Marion Wallace Dunlop
Encyclopedia
Marion Wallace Dunlop was the first British
suffragette
to go on hunger strike
, on 5 July 1909, after being arrested in July 1909 for militancy.
Born in Scotland
, she moved to Ealing
and joined the WSPU. She was found guilty of wilful damage for throwing small stones through the windows of 10 Downing Street
. She refused to pay a fine and was sent to prison for a month. She was not authorized by the Pankhurst
family to undertake hunger striking. However, shortly after word got out, hunger-striking became standard suffragette
practice. Christabel Pankhurst
later reported: "Miss Wallace Dunlop, taking counsel with no one and acting entirely on her own initiative, sent to the Home Secretary, Mr. Gladstone, as soon as she entered Holloway Prison, an application to be placed in the first division as befitted one charged with a political offence. She announced that she would eat no food until this right was conceded."
She endured 91 hours of fasting before she was released on the grounds of ill health. In September 1909, the British Government introduced force feeding in prisons.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
suffragette
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...
to go on hunger strike
Hunger strike
A 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...
, on 5 July 1909, after being arrested in July 1909 for militancy.
Born in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, she moved to Ealing
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
and joined the WSPU. She was found guilty of wilful damage for throwing small stones through the windows of 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
. She refused to pay a fine and was sent to prison for a month. She was not authorized by the Pankhurst
Pankhurst
Pankhurst is a surname, and may refer to:Members of a prominent family of suffragettes:* Emmeline Pankhurst , one of the founders of the British suffragette movement...
family to undertake hunger striking. However, shortly after word got out, hunger-striking became standard suffragette
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...
practice. Christabel Pankhurst
Christabel Pankhurst
Dame 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...
later reported: "Miss Wallace Dunlop, taking counsel with no one and acting entirely on her own initiative, sent to the Home Secretary, Mr. Gladstone, as soon as she entered Holloway Prison, an application to be placed in the first division as befitted one charged with a political offence. She announced that she would eat no food until this right was conceded."
She endured 91 hours of fasting before she was released on the grounds of ill health. In September 1909, the British Government introduced force feeding in prisons.
External links
- Detailed bio of Marion Wallace Dunlop's life
- http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101056257/Marion-Wallace-Dunlop