Oh judging, oh dividing breath!
Oh rumour of the winds of death!
Bless the martyrs, and accursed
The tyrants stand. Ah, not the first
This judgement claimed, this challenge cast!
– Dear God, if it might be the last!
‘The First Martyr’ was the title of a poem featured in the memorial edition. Its dramatic final stanza, quoted above, calls for there to be no more deaths as a result of the campaign for women’s suffrage. The poem also presents a degree of hope: that Emily’s very public death had raised the profile and underlined the importance of women’s suffrage.
Since Emily’s death people have been divided over whether she intended to die. Was this a courageous and deliberate act to highlight the cause of women’s suffrage or an act of protest that went tragically wrong?
The WSPU certainly promoted the line that Emily had intended to die for the cause. As mentioned above, the front page of the commemorative edition of The Suffragette shows Emily as a shining angel in front of a crowd of men, race onlookers, who stand in the dark. It is clear that the WSPU wanted Emily to be remembered as a martyr and not as some foolish women who had been knocked over by a horse while attempting a political stunt.
Emily’s experience was meant to represent a beacon of light that would guide society towards a brighter future, which would culminate in women’s political equality.
Whilst her fellow suffragettes may have wanted to portray Emily as a martyr, there has been constant speculation as to whether she intended to kill herself. Emily possessed a return ticket from Epsom, which some point to this as evidence that her death was accidental. However, Emily was a committed political activist. She had previously been imprisoned, gone on hunger strikes, been force fed and had written she was willing to die for women’s suffrage. These actions suggest that Emily was committed enough to have decided to martyr herself for the cause.
Christabel Pankhurst, a fellow WSPU member, wrote an article for the memorial edition in which she said that Emily planned to be killed as ‘she had in her soul the thought and vision of wronged women’. By playing on the image of intentional martyrdom, the WSPU successfully publicised the actions of Emily to promote their agenda. Although those contributing to the edition, such as Christabel, knew Emily personally, and understood her dedication to the cause, it is impossible to determine with complete certainty whether she intended to die that day.
While this tragic event served as a useful public platform for the WSPUs political aims, not everyone respected Emily as a martyr. An anonymous letter was sent to Emily as she lay dying in Epsom Cottage Hospital in June, 1913, read ‘I am glad to hear you are in hospital. I hope you suffer torture until you die. You idiot’.[1] Evidently, Emily’s sacrifice was not respected by all as a courageous act, and instead interpreted as the behaviour of a foolish and idiotic woman. The letter was signed simply ‘An Englishman.’[2]
The significance of Emily’s martyrdom has increased over the past century as the circumstances of her death have become synonymous with the wider campaign for votes for women. While her death did not lead to an immediate change in public opinion or the law her death indisputably put the issue of women’s suffrage, once again, into the public consciousness. The significance attributed to Emily’s actions has only grown over time, with more and more people subscribing to the WSPU interpretation of her as a martyr. Today, she is used as an example of feminist strength and persistence and the Emily Matters campaign on social media invokes her memory to inspire new generations of women to exercise the right Emily fought and died for.
Whether her actions were intentional or not, Emily is a symbol of bravery and is an inspirational figure for many women, who are grateful for her sacrifice. Coincidentally, the General Election of 2017 falls on the anniversary of Emily Wilding Davison’s death. Today, we possess the right to vote on account of the sacrifices made by people like Emily. If Emily had lived to see the enfranchisement of women there can be no doubt she would have been happy. What better tribute could there be to her, on the anniversary of her death, than to exercise your democratic right, vote and make your voice heard?
Elena Rossi
Undergraduate History Student, Royal Holloway, University of London
[1] ‘Hate mail to Emily Wilding Davison from An Englishman’ (June 1913), as cited in Katie Broomfield, ‘Why I voted for Emily’, History Heroines: Women Who Changed the World (6 January 2017) < https://historyheroines.wordpress.com/> [Accessed 25.05.2017].
[2] Ibid.
