Elsa Gye (1881–1943) was a music student at

Guildhall A guildhall, also known as a "guild hall" or "guild house", is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commonly become town halls and in som ...

who became a

suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

and involved in disruptive events in London and Scotland and was imprisoned for the cause of women's suffrage. She married the brother of fellow suffragette Daisy Bullock,

William Ewart Gye William Ewart Gye FRS (born William Ewart Bullock; 11 August 1889, Breaston – 14 October 1952) was a British pathologist and cancer researcher. Career After a difficult financial struggle, Bullock matriculated at University College, Notti ...

in 1911 whilst he was a medical student at

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, and had her first child in 1912. He took her surname. Later he went on to work with the

Imperial Cancer Research Fund Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organization. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and t ...

and Gye helped the creation of the Suffragette Record Room in London.

Early life

Elsa was educated at

Croydon High School Croydon High School is an Independent school (UK), independent day school for girls located near Croydon, London, England. It is one of the original schools founded by the Girls' Day School Trust. History The school was founded in 1874 in Welles ...

and the Guildhall School of Music.

Life as a suffragette

Gye was one of a large number of women who hid in furniture vehicles and rushed on Parliament on 11–13 February 1908, and was arrested and sentenced to six weeks in prison. She had met Daisy Bullock in 1907 and was with

Gladice Keevil Gladice Georgina Keevil (later Mrs Rickford; 1884 – 1959) was a British suffragette who served as head of the Midlands office of the Women's Social and Political Union between 1908 and 1910. Early life Gladice was born and had her chi ...

Nellie Martel Ellen Alma "Nellie" Martel, (; 30 September 1855 – 11 August 1940) was an English-Australian suffragist and elocutionist. She stood for the Australian Senate, Senate at the 1903 Australian federal election, 1903 federal election, one of th ...

Emmeline Pankhurst Emmeline Pankhurst ('' née'' Goulden; 15 July 1858 – 14 June 1928) was an English political activist who organised the UK suffragette movement and helped women win the right to vote. In 1999, ''Time'' named her as one of the 100 Most Impo ...

Aeta Lamb Aeta Adelaide Lamb (1886–June 1928) was one of the longest serving organizers in the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), the leading militant organization campaigning for Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom. Early life and education ...

when they disrupted Chancellor H. Asquith speaking at a meeting in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

. In 1908, Gye worked with

Minnie Baldock Lucy Minnie Baldock (née Rogers; 20 November 1864''1939 England and Wales Register'' – 10 December 1954)''England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966, 1973-1995'' was a British suffragette. ...

to open a local branch of

Women's Social and Political Union The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was a women-only political movement and leading militant organisation campaigning for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom from 1903 to 1918. Known from 1906 as the suffragettes, its membership and ...

(WSPU) in Nottingham. Gye was taken for a celebration breakfast by WSPU members including former prisoners, at Inns of Court Hotel, Holburn when released from prison in April 1909. Daisy Bullock's brother

had studied chemistry in Nottingham and then was a medical student at

, when he married Elsa Gye in 1911, whilst a student, with financial support or friends, including Elsa herself. Her husband took her surname and became Dr W.E. Gye. During Churchill's campaign for the by-election in 1908 in Dundee, after losing his seat in Peckham, Gye went with

Rachel Barrett Rachel Barrett (12 November 1874 – 26 August 1953) was a Welsh suffragette and newspaper editor born in Carmarthen. Educated at the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth she became a science teacher, but quit her job in 1906 on hearin ...

and Helen Fraser to over 200 meetings, spoke at factories and at the large Gaiety Theatre in Dundee, gathering crowds to hear them criticising the Prime Minister's dealings with women over the question of suffrage. Gye was supportive to

Constance Lytton Lady Constance Georgina Bulwer-Lytton (12 February 1869 – 2 May 1923), usually known as Constance Lytton, was an influential British suffragette activist, writer, speaker and campaigner for prison reform, votes for women, and birth control. ...

during her first activism in 1909, recommending she should breach the peace to get herself arrested and make speeches to attract attention. She was separated from Lytton in the crowd and the crush affected Lytton's weak heart. She was also one of the organisers with Gladys Keevil of noisy protests at Budget meetings at Bingley Hall, Birmingham on 17 September 1909 when firemen were on standby, and other women used slates thrown from a nearby roof to drown out Asquith's speech. The mother of fellow suffragette,

Elsie Howey Rose Elsie Neville Howey (1 December 1884 – 13 March 1963), known as Elsie Howey, was an English suffragette. She was a militant activist with the Women's Social and Political Union and was jailed at least six times between 1908 and 1912. Earl ...

wrote to Gye in 1928 to complain about the effect of force feeding on her daughter's voice.

Later life

After the passing of the

Representation of the People Act 1918 The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in Great Britain and Ireland. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act. The Act extended the franchise in parliamentary elections, also ...

, in which some women within the United Kingdom were first given the right to vote, Elsa Gye's husband worked on cancer research with the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, and on infection in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Legacy

Gye helped the creation of the Suffragette Record Room in London. At one time no photograph of her was known to exist. She died in 1943.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gye, Elsa English suffragettes English suffragists 1881 births 1943 deaths Scottish suffragettes Women's Social and Political Union