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Annie Seymour Pearson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Annie Pearson
WSPU prison brooch of the type awarded to Pearson
Born
Annie Jane Bennett

1873
Bolsover, Derbyshire, England
Died1956(1956-00-00) (aged 82–83)
NationalityBritish
Known forSuffragette
SpouseArthur Seymour Pearson
ChildrenFour

Annie Jane Bennett Pearson (1873–1956), also known as Annie Seymour Pearson, was a British women's suffrage activist who ran a safe house for suffragettes evading police.[1]

Personal life

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She was married to Arthur,[2] had four children (surviving children were Elsa, Francis and Roland), and lived in York.[3]

Protest, arrest and release

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In 1913, she went to protest at the House of Commons, was arrested,[1] charged[3] with obstructing the police,[1] summonsed to appear in court on 18 January 1913,[4] and sentenced to a choice of a 40 shilling fine, or time in prison. She opted for prison.[3] Two days later her husband paid the fine[1] and Pearson was released from Holloway.

After release

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After returning to York, Pearson received a Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) prison brooch,[5] and was invited to the next WSPU prisoners' reception where she was thanked for her contribution.[6]

She was interviewed by a reporter from The Yorkshire Herald during which she explained her motivation for travelling to the demonstration and what happened when there.[7]

She later set-up a safe house for suffragettes and supporters,[8] including Harry Johnson.[9]

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In 2017, York Theatre Royal and Pilot Theatre staged Everything Is Possible: The York Suffragettes a play about Pearson and other suffragettes.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Mrs Annie Seymour Pearson / Database - Women's Suffrage Resources". Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  2. ^ Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf (PDF), p. 21, retrieved 3 June 2020
  3. ^ a b c Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf (PDF), p. 16, retrieved 3 June 2020
  4. ^ Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf (PDF), p. 17, retrieved 3 June 2020
  5. ^ Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf (PDF), pp. 22–23, retrieved 3 June 2020
  6. ^ Cowman, Krista. The Militant Suffragette Movement in York. p. 18.
  7. ^ Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf (PDF), pp. 24–25, retrieved 3 June 2020
  8. ^ Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf (PDF), p. 28, retrieved 3 June 2020
  9. ^ Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf (PDF), pp. 29–30, retrieved 3 June 2020
  10. ^ "Everything Is Possible: The York Suffragettes review – an extraordinary community production | Stage | The Guardian". 25 June 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2020.