.
She worked as a journalist for the Daily Herald
after the war.
In 1921, at Hampstead, London
. she married the writer Cecil Chisholm
. There were no children from the marriage.
into the armed forces.
She wrote: "-there is no reason in denying the rights of citizenship to women on these grounds. - When our men set out to battle they do not go alone. They are accompanied by an army of women, whose duty it is to tend those stricken in the fight. They endure the same hardships, undergo the same risks. Is their work less noble? Does the State owe them a lighter debt?"
A few years later this point was reinforced by the heroic work of Mabel Anne St Clair Stobart's Women's Convoy Corps and afterwards the Women's National Service League and Stobart's 1913 book War and Women.
In October 1912, her play The Betrothal of Number 13 was produced at the Royal Court Theatre
. "of working class life, written with a certain amount of sympathetic insight and character" it concerned the stigma imposed by imprisonment, even on the innocent.
She maintained her interest in feminism
and the lot of the underpriviledged throughout her life. In 1963 she wrote of her friend Mary Gawthorpe 's father and: "- what it meant to be born into a North Country working class family (in) the eighteen-eighties. - doomed by the caste system of (the) day to be a leather worker in an age when a stiff fight had to be made against competition from America."
In her 1963 review of Gawthorpe's book Up Hill to Holloway, Capper described how, in 1904, Mary was called to make her first speech entitled The Children under Socialism - "concerning the propriety of providing suitable food and clothing for poor children of the unemployed and needy during the winter"
It was a time of economic depression and, "from the Labour point of view, the aftermath of the South African War." Recruiting for that war "had afforded the usual discoveries of poor physiques, underfeeding and bad teeth." Capper noted that, by 1963 it was difficult to realise "how grudging was the welfare in those days. It all depended on a voluntary basis and funds were exhausted in that winter of 1905. By February a total of 323,414 dinners had been provided. - Strictest economy was necessary, and lentils, at about one halfpenny a meal, appear to have been the basic diet."
near Hastings
in 1946.
In the last ten years of her life she was crippled by osteoarthritis
and required full time nursing care.
She died at Leolyn Nursing home St Leonards on Sea
Suffragette
"Suffragette" is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union...
. She gave all her time between 1907 and 1913 to the Women's Social and Political Union
Women's Social and Political Union
The Women's Social and Political Union was the leading militant organisation campaigning for Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom...
(WSPU) as a 'soldier' in the struggle for women's Suffrage. She was imprisoned six times, went on hunger strike and was one of the first Suffragettes to be forcibly fed.
Much of her life was devoted to the struggle against bad luck and discrimination.
Family
She was born in Brook's Bar, Chorlton on Medlock, ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Her father, William Bently Capper was a Chemist and an Honorary Secretary of the Manchester branch of the Men's League for Women's Suffrage
Men's League for Women's Suffrage
The Men's League for Women's Suffrage was a society formed in 1907 by the left-wing writers Henry Brailsford, Max Eastman, Laurence Housman, Henry Nevinson and others to pursue women's suffrage.-External links:*...
. Her Mother, Elizabeth Jane Crews, whose own father, a Chemist had died when she was nine years old and whose siblings were subsequently divided between foster homes and the Muller Homes Orphanages, was a member of the WSPU.
A brother, William Bently Capper was born in 1890.
When the children were still young the family moved to 21 Oxford Street, Chorlton on Medlock, now Picadilly, Manchester.
Capper's WSPU activities 1907 - 1913
- She joined the WSPU in 1907 and worked as an Organiser for the Manchester Branch. In 1908 she was living in London and giving her address as 4 Clements Inn, the same address as the Pethick Lawrence's.
- In October 1908 she took part in the Rush on the House of Commons, together with Christabel PankhurstChristabel PankhurstDame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst, DBE , was a suffragette born in Manchester, England. A co-founder of the Women's Social and Political Union , she directed its militant actions from exile in France from 1912 to 1913. In 1914 she became a fervent supporter of the war against Germany...
, Emmeline PankhurstEmmeline PankhurstEmmeline Pankhurst was a British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement which helped women win the right to vote...
and other Suffragettes. She appeared in the Dock "wearing a costume composed entirely of the colours of the WSPU, together with a sash, waistbelt and hatband bearing the words "Votes for Women" ". She spent one month in Holloway (HM Prison)Holloway (HM Prison)HM Prison Holloway is a closed category prison for adult women and Young Offenders, located in the Holloway area of the London Borough of Islington, in north and Inner London, England...
for refusing to pay the fine that was imposed. - In July 1909 she, together with Mary LeighMary Leigh-See also:* Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom* Representation of the People Act 1918* Representation of the People Act 1928-External links:...
, Emily Wilding Davison and others were charged with assault and obstructing the police while disrupting a meeting at Edinburgh CastleEdinburgh CastleEdinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
LimehouseLimehouseLimehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Ratcliff to the west and Millwall to the east....
, addressed by David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
. She was sentenced to 21 days imprisonment. - In July 1909 she went on Hunger StrikeHunger strikeA hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
and was released after six days. - In August 1909 she was in BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Police court with Mary Leigh and others charged with being disorderly, assaulting the police and breaking windows at a meeting addressed by the Prime Minister AsquithAsquithAsquith refers to:Persons of the Asquith family, descended from or related to H.H. Asquith, a British prime minister, later a peer:*Herbert Henry Asquith , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom...
. She was remanded in Winson Green Prison. - In September 1909 she went on hunger strike and was forcibly fed at Winson Green Prison.
- In September 1909 Capper was in Birmingham Police Court with Mary LeighMary Leigh-See also:* Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom* Representation of the People Act 1918* Representation of the People Act 1928-External links:...
and others charged with assault on the police, breaking cell windows and disorderly conduct at a meeting addressed by Asquith at Bingley HallBingley HallBingley Hall in Birmingham was the first purpose-built exhibition hall in Great Britain. It was built in 1850 and burned down in 1984. The International Convention Centre now stands on the site....
Birmingham. She refused to pay the fine imposed and was imprisoned at Winson Green. - In November 1909, with others, she was imprisoned for disorderly conduct and obstruction at a meeting addressed by Asquith in Victoria Square, Birmingham. The police asserted that she had mounted a Statue of Queen Victoria and refused to comply with the Deputy Chief Constable's direction to come down.
- In February 1910, together with Dora MarsdenDora MarsdenDora Marsden was an English feminist editor of avant-garde literary journals, and an author of philosophical writings.-Early life:...
and Mary GawthorpeMary GawthorpeMary Eleanor Gawthorpe was a British suffragette, socialist, trade unionist and editor, described by Rebecca West as "a merry militant saint"....
she brought charges of assault against three men. The Suffragettes alleged that the men; 'well dressed hooligan's', had attacked them at a Polling Station which they were picketing. However the charges were dismissed. - In November 1910, together with many others, she was in Bow StreetBow StreetBow Street is a thoroughfare in Covent Garden, Westminster, London. It features as one of the streets on the standard London Monopoly board....
Police Court on charges of smashing the windows of the Colonial SecretaryColonial SecretaryColonial Secretary may refer to:* Secretary of State for the Colonies, British Cabinet minister who headed the Colonial Office, commonly referred to as Colonial Secretary...
in Berkeley SquareBerkeley SquareBerkeley Square is a town square in the West End of London, England, in the City of Westminster. It was originally laid out in the mid 18th century by architect William Kent...
. She was described by the presiding Magistrate as 'quite a child'. - In November 1911 Capper was imprisoned for smashing BathBathBath is a city in the ceremonial county of Somerset in the south west of England. It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. The population of the city is 83,992. It was granted city status by Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth I in 1590, and was made a county borough in 1889 which...
Post Office windows on the occasion of Lloyd George's visit there. - In March 1911, together with Emily Wilding Davison she wrote to the Manchester Guardian concerning Churchill's refusal of an enquiry into the treatment of Suffragettes by the Police. She stated that their complaints of mistreatment were 'dismissed as the hysterical ravings of excited women'
- In July 1912, together with Mary Leigh, Lizzie Baker and Gladys Evans she was charged with conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm and malicious damage and to cause an explosion at the Theatre Royal, Dublin. The Theatre was the venue for a meeting of 4,000 Irish Nationalists to be addressed by PM Asquith. The Prime Minister was warmly received and, in his speech, he invited suggestions for incorporation in the draft Home Rule bill. Cries of 'Votes for Women' were followed the sound of an exploding handbag and a fire in the cinema projection room. It was reported that one of the defendants later threw a hatchet into the carriage containing the Premier. Capper was remanded in prison during the trial, however, the charges against her were ultimately withdrawn.
During World War I and afterwards
Following the declaration of war on 4 August 1914 and the suspension of Suffragette Militancy , Capper joined the Volunteer Aid Detachment.Later she became involved with the pacifist and socialist movements.
She worked as a journalist for the Daily Herald
Daily Herald
The Daily Herald was a British newspaper, published in London from 1912 to 1964 . It ceased publication when it was relaunched as The Sun.- Origins :...
after the war.
In 1921, at Hampstead, London
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
. she married the writer Cecil Chisholm
Cecil Chisholm
Thomas Cecil Chisholm was a British journalist, publisher and author noted for his 1914 biography of Sir John French, and books on Repertory theatre, Economics, and Business...
. There were no children from the marriage.
Her writing and her play
In 1908 Capper wrote to the Manchester Guardian to counter the objection to women's enfranchisement on the grounds that they would not be subject to conscriptionConscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
into the armed forces.
She wrote: "-there is no reason in denying the rights of citizenship to women on these grounds. - When our men set out to battle they do not go alone. They are accompanied by an army of women, whose duty it is to tend those stricken in the fight. They endure the same hardships, undergo the same risks. Is their work less noble? Does the State owe them a lighter debt?"
A few years later this point was reinforced by the heroic work of Mabel Anne St Clair Stobart's Women's Convoy Corps and afterwards the Women's National Service League and Stobart's 1913 book War and Women.
In October 1912, her play The Betrothal of Number 13 was produced at the Royal Court Theatre
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
. "of working class life, written with a certain amount of sympathetic insight and character" it concerned the stigma imposed by imprisonment, even on the innocent.
She maintained her interest in feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
and the lot of the underpriviledged throughout her life. In 1963 she wrote of her friend Mary Gawthorpe 's father and: "- what it meant to be born into a North Country working class family (in) the eighteen-eighties. - doomed by the caste system of (the) day to be a leather worker in an age when a stiff fight had to be made against competition from America."
In her 1963 review of Gawthorpe's book Up Hill to Holloway, Capper described how, in 1904, Mary was called to make her first speech entitled The Children under Socialism - "concerning the propriety of providing suitable food and clothing for poor children of the unemployed and needy during the winter"
It was a time of economic depression and, "from the Labour point of view, the aftermath of the South African War." Recruiting for that war "had afforded the usual discoveries of poor physiques, underfeeding and bad teeth." Capper noted that, by 1963 it was difficult to realise "how grudging was the welfare in those days. It all depended on a voluntary basis and funds were exhausted in that winter of 1905. By February a total of 323,414 dinners had been provided. - Strictest economy was necessary, and lentils, at about one halfpenny a meal, appear to have been the basic diet."
Later life
She moved to Windrush Cottage, FairlightFairlight
Fairlight is a digital audio company based in Sydney, Australia. In 1979 they created the Fairlight CMI, the first digital audio sampler, quickly used by artists such as Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, and Jean Michel Jarre. They are now a manufacturer of media solutions tools such as digital audio...
near Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
in 1946.
In the last ten years of her life she was crippled by osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a group of mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints, including articular cartilage and subchondral bone. Symptoms may include joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, locking, and sometimes an effusion...
and required full time nursing care.
She died at Leolyn Nursing home St Leonards on Sea