Annie Seymour Pearson
Annie Pearson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) WSPU prison brooch of the type awarded to Pearson | |
| Born | Annie Jane Bennett 1873 Bolsover, Derbyshire, England |
| Died | 1956 (aged 82–83) |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Suffragette |
| Spouse | Arthur Seymour Pearson |
| Children | Four |
Annie Jane Bennett Pearson (1873–1956), also known as Annie Seymour Pearson, was a British women's suffrage activist who ran a safe house for suffragettes evading police.[1]
Personal life
[edit]She was married to Arthur,[2] had four children (surviving children were Elsa, Francis and Roland), and lived in York.[3]
Protest, arrest and release
[edit]In 1913, she went to protest at the House of Commons, was arrested,[1] charged[3] with obstructing the police,[1] summonsed to appear in court on 18 January 1913,[4] and sentenced to a choice of a 40 shilling fine, or time in prison. She opted for prison.[3] Two days later her husband paid the fine[1] and Pearson was released from Holloway.
After release
[edit]After returning to York, Pearson received a Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) prison brooch,[5] and was invited to the next WSPU prisoners' reception where she was thanked for her contribution.[6]
She was interviewed by a reporter from The Yorkshire Herald during which she explained her motivation for travelling to the demonstration and what happened when there.[7]
She later set-up a safe house for suffragettes and supporters,[8] including Harry Johnson.[9]
In popular culture
[edit]In 2017, York Theatre Royal and Pilot Theatre staged Everything Is Possible: The York Suffragettes a play about Pearson and other suffragettes.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Mrs Annie Seymour Pearson / Database - Women's Suffrage Resources". Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf (PDF), p. 21, retrieved 3 June 2020
- ^ a b c Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf (PDF), p. 16, retrieved 3 June 2020
- ^ Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf (PDF), p. 17, retrieved 3 June 2020
- ^ Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf (PDF), pp. 22–23, retrieved 3 June 2020
- ^ Cowman, Krista. The Militant Suffragette Movement in York. p. 18.
- ^ Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf (PDF), pp. 24–25, retrieved 3 June 2020
- ^ Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf (PDF), p. 28, retrieved 3 June 2020
- ^ Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf (PDF), pp. 29–30, retrieved 3 June 2020
- ^ "Everything Is Possible: The York Suffragettes review – an extraordinary community production | Stage | The Guardian". 25 June 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2020.