Pleasance Pendred (15 July 1864 – 29 September 1948) was a

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campaigner for

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

, an activist and

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 ...

who during her imprisonment in

Holloway Prison HM Prison Holloway was a closed category prison for adult women and young offenders in Holloway, London, England, operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. It was the largest women's prison in western Europe, until its closure in 2016. Hist ...

went on

hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke a feeling of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most ...

as a consequence of which she was

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 ...

. She was born on 15 July 1864 as Kate Pleasance Jackson in

Lutterworth Lutterworth is a market town and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. The town is located in southern Leicestershire, close to the borders with Warwickshire and Northamptonshire. It is located north of Rugby, ...

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

, the daughter of Thomas Jackson, a grocer, and Elizabeth ''née'' Pendred; her late maternal aunt was called Pleasance Pendred (1843–1858). In 1881 aged 16 Kate Jackson was a Pupil Teacher at Osney House School in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. By 1891 she and her now widowed father were boarders at 46 Langdon Park Road in

Hornsey Hornsey is a district of north London, England in the London Borough of Haringey The London Borough of Haringey (pronounced , same as Harringay) is a London borough in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner Lo ...

; by this time she was a School Board Teacher. Ten years later Kate Pleasance Jackson was still living at Langdon Park Road,1901 London Census Record for Kate Pleasance Jackson: Middlesex, Hornsey, District 40
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and here she was to stay until at least 1927. For 25 years she worked as a teacher in LondonPleasance Pendred, 'Why Women Teachers Break Windows'
(c1913) - Pamphlet in the Collection of the

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but was an active member of the

branch of the

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 ...

which is probably why she adopted the name 'Pleasance Pendred' as her employers were not likely to look favourably on her activities on behalf of

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

. From 1909 until 1910 as 'Miss Jackson' she was the Literature Secretary for the Hornsey branch of the WSPU (renamed 'North Islington' in summer 1910) but she resigned from this office as stated in the 30 September 1910 issue of '' The Suffragette''. However, she continued to work as a collector of money and object donations for the Hornsey branch of the WSPU until October 1912. She resigned her teaching post just before she began her militant action for the WSPU on 28 January 1913 when she and three other women smashed the windows of various shops including an antiquities shop at 167 Victoria Street and of government offices in Westminster. During her trial in February 1913 she gave the name Pleasance Pendred and under that name she was sentenced to four months hard labour in

. As she was sentenced Pendred used the dock to complain publicly concerning the treatment received by herself and the other

s arrested with her at Rochester Row Police Station. She stated that the

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Reginald McKenna Reginald McKenna (6 July 1863 – 6 September 1943) was a British banker and Liberal politician. His first Cabinet post under Henry Campbell-Bannerman was as President of the Board of Education, after which he served as First Lord of the Admiral ...

had lied when he said that the four arrested women slept on camp beds in their cells and that they were supervised by women warders. She claimed that in fact her cell had a plank bed, the sanitary arrangements were disgusting and that five times during the night a male warder had come into her cell. The jury requested that the Chairman of the Sessions investigate these claims. In Holloway Pendred went on

for about two months during which period she was forcibly-fed, suffering illness as a result. The 4 April 1913 issue of '' The Suffragette'' recorded: "On her partial recovery, Miss Pendred who is still confined to her bed, continued the hunger strike, and is now being fed by cup." On her release from prison Pendred received a

hunger strike medal The Hunger Strike Medal was a silver medal awarded between August 1909 and 1914 to suffragette prisoners by the leadership of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). During their imprisonment, they went on hunger strike while serving th ...

from the

WSPU 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 ...

for her outstanding bravery. On her early release from prison she received a welcome picnic from the Hornsey branch of the WSPU, as recorded in ''The Suffragette'' on 11 July 1913. After her release from prison in 1913 she held a few talks for the North Islington (formerly Hornsey) WSPU branch and is last recorded as a speaker in August 1913.Jeanette Lang
'Suffragette Talk: Who was Pleasance Pendred?'
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Glasgow Women's Library Glasgow Women's Library is a public library, registered company and charity based in the Bridgeton area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is the only accredited museum dedicated to women's history and provides information relevant to women's culture a ...

26 September 2018 Her article 'Why Women Teachers Break Windows' was published in ''Woman's Press'', with a copy of it being republished in the '' Daily Herald'' on 25 February 1913. She died in

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in 1948 having never married.Kate Pleasance Jackson in the England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995
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Her

Holloway brooch The Holloway brooch was presented by the Women's Social and Political Union (WPSU) to women who had been imprisoned at Holloway Prison for militant suffragette activity. It is also referred to as the "Portcullis badge", the "Holloway Prison brooc ...

and

Hunger Strike Medal The Hunger Strike Medal was a silver medal awarded between August 1909 and 1914 to suffragette prisoners by the leadership of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). During their imprisonment, they went on hunger strike while serving th ...

issued by the WSPU and named to her as Pleasance Pendred was auctioned in 2001, selling for £3,600.Lot 669: Hunger Strike Medal awarded to Pleasance Pendred
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Dix Noonan Webb Noonans Mayfair, formerly Dix Noonan Webb, is an auction house based in London. It specialises in coins, medals, jewellery and paper money. Since being established, the firm has sold over 400,000 lots. Noonans was established in 1990 as Buckland D ...

21 September 2001

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pendred, Pleasance 1865 births 1948 deaths People from Lutterworth Schoolteachers from Leicestershire English suffragettes Women's Social and Political Union British feminists British women's rights activists Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom People from Hornsey Prisoners and detainees of England and Wales Hunger Strike Medal recipients Holloway brooch recipients