Mabel Jones (c. 1865–1923) was a British physician and a sympathizer to the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU).

Medical career

Trained in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and from 1898, she worked in a practice with her fellow student, Dr Helen Boyle in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

after moving from Hull and then moved on to

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

in 1908. Although Dr Jones initially handled the routine cases in

Hove, Brighton Hove is a seaside resort and one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove, along with Brighton in East Sussex, England. Originally a "small but ancient fishing village" surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th cen ...

, the clinic was focused in treating women and it was mostly female led. Jones was also noted for helping others who were sympathetic to the cause.

"Dr. Mabel Jones did very well in helping the boys to get over their little colds and fevers. ... illustrate how genuine a feminist Paschal had become between two ardent suffragists, his wife and mother, he too called on Dr. Mabel Jones' services"

Queen Elisabeth Medal (Belgium)

It is reported that Jones either worked in Belgium or attended Belgian wounded in Scotland during World War I and was awarded the

Queen Elisabeth Medal The Queen Elisabeth Medal ( nl, Koningin Elisabeth Medaille, french: Médaille de la reine Élisabeth) was a Belgian decoration created by royal decree in October 1916 to recognise exceptional services to Belgium in the relief of the suffering of ...

and this was sent on her sudden death to her medical colleague Dr Helen Boyle of Brighton

Frances Gordon's case

Jones evaluated the health state of suffragette

Frances Gordon Frances Graves aka Frances Gordon (born around 1874) was a British suffragette who became prominent in the militant wing of the Scottish women's suffrage movement prior to the World War I, First World War and was imprisoned and force-fed for h ...

after she was released from Perth prison. A part of the report she produced was quoted in a letter to the ''Glasgow Evening Times'':

"I saw her (Miss Gordon) at Midnight in July 3. Her appearance was appalling, like a famine victim: the skin brown, her face bones standing out, her eyes half shut, her voice a whisper, her hands quite cold, her pulse a thread."

This quote and the Press exposure of pictures of women on stretchers after release from prisons led to questions in the House of Commons, giving voice to the female suffrage cause. In the book ''Martyrs in our Mydst'', Leah Leneman openly questions the level of accuracy of Dr Jones report on Frances Gordon and also challenges the official version:

"Comparing the
rison Rison may refer to: People *Andre Rison (born 1967), American football player * Mose Rison (born 1956), American football coach * Vera B. Rison (1939–2015), politician Places *Rison, Arkansas **Rison High School Rison High School (RHS) is a ...
medical officer's daily reports with Frances Gordon's story as related by Mabel Jones, it is clear that the later did indeed contained a good deal of distortion, but a far greater distortion was the version of the events provided by the medical officer and Chairman of the Prison Commission to the Scottish Office"

Supporting other suffragettes

It is uncertain if Jones went to London to meet the Pankhursts to protest that Janie Allan was removed from the West of Scotland branch of the WSPU. The Women's Library Archive has a printed leaflet of a visit by Dr Jones to Mrs Pankhurst in a cell at the Central Police Station. She did also co-examine the gynaecological damage done by the violent use of rectal feeding on

Fanny Parker Frances Mary "Fanny" Parker (24 December 1875 – 19 January 1924) was a New Zealand-born suffragette who became prominent in the militant wing of the Scottish women's suffrage movement and was repeatedly imprisoned for her actions. Early li ...

and reported in the WSPU newsletters about other cases.

Death and legacy

Jones died in 1923 after falling from a train in

Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...

, England.

References