Alice Maud Shipley
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Alice Maud Shipley (5 June 1869 – 16 December 1951) was a militant
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 ...
and member 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 founded in 1903. Known from 1906 as the suffragettes, its membership and p ...
(WSPU) who received a prison sentence during which she went on
hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance where participants fasting, fast as an act of political protest, usually with the objective of achieving a specific goal, such as a policy change. Hunger strikers that do not take fluids are ...
and was force-fed, for which action she received the WSPU's
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, many went on hunger strike while serving the ...
. Born in
Higham Ferrers Higham Ferrers is a market town and civil parish in the Nene Valley in North Northamptonshire, England, close to the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire borders. It forms a single built-up area with Rushden to the south and had a population of 8,82 ...
in
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...
in 1869, the eldest of three children born to Martha ''née'' Smith (1845-1876), a dressmaker, and Alfred George Shepherd Shipley (1844-1914), the foreman in a shoe manufactory and a
Wesleyan Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan–Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charle ...
lay evangelist, in 1891 she was a dressmaker like her mother, while by 1901 she was living in
Dryfesdale Dryfesdale ( ) is a Civil parishes in Scotland, civil parish of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is part of the county of Dumfriesshire. Overview The parish church of Dryfesdale, located in the centre of Lockerbie, was ...
in
Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the hi ...
in Scotland as lady's maid to a Mrs Margaret Pairman. On 21 November 1911 Shipley was among the 223 protesters arrested at a WSPU demonstration at the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
, to which she had travelled with other women from the Edinburgh branch of the WSPU including
Elizabeth and Agnes Thomson Elizabeth and Agnes Thomson were Scottish suffragettes and members of the Edinburgh branch of the Women's Social and Political Union. They were arrested for their involvement in WSPU protests in Scotland and London. The sisters were involved in ...
, Jessie C. Methven,
Edith Hudson Edith Hudson (born 1872) was a British nurse and suffragette. She was an active member of the Edinburgh branch of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) and was arrested several times for her part in their protests in Scotland and London. ...
and a Mrs N Grieve. The demonstrations followed the "torpedoing" of the Conciliation Bill. She appeared at
Bow Street Magistrates' Court Bow Street Magistrates' Court (formerly Bow Street Magistrates' court (England and Wales), Police Court) and Police Station each became one of the most famous magistrates' court (England and Wales), magistrates' courts and police stations in Eng ...
after which she was released without charge. She was again arrested in West London in March 1912 during a window-smashing campaign in the
West End of London The West End of London (commonly referred to as the West End) is a district of Central London, Central London, England, in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden and the City of Westminster. It is west of the City of London an ...
following which she appeared at the London Sessions on 19 March 1912 where she refused to be bound over and received a four-month prison sentence in
Holloway Prison HM Prison Holloway was a British prison security categories, 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, ...
. At her trial she stated: "More than half my life I have been doing what lies in me to help the poor & unfortunate. As a member of a Vigilance Society, & as a worker in connection with other societies, I know the condition of our women & girls, & the dangers that lie about them & that they have no power to protect themselves; & that knowledge has made me take up the attitude I have today. I feel our case is a most urgent one, & I feel that only a woman can understand a woman’s needs, that women suffer for the want & care of men, & that their salvation lies in looking after their own needs & in demanding the vote". In Holloway she went on
hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance where participants fasting, fast as an act of political protest, usually with the objective of achieving a specific goal, such as a policy change. Hunger strikers that do not take fluids are ...
and was force-fed. In prison she was one of the suffragette co-signatories on
The Suffragette Handkerchief The Suffragette Handkerchief is a handkerchief displayed at The Priest House, West Hoathly in West Sussex, England. It has sixty-six embroidered signatures and two sets of initials, mostly of women imprisoned in HMP Holloway for their part in th ...
, a symbol of defiance, organised by fellow prisoner who retained it until her death,
Mary Ann Hilliard Mary Ann Hilliard (1860–1950) was an Irish nurse and suffragette. She was arrested for breaking windows in March 1912, and while imprisoned contributed to the Suffragette Handkerchief. Biography Mary Ann Hilliard was born in Cork in 1860, t ...
, On Shipley's release from prison at the end of June 1912, she 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, many went on hunger strike while serving the ...
'for Valour' from the leaders of the WSPU. Alice Maud Shipley died in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
in Scotland in 1951 and was buried in the family plot of the Pairman family in the churchyard of St Mary's church in
Biggar, South Lanarkshire Biggar ( ) is a town, parish and former burgh in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, in the Southern Uplands near the River Clyde on the A702. The closest neighbouring towns are Lanark, Peebles and Carluke. History Biggar occupies a key location close ...
. Her inscription on the memorial reads: "Alice Maude Shipley faithful friend of the Pairman family for nearly 60y d. at Edinburgh 16.12.1951) Pairman".- Survey of St Mary’s Churchyard,Biggar - Biggar Archaeology Group
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shipley, Alice Maud 1869 births 1951 deaths English suffragettes English feminists British women's rights activists Women's Social and Political Union Prisoners and detainees of England and Wales People from Higham Ferrers