Florence Eliza Haig (1856–1952) was a Scottish artist and suffragette who was decorated for imprisonments and hunger strikes.

Biography

Haig was born in 1856. Her father was a

Berwickshire Berwickshire (; ) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. The county takes its name from Berwick-upon-Tweed, its original county town, which was part of Scotland at the ...

barrister and she had two sisters, Cecilia and Evelyn. Her cousin Douglas Haig went on to be Field Marshal Haig in 1915. She was an artist and her pastel of the physicist

John Tyndall John Tyndall (; 2 August 1820 – 4 December 1893) was an Irish physicist. His scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism. Later he made discoveries in the realms of infrared radiation and the physical properties of air ...

was photographed and a copy is in the

National Portrait gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

. Her involvement with the women's suffrage movement started with a £1 donation in 1901 to the

National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies The National Union of Women Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), also known as the ''suffragists'' (not to be confused with the suffragettes) was an organisation founded in 1897 of women's suffrage societies around the United Kingdom. In March 1919 it w ...

. She made another in 1907 but in February she was attracted to the rival

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 ...

. This was a more militant organisation led by the

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 ...

. Haig she saw them in action at the "Women's Parliament" which was held on 24 February 1907 at

Caxton Hall Caxton Hall is a building on the corner of Caxton Street and Palmer Street, in Westminster, London, England. It is a Grade II listed building primarily noted for its historical associations. It hosted many mainstream and fringe political and a ...

Haig and her sister, Evelyn, started a local branch of the WSPU 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 ...

, but she then left for London. Haig was met by a young

Grace Roe Eleanor Grace Watney Roe (1 August 1885 – 1979) was an English suffragette who was Head of Suffragette operations for the Women's Social and Political Union. She was released from prison after the outbreak of World War I due to an amnesty for ...

when suffragettes were chalking the pavement in

Kensington High Street Kensington High Street is the main shopping street in Kensington, London, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Kensington High Street is the continuation of Kensington Road and part ...

. Haig invited Roe to the demonstration at Hyde Park and she went and was inspired by

Christabel Pankhurst Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst (; 22 September 1880 – 13 February 1958) was a British suffragette born in Manchester, England. A co-founder of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), she directed Suffragette bombing and arson ca ...

. Haig became a founder member of

East London Federation The Workers' Socialist Federation was a socialist political party in the United Kingdom, led by Sylvia Pankhurst. Under many different names, it gradually broadened its politics from a focus on women's suffrage to eventually become a left comm ...

of Suffragettes and had her artist studio in

Limehouse Limehouse is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. It is east of Charing Cross, on the northern bank of the River Thames. Its proximity to the river has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains throu ...

, and co-ordinated all classes of women to campaign together. Haig was in the 1908 delegation with Emmeline Pankhurst, including

Jessie Stephenson Sara Jessie Stephenson (1873–1966) was a British suffragette and a member of the WSPU who organised census boycott in Manchester. Early life Sara Jessie Stephenson was born in Louth, Lincolnshire in 1873 the daughter of a farmer in Linco ...

Maud Joachim Maud Joachim (1 August 1869 – 16 February 1947) was a member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), one of the groups of suffragettes that fought for women to get the right to vote in the United Kingdom. She was jailed several time ...

and Mary Philips, when Mrs Pankhurst was attempting unsuccessfully to see the Prime Minister. A year after the Women's Parliament she was involved with the audacious "pantechnicon raid". This was where a furniture van (pantechnicon) was used as a "Trojan Horse" to get twenty suffragettes to the House of Commons. When they were close, Haig, Maria Brackenbury, Georgina Brackenbury joined the rest who tried to rush their way into the lobby. Haig was arrested together with the Brackenburys. They received six-week sentences. Haig said on her release that it was'wonderful how each woman who acts influences their own circle. Friends who before may have been but mildly in favour, are converted into active and eager workers for the cause. Coming out is so delightful that the stupidity of the time in Holloway is forgotten'. Haig's imprisonment was celebrated and later hunger strike recognised by the leaders of the movement. She was entitled to the tradition of planting a commemorative tree at the "Suffragette's Rest". The "Suffragette's Rest" was the nickname for

Mary Blathwayt Mary Blathwayt (1 February 1879 – 25 June 1961) was a British feminist, suffragette and social reformer. She lived at Eagle House in Somerset. This house became known as the "Suffragette's Rest" and contained a memorial to the protests o ...

's home of Eagle House in Somerset. This was where Blathwayt's parents indulged their WSPU enthusiasm and welcomed women to recuperate from imprisonment. Her parents had set land aside to plant an individual tree for each WSPU member sentenced to prison for the cause. The planting was then photographed by Blathwayt's father. The trees and the photographs recorded their achievements, known as 'Annie's Arboretum' after suffragette

Annie Kenney Ann "Annie" Kenney (13 September 1879 – 9 July 1953) was an English working-class suffragette and socialist feminist who became a leading figure in the Women's Social and Political Union. She co-founded its first branch in London with Minnie ...

, one of the first to recuperate at the Blathwayts. In 1912 the WSPU organised a mass window breaking campaign in London's

Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road via Oxford Circus. It marks the notional boundary between the areas of Fitzrovia and Marylebone to t ...

. Many were arrested and Haig, taking part despite her sister Cecilia having recently died, broke the windows of D.H.Evans in

and was arrested with her cousin

Janet Boyd Janet Augusta Boyd (née Haig; 1850 – 22 September 1928) was a member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) and militant suffragette who in 1912 went on hunger strike in prison for which action she was awarded the WSPU's Hunger St ...

and received a four-month sentence for her involvement. Haig immediately went on hunger strike and was subsequently released after four days. Haig was given 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' by WSPU.The citation engraved on the bar is 'For Valour' and the inscription says

"PRESENTED 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."

The medal ribbons were in the WSPU colours of green white and purple. Haig's medal (box is missing) is in the

Museum of London London Museum (known from 1976 to 2024 as the Museum of London) is a museum in London, covering the history of the city from prehistoric to modern times, with a particular focus on social history. The Museum of London was formed in 1976 by ama ...

. Haig left the East London Federation at the start of World War I and joined Emmeline Pankhurst, Annie Kenney and Mabel Tuke in their halt of militancy and turning to support the war effort. Haig was one of the movement chosen as coffin carriers at Emmeline Pankhurst's funeral in June 1928. Haig died in

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its name ...

, London in 1952.

Personal life

Haig was a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

. She exhibited regularly and was a member of the New Society of Artists. She also joined the

Society of Women Artists The Society of Women Artists (SWA) is a British art body dedicated to celebrating and promoting fine art created by women. It was founded as the Society of Female Artists (SFA) in 1855, offering women artists the opportunity to exhibit and sell ...

in 1934.

References

External links

* Florence E. Haig Metropolitan Polic
charge sheet
– 1 March 1912 {{DEFAULTSORT:Haig, Florence 1856 births 1952 deaths 19th-century Scottish painters 19th-century Scottish women painters 20th-century Scottish painters Eagle House suffragettes Scottish women artists Scottish suffragettes Women's Social and Political Union Hunger Strike Medal recipients People from Berwickshire