We take for granted our right to vote in national and localelections, whether we choose to exercise our democratic right or not. A hundredyears ago, only property-owning men could do this.
The Representation of the People Act of 1918 enabled all menover twenty-one, and 8.5 million of the 15 million women of Britain to vote, aslong as they were over the age of thirty and owned property. Full parity forwomen came only in 1928. Many people think that the campaign for womens rightto vote began with the suffragettes of the 20th century, but it began muchearlier. Groups of women and men lobbied Parliament, spoke at public meetings,and raised awareness of injustice throughout the 19th century.
One such group was the Church League for Womens Suffrage.The Worcester branch was led by a cathedral canon, James Maurice Wilson, whoran meetings from his home with his wife, Georgina. The Dean of Worcester,William Moore Ede and his wife Sarah were also active members, as was theBishop.
The Church League shunned violent protest, but, byconnecting equality with Christian principle, added to the tide of opinion thatmade the 1918 Act inevitable.
O God, the light of the nations,
we thank you for all who strive for justice and challengeour complacency.
Grant that we may use our voices and our votes for the goodof all people,
and that our faithfulness to your all-embracing love may beknown
not just in our words, but also in our deeds.
Through Jesus Christ, our hope and salvation. Amen.
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Anne Spurgeon from Malvern Link offers this addendum withsome specifically Worcester focussed information which she came across while researching a biography of the former Dean of Worcester, William Moore Ede.
In January 1914 WilliamMoore Ede (Dean of Worcester) attended a meeting of the Annual Meeting of theChurch League for Women's Suffrage (CLWS) Council in London where the question of violent militancy, which had nowescalated to arson attacks and bombings, was discussed.
He was dismayed at thepassing of a resolution that CWLS members should refrain from expressing theirpersonal opinion on methods of propaganda unless specifically questioned and,in that case, should make it clear that the League expresses no opinion as tosuch methods.' This resolution, it was stated, was applicable to expressionsof opinion both for and against militancy or any other form of agitation.
TheDean, a lifelong pacifist, considered that this essentially neutral statement declinedto say that the present actions of the militants are wrong, disloyal to theHead of the Church and false to His teaching. He observed that when the Leaguewas first formed the actions of the suffragettes were merely obstructive (if exasperating and unwise) but now theyhad become dangerously destructive to life and property. He went on:
"A Societywhich calls itself a Church League and which deliberately refuses to express anopinion on a grave moral question, and declines to say the present methods ofmilitancy are not in accord with the spirit and teaching of Jesus Christ, isnot true to the principles of the Church. It is condoning doing evil that goodmay come, which is wrong in principle, and also forgets that Gods will canonly be done in Gods way."
However theDean failed in his attempt to achieve a replacement resolution specificallycondemning militancy. Returning to Worcester he announced his intention toresign from the League and was followed in this by his wife, Sarah, Canon andMrs Wilson, the Bishop of Worcester, Huyshe Yeatman-Biggs and the majority of theordinary members. As a result the Worcester branch of the League waseffectively dissolved. Subsequently the Dean directed his energies to supportthe activities of the secular and non-violent National Union of WomensSuffrage Societies (his wife Sarah was already the Secretary of the Worcesterbranch).
Meanwhile the events in Worcester sparked a number of debates inbranches of the CLWS around the country on the age-old question of whetherviolence might be justified in support of a seemingly just cause. Thesedebates, however, were brought to an end later that year when the declarationof war resulted in a temporary halt to the whole suffrage campaign.
