History

Miss Pankhurst Visit To Nottingham

On the 2nd December 1907 Miss Pankhurst and her supporters had hired the Nottingham Mechanics' Hall to publicize their 'Votes for Women' movement. The event was reported in the local press but the only details given about her are

'Miss Pankhurst, robed in a loose light blue, short-sleeved gown, walked on to the platform with a beaming face, which she turned to the audience, who received her with a thunder of derisive cheering. This, however, came from the rear of the hall, where a number of youths, one or two of them armed with penny trumpets and rattles, had taken up a position in the gallery with the obvious intention of making matters very uncomfortable for the speakers.'

The article goes on to say

'There were no preliminaries. As soon as the women reached the table Miss Pankhurst, who presided, made an attempt to speak, and this is how the first ten minutes of her speech comes on the reporter's notebook:-

"Ladies and Gentleman, - This meeting has been called to demand-(uproar)-the Parliamentary franchise"-(singing and stamping to trumpet accompaniment)-the rest of the sentence was lost.

"What we claim is-(renewed disturbance)-that the Parliamentary franchise-(more singing and laughter)-that the -(prolonged laughter and hand clapping)-that the Parliamentary franchise as applied to men-(more uproar)-shall be extended-(confusion)-to women. At the present time-(laughter and applause)-shall be extended-(confusion)-to women.

The article continues in this fashion for the remainder of the paragraph. It then continues

Miss Pankhurst had only spoken two words of her next sentence, when she was obliged to stop for quite a long time again, and she was going on to say that their claim was essentially a reasonable one, when someone shouted out a vulgar epithet, at which the rear of the hall rang with laughter again. The speaker stuck heroically to her task, but the confusion made an increased demand on her voice. She had to shout at the top of her voice, and she made quite a pretty picture as she gesticulated, now with one arm and now with both, now projecting herself over and table, and now throwing back her head and sweeping half a circle with her right arm.

The tumult at last reached such a pitch that the Rev. J Lloyd Thomas and Alderman J.A.H. Green thought it advisable to come to the help of Miss Pankhurst, and ascending the platform the deputy-Mayor attempted to speak. At first the crowd at the back of the hall refused to hear him. Alderman Green pleaded that they would hear half a dozen words. He did want them to show Nottingham people know what free speech was.

"And that we are prepared to give every opportunity for it," continued Alderman Green, adding, "Now, my young young friends up yonder, do let us show that we know how to behave. (Derisive laughter.)

At this point the appearance of two or three policemen in the gallery had the effect of diverting attention temporarily from the platform, but the presence of the officers achieved nothing.

Miss Pankhurst did manage with considerable difficulty to deliver at least part of her speech. Towards the end of the article it reads:-

A rush was made for the platform a little later on, but stalwart men, including the Rev. Lloyd Thomas, went to the ladies' assistance. About a score of your fellows succeeded in gaining the seats behind the speakers, and here they liberated a few tame mice. Two or three of the shivering little creatures Miss Pankhurst picked up, and smilingly handed one down to the reporters.

"Our tactics have succeeded," she assured the audience, "otherwise we should not have received so much kind attention."

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