Anna Lewis (1889–1976) 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 ...

, member of the militant

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 ...

. Lewis was imprisoned at least three times, 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 by the authorities, fighting the cause of women's rights to vote. Lewis was awarded the

Holloway brooch The Holloway brooch was presented by the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) to women who had been imprisoned at HM Prison Holloway, Holloway Prison for militant suffragette activity. It is also referred to as the "Portcullis badge", the "H ...

(twice) and the WPSU

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 ...

on 10 February 1914 "for Valour". Her medals were auctioned to a private buyer for over £27,000, one of the highest prices for such items in May 2019.

Family

Beatrice Anna Lewis was born in 1889 and grew up in Holt, in Wales, and she died at the age of 87, in

Worthing Worthing ( ) is a seaside town and borough in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 113,094 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Br ...

, England, in 1976. Lewis had a sister and four children, at least two daughters, one of whom described Lewis as "a woman born before her time". Lewis had resented the limitations of being a female in that era, and her husband served in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

and had chosen to travel unaccompanied overseas. Lewis had also been given more children than was recommended on health advice, and her husband had also said '"I tell you what I think you need to know my dear".

Suffrage activism

Lewis joined the militant suffragette movement, the

(WSPU) and took a leading part in protests which were violently stopped by the Metropolitan Police, and she was charged and imprisoned at least twice. Lewis chained herself to railings. WPSU awarded her the

, a silver portcullis designed by

Sylvia Pankhurst Estelle Sylvia Pankhurst (; 5 May 1882 – 27 September 1960) was an English Feminism, feminist and Socialism, socialist activist and writer. Following encounters with women-led labour activism in the United States, she worked to organise worki ...

, and made by Toye and Co, in the shape of 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 ...

portcullis and the prisoner arrow symbols in the WSPU colours; purple for dignity, green for hope and white for purity.

Hunger Strike Medal

Lewis was a recipient of the

, awarded by

Emmeline Pankhurst Emmeline Pankhurst (; Goulden; 15 July 1858 – 14 June 1928) was a British political activist who organised the British suffragette movement and helped women to win in 1918 the women's suffrage, right to vote in United Kingdom of Great Brita ...

in a special ceremony in 1914. Lewis's medal had the date of her hunger strike 10 February 1914 engraved and the leather box had the citation: ''‘Presented to Anna Lewis, by the Women’s Social and Political Union in recognition of a gallant action, whereby through endurance to the last extremity of hunger and hardship, A great principle of political justice was vindicated’'' Lewis was a friend of

Miss De Pass Miss (pronounced ) is an English-language honorific typically used for a girl, for an unmarried woman (when not using another title such as "Doctor" or "Dame"), or for a married woman retaining her maiden name. Originating in the 17th century, i ...

, a fellow suffragette, and she was included in the Roll of Honour of the suffragette movement (as Ann Lewis). Lewis set up a home for other women who were protestors who had suffered ill-health from this treatment, and she herself had permanent damage to her throat from force-feeding. Lewis also attended the annual memorial services for suffragettes.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Anna 1976 deaths Women's Social and Political Union Hunger Strike Medal recipients British suffragettes 1889 births