This article is published on International Women's Day, one
hundred years after women first achieved the parliamentary vote in Britain. It brings
together a small collection of photos and papers, held by the Museum of London,
concerning prominent Forest Gate suffragette, Minnie Baldock.
These documents and photos, many published for the first
time today, give a glimpse of the involvement of Minnie in not only suffragette
politics in London, but also in the wider sphere of radical Edwardian politics,
in the early years of the twentieth century.
She was at her most active, politically between 1905 and
1911, when the onset of cancer enforced her early retirement from campaigning political life.
Below, we provide a short synopsis of her life, accompanied
by relevantly dated photos, letters and other material related to it.
c 1864 - born in
Polar, later to become a shirt maker
1889 - married
Harry Baldock, a general labourer, also of Poplar
1890 - birth of
oldest son, also Harry - who later is employed in the ship-building trade
1891 - census -
living at 23 Oak Crescent, Canning Town - now an unbuilt upon grass area - see
photo
Oak Crescent, Canning Town today |
1896 - birth of
second son, John Francis Baldock (known as Jack), who also was later employed
in shipbuilding industry
1890's - became a
member, along with her husband, Harry, of the recently formed Independent Labour
Party (ILP) and a comrade of local MP, Kier Hardie
1901 - 1907 -
husband, Harry, becomes ILP councillor for Tidal Basin of West Ham Council
1903 - Minnie,
with Kier Hardie organised political meetings in Canning Town about low pay
for women in the area
1905 - joins
Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) and becomes active in demonstrations
1905 - successfully
contests election to become a Guardian of West Ham Workhouse
Minnie's leaflet for her successful campaign as ILP candidate for West Ham Board of Guardians, 1905 |
1905 - December,
heckles Chancellor of the Exchequer Herbert Asquith at a meeting in Queen's Hall, Langham Place
1906 - leading suffragette, Annie Kenney lodges with the Baldocks in Canning Town, when she moves to London
Late 1900's -
moves to 447 Green Street (see envelope address, and the house as it is today)
447 Green Street address of Minnie
Baldock in late 1900's
The house, today |
1906 - July 4, Minnie speaks at WSPU rally in Hyde Park, in support of Teresa Billingham. She and Minnie had led a demonstration to Chancellor of the Exchequer Herbert Asquith's home, in Cavendish Square. The resulting altercation with the police lead to several suffragette arrests, including Teresa Billingham. The subsequent conviction became the first occasion on which
a London suffragette was sent to prison. She received the longest sentence available - two months in Holloway - although an anonymous donor later paid her fine and she was released Handbill for a demonstration in Hyde Park, organised in support of arrested suffragette Teresa Billingham. |
1906 - July 15, Minnie speaks at WSPU rally in Victoria Park. The meeting was provoked by the arrest of Adelaide Knight, Mrs Sparboro and Annie
Kenney on 19 June 1906 for protesting outside Asquith's home. The leaflet announcing Minnie as a speaker. The reverse (below) of the leaflet spells out the WSPU's case against "Squiffy" and for Votes for Women |
1906 - November,
imprisoned in Holloway, for the first time. We have no details of the incident surrounding the imprisonment, but a fragment of a letter from Minnie
to her husband survives, in which she shows herself to be a loving wife and devoted
mother, clearly greatly upset at the separation imprisonment had caused the
family. See text and copy, below
Prison letter
Minnie's prison letter to her husband - transcript below |
From: Lucy M Baldock, Holloway
Prison Nov 6 1906
My dear husband and comrade,
I wanted to say a great deal to
you. But am reminded of the fact that
all letters will be seen by someone before you receive them.
Therefore, I cannot say quite
credibly what I would like.
As your opinions we cannot blame
anyone for that, only those who make these rules. The first time for 18 years
dear that anything has come between the sacredness of our married life. Not to
kiss each other, or shake each other by the hand for even a few times seemed to
me very hard indeed. But I must not complain, I have seen you and that is
something to make me glad and know that things are going alright is a great
blessing. You understand how much I miss you and Jack.
But I cannot mention
this. The xxxx have xxx the great cause of the Emancipation of Women. A Miss
Robinson, a lady from America visited us the other day and promised she would
write to Jack. Tell him (document fades)
... Tell him that ... I know he misses.
Tell him I will make it up ... (the text fades, but clearly displays a
great concern for the welfare of her younger son, Jack - by now aged 10).
1906 - December
1907 - January, Minnie protests at a meeting in Baldock (sic) in Hertfordshire.
Leading members of the WSPU, including Flora Drummond and Minnie Baldock |
Suffragette leaders Christabel Pankhurst, Minnie Baldock, Edith New |
1907 - January, Minnie protests at a meeting in Baldock (sic) in Hertfordshire.
The Luton Times and Advertiser of 11 January
1907 reported that Minnie and fellow suffragette, Mrs Flora Drummond of
Manchester:
"made matters rather hot for
the Honourable Member (ed: Julius Bertram, MP for North Hertfordshire), the
complaint against him being that he was responsible for killing the Women's Suffrage
Bill, when it was before Parliament."
Mrs Drummond was ejected from the meeting.
"Then Mrs Baldock tried to
speak, but she was instantly put into the street. After the exciting struggle,
the meeting proceeded on its normal course."
1907 - photo of
Minnie handing out leaflets in Nottingham
Minnie handing out leaflets in Nottingham |
1908 - no exact
date, but Minnie becomes a paid organiser for the WSPU in Forest Gate
Minnie in 1908 |
1908 - 13 February, with nine others, arrested in demonstration outside Parliament and
convicted for obstructing the police. The demonstration occurred on the day that it was discovered that there was no mention of women's suffrage in the King's Speech.
Given the choice of a £5 fine, or a month in prison (for the second time). She, like the other suffragette demonstrators, chose imprisonment in Holloway, to gain publicity for their cause.
Given the choice of a £5 fine, or a month in prison (for the second time). She, like the other suffragette demonstrators, chose imprisonment in Holloway, to gain publicity for their cause.
Arrest of Emmiline Pankhurst, accompanied by Minnie Baldock and Gladice Keevil. Emmiline was sentenced to six weeks in Holloway for the part she played in the demonstration |
Suffragette leaders Christabel Pankhurst, accompanied by Annie Kenney and Minnie Baldock leads delegation to Parliament, the outcome of which was Minnie's arrest |
Press reports at the time, described her as a
WSPU organiser of West Ham. The Daily
Mirror said that she went round:
"with a megaphone and shouted 'Votes for Women' as far up the stairs of the St Stephen's entrance (of Parliament)as the megaphone could send the words."
Bound over letter
Bound over letter - transcript below |
Metropolitan Police
A Division,
Cannon Row station
Take notice that you, Minnie
Baldock are bound in the sum of two pounds to appear at Westminster Police
Court, situated at Rochester Row at ten o'clock a.m. on the 14th day of
February, to answer the charge of wilfully obstructing Police in the
lawful execution of their duty at Victoria Street 13.2.08. and unless you
appear there further proceedings will be taken.
Dated this 13th day of February
One thousand nine hundred and eight.
Signed Officer on Duty.
Holloway discharge letter
Discharge from Holloway letter transcript below |
HM Prison Holloway
7th March 1908
14327
Minnie Baldock will be discharged
from this prison at 8.30 a.m. on 13th March and I shall be glad to hear whether
you intend to meet her at the prison gate. She wishes you to know that she is
in good health.
Signed
Governor
1909 - Involved
in recruiting for the WSPU in the West of England
While there, Minnie has a letter published in the Western
Daily Press, see below, suggesting that the WSPU views of women Members of
Parliament, at this time, were not very demanding, as per the last sentence in the letter: "We are today fighting for the vote, and we are not asking for seats in Parliament."
Western Daily Press May 29 1909 |
A Correction
Sir, I wish to contradict a statement which you made in reporting my speech at Roke yesterday afternoon.
You stated that I should say it was when they had a Parliament composed of men and women they would have perfectly fair and just administration, instead of which I stated it is only when women as well as men could send their representatives to Parliament that we should have perfectly fair and just administration.
We are to-day fighting for the vote, and we are not asking for seats in Parliament.
Yours truly
Minnie Baldock
Minnie in 1909 |
1911 - contracted
cancer and was treated, successfully in the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson hospital
in Euston. This effectively signalled the end of her active political life.
One of a series of postcards produced by the WSPU, of their organisers and leaders (undated) |
1911 - census, the
family were living at 490 Barking Road. (see photo, below).
490 Barking Road, today |
Minnie was not present on the night of the census, but her
husband and younger son, Jack were. She could either have been away from home
campaigning for the suffragettes, or possibly have been confined to hospital
with the cancer that she contracted that year. After the operation, she went to Brighton for
a time, for convalescence.
1911 - recovery
from cancer
One of the surviving letters in the archives, suggests that
she had recovered from the cancer operation by August that year. The letter and
text are shown, below.
p1 |
p2 |
p3 |
Recovery from operation letter
From: C d Mountford,
22 Elmhurst
Ave,
Forest Gate,
August
My dear Mrs Baldock,
I am so pleased to hear the
operation was successful. I have just received the news from Mr Balcock, who
??? is is pleased to think you are on the road to recovery.
What a brick you are, dear. I
wish I had your courage.
You will be sorry to hear that I
have been laid up with my old complaint and still in bed, so will not be
able to come to see you tomorrow, but will come as soon as I can.
How we have all prayed and
thought of you. My sister sends her love and hopes to see you soon.
I have to go out tomorrow so will
be able to come and see you very soon.
And that God may soon restore you
to perfect health is the sincerest prayer.
Yours very sincerely,
C d Mountford
1911 - evidence
of reputation of effective trade union organiser and promoter of women's rights
at work.
Two remarkable letters survive in the archives testifying to
Minnie Baldock's reputation as fearless and effective organiser around Women's
rights. The first is from J Hopkins, of
Tower Hamlets Road, Forest Gate, the
parent of a laundry worker at the Forest Gate Sanitary Steam Laundry in Upton Lane (see
photos, below). In it, s/he explains the parental concern for the daughter, the
author of the second letter, below. The two letters make pretty grim reading of
conditions in the laundry, at the time.
Women's Union organiser - Forest Gate steam laundry (1)
Letter, from the parent, accompanying letter, of "a laundry girl", below
33 Tower Hamlets Road
Forest Gate
18 August 1911
Dear madame,
The reason my daughter is writing
the enclosed letter to you is this. Yesterday I was discussing with a friend
the conditions under which laundry girls worked and on them not being able to
get anyone to take up their cause. The remark he made was you want a lady like
Mrs Baldock to take it up, if she could not, I have no doubt she would be able
to let you know of someone who would. I asked for your address, but he could
not give it to me. He told me if I wrote to Mansfield House, no doubt it would
find you.
If you could in any way help the
laundry girls, I would be very thankful indeed. I am sending you my name and
address, which for the moment I am asking you to keep private, for we know if
it reaches the firm, who it is agitating, it means being discharged at once.
Trusting I am not taking a
liberty in writing to you.
Yours respectfully
J Hopkins
Trade Union organiser - Forest Gate steam laundry (2)
Above and below, letter from "a laundry girl" asking for Minnie's help in organising the women to fight the dreadful conditions at the Forest Gate Sanitary Steam laundry, Upton Lane
15/8/11
Dear Madam,
I am writing to ask you if you
can help us laundry girls of West Ham get more money and fairness to all. Most
of the girls are willing to do something, but they are unable to as they have
no leader or anyone to speak for them, so I thought of you, who I know would help
us if it were possible.
The girls from other laundries
say they will do something when "The Forest Gate Steam Laundry of Upton
Lane" start because that is the largest and I thought I would be doing no
harm in writing to ask you to help us.
Our grievance is we want more
money. In one laundry there is a class of girls called Packers and because they
are a little more refined, they are allowed every privilege, they do the
easiest work, they work in the coolest part of the building, they are allowed a
week's holiday and paid for it and at the end of the year they are given a
Christmas Box, while the girls in the machine room who are in the steam all day
long (most of whom only earn 5/- (ed: 25p today) a week, the rate of 1d per
hour (ed: 1d = less than half a penny). They have to do there (sic) dirty work
and if they ask for a day off (that means they are the loser) they are refused
and if they take it off they get the sack, or else a lecture.
Why should there be so much
difference made when we are all working girls(?) Other factories have come out
and got what they want, why can't we(?).
We have not our grievances before
our mistress yet because nobody seems to have the courage enough. I thought if
they heard someone who could put things in a proper manner, they would find the
courage to speak up for there (sic) rights.
I hope you will excuse me
writing. Thanking you in the hope of you being able to send someone to help us.
Yours,
a laundry girl
1902 photograph of the Forest Gate Sanitary Steam Laundry, Upton Lane - to which the letters, above, refer |
Forest Gate artists, Eric Dawson's depiction of the laundry, which eventually closed in 1964.It was located between Studley and Whyteville Roads. The site is now occupied by a fuel service station |
1913 - Minnie with
her husband, Harry, moved to Southampton - the home town of her mother. She
later moved to Poole in Dorset
Presumably Millicent was the daughter of one of Minnie's sons, Harry or Jack. She married George Ernest Pomery in 1939 and died in Swindon in 1986. Whether she ever knew the part her grandmother played in the women's suffrage movement is unknown.
1954 - died in
Poole, aged 90. National Probate Records show:
Lucy Minnie Baldock of 73 Lake Road, Hamworthy, Poole, widow, died 10 December 1954. her estate was valued at £1,810 8/8d. The executor was Emily Clark, spinster
Evidence from Jean Bodie who knew her towards the end of her life, as recorded in comments in this blog (see here), suggest that she was feared by local youngsters, because of the long black dresses she wore and they thought her to be a witch. Sarah Downing, who has also written to this blog (see above) was one of her great grand-daughters. She believed that Minnie left her land to the Local Labour Party.
Minnie, aged 90 |
2011 - Poole
museum, produce a short video, celebrating her active political life (see here)
Still from Poole Museum's video of Minnie |
Lovely pictures - one is on her Wikipedia page and the rest where copyright allows are on wiki commons. thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt is correct that the land in Poole was left to the Labour movement. In place of her house at 73 Lake Road Hamworthy is a Labour Club.
ReplyDeleteYes that seems to be the case
Delete