Lilian Hicks (1853–1924) was a British campaigner for the vote for agricultural labourers and later

Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom A movement to fight for women's right to vote in the United Kingdom finally succeeded through acts of Parliament in 1918 and 1928. It became a national movement in the Victorian era. Women were not explicitly banned from voting in Great Brita ...

. Hicks took an active role in several organisations and was arrested on Black Friday in 1910.

Life

Hicks was born in

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''. Colchester occupies the ...

in 1853. She and her husband, Charles Hicks, lived at

Great Holland Great Holland is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Frinton and Walton, in the Tendring district, in the county of Essex, England. It is to the north-east of Holland-on-Sea, and west of Frinton-on-Sea. The village is served ...

Hall where her daughter Amy was born. She campaigned to support agricultural labourers who in the 19th century were denied the vote irrespective of gender because they had no property. The campaign had success when the

Representation of the People Act 1884 In the United Kingdom under the premiership of William Gladstone, the Representation of the People Act 1884 ( 48 & 49 Vict. c. 3), also known informally as the Third Reform Act, and the Redistribution Act of the following year were laws which ...

became law giving the vote to male agricultural labourers. Hicks went on to campaign for women's suffrage via a number of organisations as the women's cause was splintered by different allegiances. Many would not get involved in criminal acts or they disagreed with the dictatorial approach of

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 ...

's leadership. Hicks had been associated with the suffrage cause since Amy was a young girl. By 1902 she and her daughter were members by of the Central Society for Women's Suffrage and they were joining celebrations of women's civil disobedience in pursuit of the suffrage cause. She and her daughter joined the

in 1906, but by 1907 they were both in the

Women's Freedom League The Women's Freedom League was an organisation in the United Kingdom from 1907 to 1961 which campaigned for women's suffrage, pacifism and sexual equality. It was founded by former members of the Women's Social and Political Union after the Pa ...

which had split from the suffragettes (the Women's Social and Political Union) and Amy was serving as a secretary for the league. Amy was imprisoned for three weeks in 1907 for

obstruction Obstruction may refer to: Places * Obstruction Island, in Washington state * Obstruction Islands, east of New Guinea Medicine * Obstructive jaundice * Obstructive sleep apnea * Airway obstruction, a respiratory problem ** Recurrent airway obst ...

that year. In about 1909 the Women's Freedom League published a postcard featuring a photo of Hicks taken by

Lena Connell Adelin Beatrice "Lena" Connell, also known professionally as Beatrice Cundy, (27 July 1875 – 4 March 1949) was a British suffragette and a well-known photographer whose work is held in the National Portrait Gallery, London, National Portrait G ...

. She and her mother were arrested on Black Friday on 18 November 1910. Black Friday was a

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 ...

demonstration in London on 18 November 1910, in which 300 women marched to the

Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...

as part of their campaign to secure voting rights for women. Demonstrators clashed with police in

Parliament Square Parliament Square is a square at the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Laid out in the 19th century, it features a large open green area in the centre with trees to its west, and ...

and many were arrested and she and her daughter were among them. She and her daughter rejoined the more militant WSPU afterwards. In 1913 she was the secretary of the Hampstead

United Suffragists The United Suffragists was a women's suffrage movement in the United Kingdom. History The group was founded on 6 February 1914, by former members and supporters of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). In contrast to the WSPU, it admi ...

. She also demonstrated by refusing to pay taxes.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hicks, Lilian 1853 births 1924 deaths People from Colchester British suffragists English tax resisters