As millions of people cast their votes in the general election, Newnham is looking back at a group of students who spent the summer of 1907 travelling around the UK in a horse-drawn caravan as part of the Women’s Suffrage Movement.
Many of Newnham’s foremothers campaigned tirelessly for women to have the right to vote, Dame Millicent Fawcett, co-founder of Newnham College and mother of mathematician Philippa Fawcett is probably the most famous.
Millicent became president of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies in 1907 – the same year that a brave group of students led by Frances Rendel (NC 1904) and Ray Costelloe (NC 1905) spent their summer vacation travelling around the UK explaining to groups of more than 1000 people why they felt women deserved equality.
On July 22 1907 the group started their journey from Beattock, a little village in the South of Scotland. Two of the group would go off on bicycles every evening to find a ‘friendly farmer’ who would allow them to set up camp.
In a report in the Roll Letter of 1908, Ray and Frances explained: “Wherever we stopped the nightly camp was very pleasant. Near Grasmere we pitched our tent at the foot of Helvellyn, within a stone’s throw of a clear hill stream with deep sunny pools in which we bathed one happy morning.”
They undoubtedly enjoyed the excitement of ‘sitting on the grass in the moonlight eating scrambled eggs, bread and jam and chocolate while we made plans for the future’ but their journey was a serious one and they often faced probing questions from the crowds which were predominantly made up of men.
The Roll Letter report explained: “The police always came and the meetings were held in many different places – once on a sea beach, once from a pier and once in a town hall but most often in market places. The audiences were mostly working men. Some women came to hear us and sometimes a passing tourist.
“We always began by saying what we wanted and to what society we belonged. Four of us spoke and the whole meeting lasted about an hour and a quarter.
“We said why we wanted to vote: talked of justice, of taxation without representation: of the needs of working women and the influence of the home on politics: of the actual political position of women and their need for political power and of all the other various reasons for advocating Women’s Suffrage.
“Then we made an appeal for money and asked for questions. There were generally a good many of these but they were always the same…
“Why don’t you go home?”
“Do you want to sit in parliament?”
“Votes will break up the home”
“Do you want all women to vote?”
Ray and Frances explained in their report that one of the group would answer the questions ‘as best she could’ while the rest of them would collect money in a hat and distribute pamphlets.
The report added: “We always had a good collection and the men were very willing to talk. We met with no rudeness, but much kindness and we are now convinced that the average English working man is perfectly ready to approve of votes for women.”
It was not until 1918 – some 11 years later – that their aim was partially achieved with the Representation of the People Act, which allowed some women over the age of 30 to vote in national elections.
The Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act followed later the same year and allowed women to stand as Members of Parliament.
It took until 1928 when the Equal Franchise Act was passed in 1928 that women finally won the same voting rights as men.
Yet nine million women did not use their votes in the last general election, one million more than the eight million men who also did not use their vote.
Today two Newnhamites Lucy Frazer (NC 1991) and Diane Abbott (NC 1973) are standing as parliamentary candidates for South East Cambridgeshire and Hackney North and Stoke Newington respectively.
First-time Conservative candidate Lucy is a barrister and former President of the Cambridge Union, she is already being tipped as a political rising star by her party and commentators.
Labour candidate Diane Abbott made history in 1987 by becoming the first black woman ever elected to the British Parliament. She has since built a distinguished career as a parliamentarian and broadcaster.
Use your vote today – it is what Newnham’s foremothers campaigned for.
Caption: Frances Rendel is fifth from the left in the second row from the front and and Ray Costelloe is sixth from the left in the row behind Frances and Ray is wearing a dark jacket.