Search Suffragette collection browse
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The National Archives
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Findmypast has brought together a historically significant collection of suffragette records. The collection comprises records from The National Archives related to the women and men who supported women’s suffrage in the early 20th century. Discover arrest records, parliamentary papers, a watch list of over 1,300 suffragettes, personal statements, reports of force-feeding, and transcripts of speeches. A full list of all the sources is available below.
Findmypast has brought together a collection of records from The National Archives related to suffragettes. The details found in each record will depend on the nature of the report. Among these records you will find:
After your search, select which volume you wish to view and you can browse the entire series. If you wish to search the collection by name, select the Suffragette collection available in the Useful links and resources.
Suffragettes advocated for the right to vote to be extended to women. The term ‘suffragist’ was a general term for those who supported women’s suffrage, and the term ‘suffragette’ was coined in 1906 by the Daily Mail to distinguish those who supported militant actions to support women’s suffrage.
The Suffragette collection spans from 1902 to 1919 and includes the following series of records from The National Archives: AR 1, ASSI 52, CAB 23, CAB 37, CAB 41, COPY 1, CRIM 1, CRIM 9, DPP 1, FO 371, FO 608, HO144, HO45, HO140, J 86, KV 2, LAB 2, LO 3, MEPO2, MEPO3, MEPO 5, MT 10, PCOM 7, PCOM 8, PP 1, PRO 30, T 1, T 172, TS 27, WORK 11, and WORK 19. Among these are photographs of suffragettes, cabinet letters, calendars of prisoners, Home Office papers of suffragette disturbances, an index of women arrested between 1906 and 1914 (the official watch list of over 1,300 suffragettes), reports of force-feeding, and more.
The women’s suffrage movement began in the late 19th century and became a national movement with the formation of The National Society for Women’s Suffrage in 1867 by Lydia Becker. Later came the more influential, National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, created under the leadership of Millicent Fawcett. A significant shift in the suffrage movement occurred in the early 20th century, when more suffragists supported militant action after being disappointed with years of no progress. In 1906, Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia established the Women’s Social and Political. The motto of the organisation was ‘Deeds Not Words’.
The women’s suffrage movement succeeded in influencing the passage of two pieces of legislation which extended the franchise to women. The Representation of the People Act 1918 extended the right to vote to women over the age of 30 who met the property qualifications. The Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act 1928 expanded the vote to all women over the age of 21, bringing the right to vote for women in line with men.
The collection brings together the stories of women of all classes who actively supported women’s suffrage by attending peaceful demonstrations and meetings, as well as committed arson attacks, window breaking, contributed to public disobedience, chalked on footpaths, and more. You will find working-class women of the factories recorded alongside aristocratic women. The records do include the names of male suffragettes who were arrested with their female comrades.
There are numerous well-known names of suffragettes found in these records. Below is just a selection of the notable names:
Below is a full list of all the series contained in this collection:
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