Emily’s Timeline

The Life of Emily Wilding Davison

Much has been written about Emily, particularly the event at the Epsom Derby 4th June, 1913. The following provides a summary timeline and some clues as to what she was like as a person, not just the one-dimensional figure she is often portrayed as. It’s aim is to give a sense of Emily’s family background, events in her her early years and education that may have had an influence on her later activism, which can clearly be seen to increase in the years leading up to the event at the Derby

About Emily

Interests:

Enjoyed physical activity such as swimming and cycling, She also liked studying, theatre, music, singing and religion. She loved poetry (especially Walt Whitman), literature, and writing articles and letters. Travelled to both Ireland and France, where she had sisters. She spoke French.

Physical traits:

Described as attractive, tall and slender. Emily’s chief glory was her thick, reddish hair. Her eyes were green and her smile was said to light up a room.

Personality:

Emily had a zest for life and a cheerful nature; she was very religious and determined and had a strong moral sense of justice. She was proud of her academic achievements, often wearing her cap and gown on marches.

Her Activism:

Letter-writing Emily was continually writing letters to the press to put forward the WSPU position in a non-violent way. Between 1909-1911 she had 12 letters published in the Manchester Guardian and between 1910-1912 26 letters were published in the Sunday Times. It is know that between 1911-1913 she wrote nearly 200 letters to over 50 newspapers. Many were published.

Direct Action

Window breaking, stone-throwing, setting post-boxes on fire, and hiding in the Houses of Parliament.

Personal Consequences of her actions

  • Arrested 9 times
  • Force-fed 49 times
  • Multiple Force-feeding led to some facial paralysis and damaged teeth which led to her needing dentures.
  • Following her death, she was vilified by the press and others for many years.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Davison.

John Sleight, One-way Ticket to Epsom (ISBN: 9780951263020)

Ann Morley and Liz Stanley, The Life and Death of Emily Wilding Davison (ISBN 0704341336, 9780704341333) – which incorporates the primary source authored by Gertrude Colmore in 1913 (The Women’s Press, London 1988);

Maureen Howes, Emily Wilding Davison, a Suffragette’s Family Album (ISBN 0752493736, 9780752493732)

Carolyn P.Collette, In the Thick of the Fight: The Writing of Emily Wilding Davison, Militant Suffragette (ISBN: 9780472119035)

Contributors and collators: Irene Cockcroft, Philippa Bilton, Sarah Dewing