Evaline Hilda Burkitt (19 July 1876 – 7 March 1955) 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 ...

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). A militant activist 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 ...

, 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 ...

in prison and was the first suffragette to be forcibly-fed. Between 1909 and 1914 she was force-fed 292 times and was the last woman to be so treated in Holloway Prison. She was a recipient of the WSPU's Hunger Strike Medal.

Life and Activism

Evaline Hilda Burkitt was born in

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands of England. Located around 12 miles (20 km) north of Birmingham, it forms the northwestern part of the West Midlands conurbation, with the towns of ...

in 1876, the fifth of nine children born to Laura ''née'' Clews (1843–1909) and Reuben Lancelot Burkitt (1847–1928). The children were well educated, including the girls. Burkitt was interested in reading, needlework and gardening. She lived with her wealthy grandparents Clarissa and Charles Burkitt until she was 25 years old, and then rejoined her family, who had moved to Birmingham. She moved in with her elder sister Christobel, her husband Frederick, and their baby, Kathleen. Hilda Burkitt began work as a secretary living in Sparkbrook in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

and joined the

in 1907 after hearing

Nell Kenney Sarah Ellen Kenney Clarke (1876–1953), known as Nell Kenney or Nellie Kenney, was a British suffragette best known as a sister of prominent suffragists Annie, Jessie, Jenny, and Kitty Kenney. Life Kenney was born in 1876, in Lees, the thir ...

and later

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 ...

speak. When the Birmingham branch of 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 ...

opened in 1908 Burkitt took charge of the publicity campaign in the Midlands. During her militant period she often used the surname "Byron". Another sister, Ida Lillian Burkitt (1872–1962) was an actress, photographer and suffragette, who under her stage name of "Ida Cunard" received a six-week sentence in Holloway Prison for being one of six women who attempted to enter 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 ...

in 1908. Lillian and Christobel were among 50 women arrested on 11 February 1908, following the "Women's Parliament". Burkitt was arrested four times in 1909, the last occasion being in September when she threw a stone at the window of the

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928) was a British statesman and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916. He was the last ...

's train as it pulled out of Birmingham New Street Station after he visited Birmingham to attend an all-male budget meeting at

Bingley Hall Bingley Hall in Birmingham was the first purpose-built exhibition hall in Great Britain. It was built in 1850 and burned down in 1984. The International Convention Centre now stands on the site. Precursor The precursor of Bingley Hall was an " ...

. Despite a heavy police presence suffragettes had managed to climb onto a nearby roof from where they hurled slates down at him. During court appearances, Burkitt emphasised the political motivation for her actions. On arriving in the prison van at

Winson Green Prison 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, des ...

to begin their sentences Burkitt,

Mabel Capper Mabel Henrietta Capper (23 June 1888 – 1 September 1966) was a British suffragette. She gave all her time between 1907 and 1913 to the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) as a 'soldier' in the struggle for women's suffrage. She was impr ...

Mary Leigh Mary Leigh (née Brown; 1885–1979) was an English political activist and suffragette. Early life Leigh was born as Mary Brown in 1885 in Manchester. She was a schoolteacher until her marriage to a builder, surnamed Leigh. Activism Leigh j ...

Charlotte Marsh Charlotte Augusta Leopoldine Marsh (3 March 1887 – 21 April 1961), known as Charlie Marsh, was a militant British suffragette. She was a paid organiser of the Women's Social and Political Union and is one of the first women to be force fed d ...

Laura Ainsworth Laura Frances Ainsworth (1885–1958) was a British teacher and suffragette. She was employed by the Women's Social and Political Union and was one of the first suffragettes to be force-fed. She left the WSPU in 1912 in protest at the ejection o ...

, Ellen Barnwell,

Leslie Hall Leslie Merritt Hall (born November 15, 1981) is an American satirical rap artist and front-woman for the band Leslie and the LY's. She also operates a "gem sweater museum". She is best known for the YouTube hits like "How We Go Out" and "Tight P ...

and

Patricia Woodlock Patricia Woodlock (born Mary Winifred Woodlock; 25 October 1873 – 1961) was a British artist and suffragette who was imprisoned seven times, including serving the longest suffragette prison sentence in 1908 (solitary confinement for three mont ...

were "singing, shewing defiance, threatened to assault prison authorities, and said they would not go in cells or undress until they were placed in the First Division". All immediately went on

and were forcibly fed, with Burkitt being the first; she would endure this for a total of 292 times between 1909 and 1914.Three Black Country suffragettes feature in unique Birmingham station artwork
- ''Birmingham Express and News'', 15 November 2018 During her time in prison she spoke out against what she described as inhumane treatment. On her release from Winson Green prison on 18 October 1909 she shouted a defiant "Votes for Women' to a small crowd including reporters. At a reception on 5th November, Burkitt was presented with the WSPU Hunger Strike Medal, "for Valour". In 1912 she was sentenced to four months imprisonment for window-smashing but was released on medical grounds after going on

. She was arrested in

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

in November 1913 charged with Clara Giveen attempting to burn down the grandstand at Leeds Football Ground; she again went on hunger strike and was released from prison in December 1913. Burkitt also organised the

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England. It has an estimated population of 259,965 as of 2022, making it the largest settlement in Staffordshire ...

WSPU branch for a few months that year.

Arson in Suffolk

Following her release from Leeds Prison under the

Cat and Mouse Act The Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill-Health) Act 1913, commonly referred to as the Cat and Mouse Act, was an act passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom under H. H. Asquith's Liberal government in 1913. The Cat and Mouse Act wa ...

Burkitt managed to evade recapture until in 1914 she and fellow-suffragette

Florence Tunks Florence Olivia Tunks (19 July 1891 – 22 February 1985) was a British suffragette, bookkeeper and nurse. She member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) who with Evaline Hilda Burkitt, Hilda Burkitt engaged in a campaign of arson ...

burnt down two wheat stacks at Bucklesham Farm valued at £340, the Pavilion at the

Britannia Pier Britannia Pier is a pier located at the seaside town of Great Yarmouth in the English county of Norfolk. History Planning and construction A new pier in Great Yarmouth was first proposed in 1856 with building work commencing in September 1857 wi ...

Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth ( ), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside resort, seaside town which gives its name to the wider Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. Its fishing industry, m ...

and the Bath Hotel in

Felixstowe Felixstowe ( ) is a port town and civil parish in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. The estimated population in 2017 was 24,521. The Port of Felixstowe is the largest Containerization, containe ...

, causing £36,000 of damage to the latter. There were no occupants in either the Pavilion or the hotel. The two women refused to answer questions in Court and sat on a table chatting throughout the proceedings with their backs to the magistrates.

Force-feeding

On 29 May 1914 Burkitt was sentenced to two years imprisonment in HM Prison

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...

. She suggested that the judge should put on the

black cap Black Cap may refer to: *Black cap, a cap formerly worn by English judges when passing the death sentence *The Black Cap, a London gay pub *Black Cap (Antarctica), a peak on Teall Island *Black Cap Mountain (Alaska), a mountain in Glacier Bay Natio ...

and sentence her to death. In prison, she went on

and thirst strike and was force-fed for the entirety of her remand period before being moved to Holloway Prison.Miss Evaline Hilda Burkitt - Women's Suffrage: History and Citizenship Resources for Schools
/ref> A suffragette released from Holloway at the end of July 1914 stated that Burkitt was being force-fed up to four times a day. She "suffers agonies with her nerves ... She is sick after every feeding ... Her throat is in a terrible condition." Although in good health in prison Burkitt regularly complained of chest pains at night which the prison authorities said were due to indigestion. At the same time her weight loss was recorded which had dropped to 98 lbs by mid-July 1914 - "16 lbs below average weight for her height". It was often recorded that Burkitt was "hysterical" during force-feeding. On 7 August 1914 Burkitt petitioned the

Home Office The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...

for release, writing: "I’ve been in prison since April 28th and have been forcibly fed during the whole time, 292 times so far." Burkitt pleaded "reply to my Petition at once, as if I should die through my fasting, my death will lie at your door."and was "ready to lay down my life, to bring about the Freedom of my Sex". She was released from prison on 1 September 1914 after having given a guarantee that she would not again partake of militant activities.Hilda Burkitt: Suffragette who spoke out against force-feeding -

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

6 February 2018 She was the last suffragette to be force-fed in Holloway Prison.

Later years

In 1916 she married Leonard Mitchener (1889-1960). Elizabeth Crawford
''The Women's Suffrage Movement: A Reference Guide 1866-1928''
University College London Press (1999) The marriage was later dissolved. In 1939 she was living in

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

as a "Confectioner and Cake Maker". Her family described her as a gentle quiet person, only angry when not permitted a mortgage without a male guarantor. In her later years she lived with her sister Ida Lillian Burkitt at 48 South Road in

Morecambe Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district of Lancashire, England, on Morecambe Bay, part of the Irish Sea. In 2011 the parish had a population of 34,768. Name The first use of the name was by John Whit ...

. Evaline Hilda Mitchener died on 7 March 1955 in

Blackburn Royal Infirmary The Blackburn Royal Infirmary was an acute District General Hospital in Blackburn, Lancashire. It was managed by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust. History Although the foundation stone was laid on 24 May 1858, because of the depressed state of ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

Legacy

In 2014 The Felixstowe Society unveiled a

plaque Plaque may refer to: Commemorations or awards * Commemorative plaque, a plate, usually fixed to a wall or other vertical surface, meant to mark an event, person, etc. * Memorial Plaque (medallion), issued to next-of-kin of dead British military p ...

commemorating the burning down of the Bath Hotel in

by Burkitt and

in 1914. The plaque commemorates the centenary of the burning down of the hotel and is on what remains of the building, at the site of the former Bartlet Hospital.The Plight of the Plaques - The Felixstowe Society Newsletter, Issue Number 107, 1 September 2014
/ref> From November to December 2018 an art installation of a portrait of Burkitt was placed in Birmingham New Street Station where she had thrown a stone at Asquith's train in 1909. Named "The Face of Suffrage" the artwork was a floor-based 200 metre-square photo mosaic."The Face of Suffrage" (2018) - The People's Picture website
/ref> The artwork was based on a photograph taken by Burkitt's older sister Ida Lillian Burkitt who was a suffragette as well as being an actress, photographer and nurse. Made from 3,724 photographs of women from the West Midlands from the 1900s in addition to pictures of modern women, the artwork was created by artist Helen Marshall of "The People's Picture" to celebrate the centenary of women getting the vote.Face of Suffrage: Hilda Burkitt selfie mosaic unveiled -

15 November 2018

References

External links

Hilda Burkitt: Suffragette who spoke out against force-feeding (audio)
-

6 February 2018 {{DEFAULTSORT:Burkitt, Evaline Hilda 1876 births 1955 deaths English suffragists British suffragettes British feminists British women's rights activists Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom Women's Social and Political Union Prisoners and detainees of England and Wales People from Wolverhampton Hunger Strike Medal recipients