Scrapbook [on women's suffrage and the Contagious Diseases Acts]

This scrapbook consists of items compiled from various sources. It includes press cuttings from the national and local press and some fliers and other ephemera. Interpolated are [later] transcript captions and explanatory texts.

It comprises the following sections relating to the suffrage campaigns: 'Woodford trial', 1912; 'The case of Mark Wilkes', 1912; 'Imprisonment and release under 'Cat and Mouse' Act of 'Mary Wyan' (Mrs Taylor's second imprisonment)', 1913; 'Mr Crawshay-Williams MP and Women's Suffrage; 'News cuttings on suffrage (general) made by TS Taylor, 1908-1913' [including many relating to the campaign in Leicester; 'Violence against suffragettes at a Lloyd George meeting at the village of Llanystumdwy'; 'Suffrage (general), 1913'; 'Cat and Mouse Act': letters about its workings: Mrs Wyan'.

In addition there are the following sections relating to the Contagious Diseases Acts:

'Cuttings on deputation from workhouse unions and Boards of Guardians to Local Government Board asking for re-introduction of Contagious Diseases Acts', 1887; 'Cutting from The Times ... on debate in Parliament on possible re-introduction of Contagious Diseases Acts in India', 1897; 'Reprint of newspaper report of Josephine Butler's speech to Repeal Meeting in Sheffield', 15 Nov 1875.

This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

Provenance unknown

The suffrage campaigns of the early twentieth century were marked by a series of sensational cases and legal battles for which campaigners attempted to achieve as much press coverage as possible. When Lloyd George addressed a meeting at Woodford in 1912 certain suffragist hecklers were violently ejected from the meeting. One of these then brought a legal action against several prominent members of the Walthamstow Liberal and Radical Association. Lloyd George addressed a meeting at Llanystumdwy in North Wales in Sep 1912. He was heckled by suffragists who were then turned upon by the crowd and scenes of violence against the protestors ensued. By three successive decrees in 1864, 1866 and 1869, known as the Contagious Diseases Acts, in certain towns containing military bases, any woman suspected of being a prostitute could be stopped and forced to undergo a genital inspection to discover if she had a venereal disease. If she did not submit willingly, she could be arrested and brought before a magistrate. If she was found to be infected, she could be effectively imprisoned in a 'lock' hospital. The Acts were repealed in 1886 but the debate was not over either in Britain or other countries within the Empire.

The Cat and Mouse [Temporary Discharge for Ill health] Act of 1913 became infamous in the suffrage campaigns. Under this legislation a prisoner on hunger strike and whose health was determined to be endangered by such actions might be released and then re-arrested once their health had improved.

Biographies:

Josephine Elizabeth [née Grey] Butler (1828-1906), social reformer and women's activist, timeline as below: 1828 - Born on 13 Apr (7th of 10 children of John Grey and Hannah née Annett) 1835 - Grey family moved to Dilston near Corbridge, Northumberland after her father's appointment in 1833 as agent for the Greenwich Estates in the north 1852 - On 8 Jan married George Butler at Corbridge, Northumberland. He had been a tutor at Durham University, and then a Public Examiner at Oxford University 1857 - Moved to Cheltenham following husband's appointment as Vice-Principal of Cheltenham College 1866 - Moved to Liverpool following husband's appointment as Head of Liverpool College - took up plight of girls in the Brownlow Hill workhouse and established a Home of Rest for girls in need 1868 - President of North England Council for Promoting Higher Education of Women 1869 - Secretary of Ladies' National Association for the Repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts (extended by legislation in 1866 and 1869) 1875 - Establishment of the International Abolitionist Federation in Liverpool 1883 - Suspension of the Contagious Diseases Acts 1885 - Age of consent raised to 16 fought for by Butler 1886 - Repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts 1888 - 'Dawn' a quarterly journal edited by Josephine Butler until Oct 1896 1890 - George Butler died - Butler moved to London and continued campaigning against state regulation abroad 1894 - Moved to her son's home in Galewood within Ewart Park near Milfield 1906 - Moved to Wooler where she died on 30 Dec - buried at Kirknewton

Mrs Mary Ellen Taylor (fl 1910-1914) and her husband Captain Thomas Smithies Taylor were friends of the Pethick Lawrence family, Dr Elizabeth Wilkes (her sister) and her brother-in-law Mark Wilkes. By early 1912 Mrs Taylor was an active member of the Women's Social & Political Union which was then engaged in a campaign of militant action against government and private property. On 4 Mar 1912 she took part in a window smashing party with a Miss Roberts and a Miss Nellie Crocker, attacking a post office in Sloane Square. They were arrested and brought before a magistrate at Westminster Police Court, who referred their case to the Sessions. From the 5-22 Mar 1912 they were placed on remand at Holloway Prison until Taylor went before Newington Session and was given a three months sentence. While in prison, she went on hunger strike, though she was not forcibly fed, and was subsequently discharged and taken to her sister's house on the 27 Apr 1912. She was imprisoned a second time in Jul 1913 under the alias of Mary Wyan of Reading. Mrs Ellen Mary Taylor refused release under the Cat and Mouse [Temporary Discharge for Ill-health] Act of 1913. She claimed complete discharge and declined to give the prison governor any address. When she was conveyed to a nursing home she refused to enter until her full release was granted and continued her strike on a chair in the road outside. The police then removed her to the Kensington Infirmary where she eventually gave up her protest. Around this time, the Woodford assault case took place, touching the Taylor's immediate circle of friends.

Captain Thomas Smithies-Taylor (fl 1910-1914) was the husband of Mrs Mary Ellen Taylor. He was a supporter of the militant suffragettes based in Leicester. He wrote letters to the national and local press on this and related subjects.

Mark Wilkes (fl. 1894-1914) was a teacher and the husband of Elizabeth Wilkes (1861-1956). Elizabeth refused to complete a tax return or to pay taxes herself and informed the tax authorities that as a married woman her tax papers should be forwarded to her husband. He, in turn, claimed that he had neither the means to obtain the necessary information to complete the forms nor to pay his wife's tax bill and was imprisoned for debt. The Tax Resistance League took up the case and achieved much publicity for it.

Elizabeth Wilks (c1866-1956) née Bennett, physician, suffragist and member of the Tax Resistance League. Elizabeth was married to Mark Wilks, a teacher. Elizabeth refused to complete a tax return or to pay taxes herself and informed the tax authotities that as a married woman her tax papers should be forwarded to her husband. He, in turn, claimed that he had neither the means to obtain the necessary information to complete the forms nor to pay his wife's tax bill and was imprisoned for debt. The Tax Resistance League took up the case and achieved much publicity for it.

(Leonard) Eliot Crawshay-Williams (1879-1962) was Lloyd George's Parliamentary Private Secretary in 1910 and MP for Leicester, 1910-1913. Whilst being in favour of women's suffrage, he condemned militant suffragette tactics and as a result organised lobbying against the Conciliation Bill in 1912.