Miss Adams and Constance Bryer released from prison

Constance Elizabeth Bryer (c. July 1870 – 12 July 1952) was a British classical violinist and campaigner for

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...

, an activist and

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 ...

who during her imprisonment 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, ...

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 ...

as a consequence of which she was force-fed.

Early life and family

Constance Bryer was born in

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

in London in 1870, the eldest of seven children born to Thomas John Bryer (1844–1916), a bullion merchant, and Elizabeth Butler Bryer ( Chadwick; 1847–1937). In 1908, she was a violinist living in the family home at 49 Tufnell Park Road in London. Her brother, Gilbert William Bryer (1882–1919), served as a gunner with the

Royal Garrison Artillery The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Artillery, Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and died of injuries sustained in service. He is buried in

Highgate Cemetery Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in North London, England, designed by architect Stephen Geary. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East sides. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for so ...

Suffrage activity

Bryer joined 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) and the

Church League for Women's Suffrage The Church League for Women's Suffrage (CLWS) was an organisation campaigning for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom. The league was started in London, but by 1913 it had branches across England, in Wales and Scotland and Ireland. Aims an ...

(CLWS), abandoning her career as a musician to campaign for

. She seems to have come from a musical family for her relative George Bryer was a member of one of the fife and drum bands which took part in the procession for the

WSPU 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 ...

's 'Women's Sunday' in June 1908 while her cellist sister Pearl studied under

Paderewski Ignacy Jan Paderewski (; r 1859– 29 June 1941) was a Polish pianist, composer and statesman who was a spokesman for Polish independence. In 1919, he was the nation's prime minister and foreign minister during which time he signed the Tre ...

. Between 1911 and 1913 Constance Bryer was the Secretary for the North Islington branch of the WSPU. She was involved in ' Black Friday' in 1910 and was arrested for obstruction but was later discharged. She illegally 'evaded' the 1911 census survey by not being present at her family home at 49 Tuffnell Park Road in London when officials called to record information. In 1911, Bryer was arrested when taking part in a WSPU demonstration against the 'torpedoing' of the Conciliation Bill and for which she was sentenced to five days in prison. HM Prison Birmingham c1920

In May 1912 Bryer was sentenced to four months in

HM Prison Birmingham HM Prison Birmingham is a Category B men's prison in the Winson Green area of Birmingham, England, operated by HM Prison and Probation Service. History HM Prison Birmingham was formerly called Winson Green Prison. It is a Victorian prison, d ...

for breaking windows on

Regent Street Regent Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London. It is named after George IV of the United Kingdom, George, the Prince Regent (later George IV) and was laid out under the direction of the architect John Nash (architect), J ...

in London. In prison with her was Olive Wharry, who became her lifelong friend. While on

there with other suffragette prisoners Bryer wrote a verse and signed her name in an autograph album:

Suffragettes we sit and sew
Sew and sit and sit and sew
Twenty-five are we:
Making shirts and socks for men
Cannot get away from them
Even here you see.

Later life and death

She was made an

executor An executor is someone who is responsible for executing, or following through on, an assigned task or duty. The feminine form, executrix, is sometimes used. Executor of will An executor is a legal term referring to a person named by the maker o ...

in the will of her friend and fellow

Olive Wharry in which Bryer was left an

annuity In investment, an annuity is a series of payments made at equal intervals based on a contract with a lump sum of money. Insurance companies are common annuity providers and are used by clients for things like retirement or death benefits. Examples ...

of £200 together with Wharry'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 ...

and some of her etchings and books. Both Wharry and Bryer's hunger strike medals remain together in a private collection. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

she was bombed out of her home and was forced to take rooms on the top floor at 70 Alexandra Road in

St John's Wood St John's Wood is a district in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden and the City of Westminster, London, England, about 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Historically the northern part of the Civil Parish#An ...

in London, which she shared with her sister Angela Bryer and where in her later years she was troubled with

sciatica Sciatica is pain going down the leg from the lower back. This pain may go down the back, outside, or front of the leg. Onset is often sudden following activities such as heavy lifting, though gradual onset may also occur. The pain is often desc ...

. In 1951 she was asked by Adela Verne to play in a concert with her but felt herself to be too out of practice. Bryer died aged 82 in July 1952 at the Whittington Hospital in

Dartmouth Park Dartmouth Park is a district of north west London in the London Borough of Camden, north of Charing Cross. The area adjoins Highgate and Highgate Cemetery (to the north) and Kentish Town (to the south). Parliament Hill, London, Parliament Hill ...

in London. In her will she left £1,567 16s 6d to her unmarried sisters Emmeline Beatrice Bryer and Evelyn Maude Bryer.Constance Elizabeth Bryer in the England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995
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Ancestry.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. It is owned by The ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryer, Constance 1870 births 1952 deaths English classical violinists 20th-century British classical violinists British suffragettes Women's Social and Political Union British feminist musicians British women's rights activists Prisoners and detainees of England and Wales Hunger Strike Medal recipients People from Islington (district)