Annie Kenney was a militant suffragette active in the early 1900s, holding high office in the Women’s Social and Political Union. She is noteworthy for being the only high-profile suffragette who had experience working in a factory— starting at age ten. She was imprisoned 13 times during the struggle.
The work we gave them as new-comers! A Girton girl or a charwoman, it made no difference. A piece of chalk was given to them with a paper giving the names of the streets in which they must chalk notices of meetings to be held, or we would give them a bell and tell them where and how to ring it, what to say and how to say it, and gradually we would give them final responsibility for any work in hand. This throwing them on themselves brought them out as it brought me out, when I had an orange-box and a bell given to me, and when I was told to hold three meetings every night in different parts of the town or city where we were stationed. In the early days I thought nothing of having a hard morning’s work sending out handbills and chalking pavements, of speaking at a factory at twelve o’clock, of speaking at the docks at 1.30, of holding a women’s meeting at three, and a large open-air one at seven, and when it was over I would address envelopes for letters which I sent out to the sympathizers or members in the district.
What a school for experience, what opportunities for the active temperaments, what a chance for those who loved adventure, speculation. Growth was certain, whether good or bad. One grew richer in experience and far more able to accept responsibilities, and shoulder burdens. If experience expands consciousness, no wonder we all felt conscious of our ability to serve once war was declared. Our powers of expression were increased. We were educated in the school of necessity, to meet any new situation, face and overcome it, and we were expected to come out with flying colours and be a credit to the Cause. We were taught to become masters of ourselves. No matter what our beliefs were on any subject, religious, social, or political, we were taught never to give vent to our desires, feelings, or ideas, but to stand firm on one question, which was: “Will you give women the Vote?”
The changed life into which most of us entered was a revolution in itself. No home-life, no one to say what we should do or what we should not do, no family ties, we were free and alone in a great brilliant city, scores of young women scarcely out of their teens met together in a revolutionary movement, outlaws or breakers of laws, independent of everything and everybody, fearless and self-confident.
Annie Kenney, Memories of a Militant, 1924, Edward Arnold & Co.