EAST LONDON FEDERATION OF SUFFRAGETTES

In 1912 Christabel was in exile in Paris and Sylvia took the initiative to broaden the base of the WSPU by starting a campaign for members in East London. Worried by Christabel's 'Votes for Ladies' approach, she wanted to appeal to working class women. She began by strengthening the propaganda side of WSPU work, by releasing statements on the treatment of prisoners, organising mass rallies and reactivating the local branches. Branches of the WSPU in West London funded centres in Bethnal green and Bow. Sylvia worked with the local ILP who were delighted. Initial reaction of East Londoners ranged from curiosity to anger. Sylvia herself opened the centre in Bow Road and an intrigued crowd gathered as she perched on a ladder carefully painting 'Votes for Women' on the fascia in gold lettering.

Sweated labour and hideous living conditions stirred Sylvia's social conscience – of all Richard Pankhurst's children, she remained the most closely allied to his radical socialist ideas – for her the suffrage campaign was only part of a wider aim for a more just and equal society. Open air meetings were held and despite the heckling and assaults, women joined the campaign in great numbers.

On November 11th 1912 George Lansbury the MP for Bow and Bromley resigned his seat on the women's suffrage issue. The whole of the constituency was flooded with speakers from all points of view, and Sylvia's efforts to aid Lansbury with the WSPU propaganda machine were thwarted by Emmeline and Christabel who issued orders that the WSPU would not work alongside men. Lansbury lost by 751 votes.

After his defeat the WSPU HQ decided to pull out of East London, but Sylvia persuaded them that to leave in defeat would be bad for morale and organised a deputation of East End workers to Lloyd George. 20 working women from all over the country were chosen and they attended a meeting with Lloyd George and Sir Edward grey on 17th January 1913, the day the reform bill was to be heard. Four hours after the deputation had left the Bill was withdrawn, and the spontaneous protest meeting was dealt with violently by the police.

After the delegation, the WSPU formally withdrew from the East End, but branches had been started in Bow, Bromley, Stepney, Limehouse, Bethnal Green and Poplar, and Sylvia was determined to try and keep the movement going. She found new premises in 231 Roman Road, a lively place always full of people and ideal for her purpose. At 14 shillings and sixpence a week they obtained a shop with parlour, scullery and three small upstairs rooms full of bugs. The purple green and white banner was hung outside, and local women rallied round to help clean the premises and a few donated a table some chairs and crockery.

Zelie Emerson was honorary organiser, to keep pamphlets and papers circulating, Jessie Lansbury (George's daughter in law) a Bow working woman, was secretary. Meetings were organised at Bromley Public Hall, and outside near the Obelisk at Bow Church. An uncovered cart was used as a platform and after one meeting Sylvia, Mrs Watkins (a seamstress) Mrs Moore and Annie Lansbury smashed some windows and were given two months with hard labour in Holloway Prison. During their imprisonment torchlit processions were held from Bow to the prison, and the East London campaign had really begun. Sylvia, Zelie and Mrs Watkin went on a hunger and thirst strike to obtain a quick release. To keep track of the days Sylvia scratched a calendar on the wall of her cell with a hairpin, and she was placed in solitary confinement several times. A variety of tasty food, unavailable to ordinary inmates was brought in to tempt her, but she stood fast, until they eventually force fed her. After three weeks and three days she started a sleep fast as well – she walked her cell for 28 hours. Zelie attempted suicide after force-feeding but was caught whilst cutting her wrists. Both were released shortly afterwards.

The government's response to the headline catching hunger strikes was the Cat and Mouse Act on 31st January 1913. Properly called the Prisoners Temporary Discharge for Ill Health Act, it enabled hunger strikers to be released and term suspended until their health recovered. They were then returned to prison. They also suppressed suffrage meetings except in the East End where popular support was strong. In North Bow alone 1000 women joined. Women canvassed the streets, held impromptu meetings standing on crates and held huge rallies in Victoria Park.

A Women's May Day was planned for 25th May in Victoria Park. There 15 platforms had been erected for speakers. There were some attempts to break up the meeting, but they failed. A few days later the East London Federation of the WSPU was formally launched. Some members from West London kept in contact and East End women were heard in West London salons.

On 4th June 1913 Derby Day, Emily Wilding Davison threw herself under the King's horse and died 4 days later. Her funeral took place on 14th June and a vast moving procession joined behind the cortege including a group from East London.

The East London Federation continued to flourish but Sylvia was moving further from Christabel and Emmeline's orders on how the vote should be obtained. The East London Federation co-operated with the Men's Federation for Women's Suffrage and the Free Speech Defence League in a demonstration at Trafalgar Square. Five men were arrested and Sylvia was summoned under a disturbing the peace act of Edward III and spent much of 1913 and 1914 playing hide and seek with the Metropolitan Police. Several times she was caught, hunger striked and was released. Usually she fled to Mr and Mrs Payne's home in Old Ford Road. Local people rallied round, providing food. Mrs Payne was a well known local woman who saved her many times from the police. When ever detectives arrived in the district they would be hissed at, and the cry 'the cats, the cats' would warn the fugitives. They still managed to hold large meetings and once Sylvia only escaped because the crowd turned hose pipes on the police in the Public Hall.

But events abroad halted the progress of women's suffrage. Britain declared war on Germany at midnight on 4th August 1914. The emphasis of the work by the ELFS changed in 1914. Sylvia was a pacifist and knew what the result of war would be – more hardship for the people of East London. The first few months of the war were frantic, with furious activity, but little of it constructive. Kitchener was appointed Secretary of State for War and recruiting began on 5th August. Over 2000 men in Newham enlisted in September 1914.

As the war progressed, so the numbers of men diminished and in 1916 conscription was introduced. Persecution faced those who would not fight. As some men signed on, so others joined the Non Conscription Fellowship and waited. Sylvia represented the ELFS on the National council Against Conscription and the federation campaigned for negotiation and an end to the war. On April 15th 1917 a Peace procession with a Mass meeting at Victoria Park was held. The meeting was cut short by their opponents who smashed up the platforms and threw the speakers to the ground. Several people were injured in the melee.

Immediately war was declared prices rose, and there was a rush to buy food. Cash became short and two days after war was declared the Co-Ops in Stratford and East Ham announced they would no longer sell to non members, and limited the amounts that could be purchased. The ELFS gathered information on price rises which they used to petition the Board of Trade to fix the cost of essentials. A national relief fund was set up by the Prince of Wales (Later the Duke of Windsor) and this with the Soldiers and Sailors Families Association were to provide separation allowances. But families were often left with out money. A soldier could allot part of his pay for his family but bureaucracy caused delays of several months. Men were called up so quickly they had no time to make arrangements and families were left destitute. Money from the funds was difficult to obtain:

The ELFS organised a League of Rights for soldiers and sailors wives and families which had branches throughout East London. They also saw the need for centres and opened several small shops where women could go for advice and help. By September 1914 the number of destitute families had risen to such proportions that the ELFS started giving free milk at the centres and this extended to include post natal care for mother and child. Centres were based at Fife Road Canning Town, Old Ford Road Bow, Railway Street Poplar, St Leonards Street Bromley.

They also ran three cost price restaurants in Bow, Bromley and Poplar – a two course meal for 2d (children 1d) soup at a penny a pint with a piece of bread. There was more control over day to day lives. In October an Army Council memo and Home Office letter placed all women in the receipt of a separation allowance under police surveillance. Any reports of alleged unchastity, drunkenness and neglect would be punished by removal of allowance.

The Defence of the Realm Act was introduced in august 1914, effectively placing Britain under martial law. Newspapers were censored, and there was strict control of information which fed the flood of rumours and alarm. Atrocity stories and spy fever led to the suspicion of anyone with a foreign sounding name, and this is reflected in the local newspapers:

There were a considerable number of people living in London who were of German. Polish and Russian background – many had been born here but all were affected by the anti German reaction. Shopkeepers in particular put adverts in newspapers declaring their nationality to be Russian, Polish or British. Others sold up and moved or changed their names. Those who were German citizens (even after many years domicile) had to register at Limehouse Aliens Office, and many were interned at the Undesirable Aliens Camp at Alexandra Palace. The worst outbursts of anti German feeling came after the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. West Ham alone suffered £100,000 of damage after rioting. Suspected Germans were beaten up and their premises looted. The ELFS centres were used as refuges by those caught in the violence.

With men at the front, women came forward to take their place. In direct contrast to Sylvia's pacifist stand, Emmeline and Christabel were welcomed with open arms by the government to aid in recruiting for the front, and for women's war work. At first activities were concerned with peripheral tasks such as lift attendants. But as the men left so other tasks became free. Locally women worked on the trams, drove lorries, and stoked the burners at Beckton Gas Works. Many went into 'direct' war work – munitions. Lloyd George whilst Minister for Munitions promised fair rates and equal piece work pay with men, but this was opposed by the male dominated trade unions. Munitions work was dangerous – TNT poisoned the girls' bodies causing toxic jaundice, earning them the nickname canaries. The special precautions – regular medical checks, respirators, free milk – were rarely followed. The dangerous nature of TNT manufacture was demonstrated when Brunner Monds Works at Silvertown exploded on 19th January 1917 killing 73, injuring hundreds and devastating the area.