Mary Raleigh Richardson (1882/3 – 7 November 1961) was a Canadian

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 ...

active in the women's suffrage movement in the United Kingdom, an arsonist, a socialist parliamentary candidate and later head of the women's section of the

British Union of Fascists The British Union of Fascists (BUF) was a British fascist political party formed in 1932 by Oswald Mosley. Mosley changed its name to the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists in 1936 and, in 1937, to the British Union. In 1939, fo ...

(BUF) led by Sir Oswald Mosley.

Life

She grew up in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. In 1898, she travelled to Paris and Italy. She lived in

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

, London, England, and witnessed Black Friday in London in 1910. Richardson published a novel, ''Matilda and Marcus'' (1915), and three volumes of poetry, ''Symbol Songs'' (1916), ''Wilderness Love Songs'' (1917), and ''Cornish Headlands'' (1920).

Militant actions

At the beginning of the 20th century, the

movement, frustrated by a failure to achieve equal voting rights for women, began adopting increasingly militant tactics. In particular, the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), led by

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 ...

, frequently endorsed the use of property destruction to bring attention to the issue of women's suffrage. Richardson was a devoted supporter of Pankhurst and a member of the WSPU. Richardson joined Helen Craggs at the Women's Press shop and told her of the abuse from men (obscene remarks) and customers tearing up materials. Richardson claimed to be at the Epsom races on Derby Day, 4 June 1913, when Emily Davison jumped in front of the King's horse. Emily Davison died in

Epsom Cottage Hospital Epsom and Ewell Cottage Hospital is a small hospital in West Park Road, Horton Lane, Epsom, Surrey. It is managed by CSH Surrey. History The hospital has its origins in a facility established at Pembroke Cottages at Pikes Hill in April 1873. It m ...

; Mary Richardson was reportedly chased and beaten by an angry mob but was given refuge in Epsom Downs station by a railway porter. She committed a number of acts of arson, smashed windows at the Home Office and

bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the Exothermic process, exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-t ...

ed a railway station. She was arrested nine times, receiving prison terms totalling more than three years. She was one of the first two women

force-fed Force-feeding is the practice of feeding a human or animal against their will. The term ''gavage'' (, , ) refers to supplying a substance by means of a small plastic feeding tube passed through the nose ( nasogastric) or mouth (orogastric) into t ...

for hunger-striking, then released to recover and be re-arrested under the 1913 Cat and Mouse Act, Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill Health) Act 1913, serving her sentences in HM Prison Holloway. Richardson was given the Hunger Strike Medal 'for Valour' by WSPU, and was proud of being awarded more bars for strikes than anyone else. After one of her hunger strikes Richardson recovered at the cottage of

Lillian Dove-Willcox Lillian Dove-Willcox (1875–1963) was a British suffragette who was a member of Emmeline Pankhurst's personal bodyguard. Life Dove-Willcox was born in Bedminster, Bristol in 1875. Her husband died in 1908. She was living in Bristol and attende ...

in the Wye valley. She was devoted to Dove-Willcox and wrote the poem ''The Translation of the Love I Bear Lillian Dove''.

Damaging the ''Rokeby Venus''

On 10 March 1914 Richardson entered the National Gallery in London to attack a painting by Velázquez, the '' Rokeby Venus'', using a chopper she smuggled into the gallery. She wrote a brief statement explaining her actions to the WSPU which was published by the press:

Member of British Union of Fascists

In 1932, after forming the belief that fascism was the "only path to a 'Greater Britain,'" Richardson joined the

(BUF), led by Sir Oswald Mosley. She claimed that "I was first attracted to the Blackshirts because I saw in them the courage, the action, the loyalty, the gift of service and the ability to serve which I had known in the suffragette movement". Richardson rose quickly through the BUF ranks and by 1934 was Chief Organiser for the Women's Section of the party. She left within two years after becoming disillusioned with the sincerity of its policy on women. Two other prominent suffragette leaders to attain high office in the BUF were Norah Elam and Commandant

Mary Sophia Allen Mary Sophia Allen OBE (12 March 1878 – 16 December 1964) was a British political activist known for her defence of women's rights in the 1910–1920s and later involvement with British fascism. She is chiefly noted as one of the early leaders ...

Later life

In 1930, she adopted a young baby boy, named Roger Robert, to whom she gave her surname. Richardson published her autobiography, '' Laugh a Defiance'', in 1953. She died at her flat in Hastings on 7 November 1961.

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * * *