Theresa Garnett (17 May 1888 – 24 May 1966) was a British

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 ...

. She was a serial protester who sometimes went by the name 'Annie O'Sullivan', was jailed and then still refused to cooperate. She assaulted

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

while carrying a whip. She retired from her militancy after the suffragette movement decided to commit arson as part of its protests. She was honorary editor of a women's right's magazine in 1960.

Early life

Theresa Garnett was born in Leeds in 1888,Elizabeth Crawford, ‘Garnett, (Frances) Theresa (1888–1966)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 30 Oct 2017
/ref> daughter to Joshua Garnett and Frances Theresa Garnett''Women of the right spirit: paid organisers of the women's social and political union (WSPU) 1904-18''
by Krista Cowman who died when baby Theresa was 21 days old of "puerperal mania" ( postpartum psychosis) in the

West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum The Stanley Royd Hospital, earlier named the West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum, was a mental health facility in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. It was managed by the Wakefield and Pontefract Community Health NHS Trust. History The facility, which was ...

near Wakefield. Garnett was brought up by her paternal grandparents, educated at a convent school,''Women's Suffrage Movement: A Reference Guide 1866-1928''
by Elizabeth Crawford and later worked for some time as a pupil-teacher.

Suffragette activity

In 1907, she joined the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) after being inspired by a speech given by Adela Pankhurst.13 novembre 1909. Jeune ministre, Winston Churchill est agressé par la suffragette Theresa Garnett
on lepoint.fr In April 1909, she sparked some interest by running about with a whistle before chaining herself, along with four other activists, including Bertha Quinn,

Margery Humes __NOTOC__ Margery is a heavily buffered, lightly populated hamlet in the Reigate and Banstead district, in the English county of Surrey. It sits on the North Downs, is bordered by the London Orbital Motorway, at a lower altitude, and its predom ...

and

Sylvia Russell Sylvia may refer to: People *Sylvia (given name) *Sylvia (singer), American country music and country pop singer and songwriter *Sylvia Robinson, American singer, record producer, and record label executive *Sylvia Vrethammar, Swedish singer credi ...

to one of the male dignitaries' statues in the

Central Lobby The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

of the Houses of Parliament to protest against a law forbidding precisely this kind of thing - disorderly conduct within the

Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

when the Parliament was in session. They were not charged. In June 1909, Garnett and Lillian Dove Willcox were arrested during another attempt to "rush" the House of Commons and convicted of assaulting a warder whilst in Holloway Prison and were given another ten-day sentence. Suffragettes Annie Kenney and Theresa Garnett 1909

Suffragettes Annie Kenney and Theresa Garnett 1909

On 7 November 1909 she was invited to Eagle House at Batheaston in Somerset. Eagle House was known as "Suffragette's Rest" because of its support for the movement. It was the home of fellow suffragettes Mary Blathwayt and Emily, her mother. Emily had decided to plant a tree to commemorate every woman who went to prison for the cause. These trees came to be known as "Annie's Arboretum" after Annie Kenney, the local organiser. Garnett planted a '' Taxus baccata Elegantissima'', and a lead plaque was installed to record the event. Emily's husband was a keen photographer and recorded the event.Taxus Baccata Elegantissima 1909
BathinTime.co.uk, Retrieved 30 October 2017 The following week, on 14 November 1909, Garnett assaulted

at the

Bristol Temple Meads railway station Bristol Temple Meads is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is located away from London Paddington. It is an important transport hub for public transport in the city; there are bus services to many parts of the city ...

with a dogwhip, cutting him in the face. Arrested, she was sentenced to a month in prison at the HM Prison Bristol for disturbing the peace (Churchill did not press charges for the assault itself). She went on a hunger strike, was force-fed, tried to set her cell on fire, and finished her time in hospital.Theresa Garnett
biography on ''Spartacus Educational''. She received for her actions, from the WSPU, a brooch for her imprisonment and the

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 ...

for "Valour" in the hunger strike. In 1910, she became organiser for the WSPU in

Camberwell Camberwell () is a district of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of Charing Cross. Camberwell was first a village associated with the church of St Giles and a common of which Goose Green is a remnant. This e ...

, but left the Union after some disagreement about the WPSU's arson campaign.

World War I

During World War I, she worked as a sister at the Royal London Hospital and served on the Western Front with the Civil Hospital Reserve and was commended for her "gallant and distinguished service in the field". in France.

Post war

She remained favourable to the feminist movement, joined the

Six Point Group The Six Point Group was a British feminist campaign group founded by Lady Rhondda in 1921 to press for changes in the law of the United Kingdom in six areas. Aims The six original specific aims were: # Satisfactory legislation on child assault; ...

alongside suffragette Charlotte Marsh who later left her a bequest. Garnett became honorary editor for the

Women's Freedom League The Women's Freedom League was an organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigned for women's suffrage and sexual equality Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access ...

bulletin in 1960. She enjoyed connecting with the Suffragette Fellowship. Garnett died in 1966, leaving very little in her estate.

Bibliography

* Elizabeth Crawford, ''The Women's Suffrage Movement: A Reference Guide, 1866–1928'', Routledge, 2001, p. 237

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garnett, Theresa 1888 births 1966 deaths English suffragettes People from Leeds Eagle House suffragettes Hunger Strike Medal recipients Holloway brooch recipients