100th anniversary of suffragette Emily Wilding Davison’s fatal accident
5 June 2013 (updated on 5 June 2013)
On 4 June 1913, suffragette Emily Wilding Davison undertook her protest for the cause of Votes for Women at the Derby. She collided with the King’s horse and was fatally injured, dying four days later.
Davison regularly protested at Parliament, most famously hiding in Parliament on the night of the 1911 Census so as to record her address in the House of Commons. A number police reports are held by the Parliamentary Archives detailing Davison’s protests.
Prior to 1918 women were ineligible to vote. The Representation of the People Act passed in 1918 gave only women over the age of 30 who met a property qualification the right. It was not until the Equal Franchise Act of 1928 that women over 21 were able to vote and women finally achieved the same voting rights as men.
Parliament and Suffragettes – Free lecture, 5 June 2013
To mark the 100th anniversary of the death of suffragette Emily Wilding Davison, Dr Mari Takayanagi, Senior Archivist in the Parliamentary Archives, will give a free open lecture on the campaign for women’s suffrage on 5 June. Limited tickets remain. Book tickets through Parliamentary Outreach
Learn More
To learn more about the history of women and the vote visit www.parliament.uk/women.
A permanent display about the suffragettes showcasing a suffragette medal and a scarf belonging to Emily Wilding Davison is located off Central Lobby, on the way to the public gallery of the House of Commons.