Women played an important
role in persuading men to join the army. In August 1914, Admiral Charles
Fitzgerald founded the Order
of the White Feather. This organisation encouraged women to give
out white feathers to young men who had not joined the army.
Leading members of the Women's Suffrage Political Union (WSPU) such
as Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst also played an important role
in persuading young men to join the army. Local members of the WSPU
had doubts about this strategy. Kitty Marion, who lived at Hartfield,
was totally opposed to the war and disagreed with the WSPU's decision
to call off militant action. Kitty Marion decided to leave England
and in the autumn of 1914 went to the USA to help American women in
the fight for the vote.
Members of the East
Grinstead Suffrage Society did not take part in the recruitment
campaign. Some members, such as Marie
Corbett, Margery Ashby
and Cicely Fisher
disagreed with women using their influence to persuade men to join
the army.
In September 1914, Lady White, the widow of Sir George White, the
commander-in-chief of the British Army during the Boer War, visited
the area and made several speeches where she urged women to encourage
their husbands and sons to join the British Army. On 11th September
Earl Donoughmore spoke at a recruitment meeting at the Whitehall Theatre
in East Grinstead where he told local women to "see to it they
were either the mother of a soldier, the wife of a soldier, or make
up their minds to be the bride of none other than a soldier."
(1)
The East Grinstead Observer (5th September, 1914)
An enthusiastic recruiting meeting at West Hoathly was held at the
Village Hall on Wednesday evening. The meeting heard Lady White, the
widow of George White, the heroic defender of Ladysmith, make an earnest
appeal for recruits. Lady White said: "Mothers be brave and send
your sons. Wives part with your husbands, leaving them in God's preservation."
Lady White said she full well knew the heartache of these partings,
but she also knew the joys of the return, and she knew the pride and
glory of it all. If they had a glorious death their deeds would live
in their minds and hearts and in the history of the country.
After the speech a fairly large number of young fellows came forward
to offer themselves and eleven were of the age required.
(2)
Speech made by Earl Donoughmore on 11th September 1914, at the Whitehall
Theatre, East Grinstead.
I appeal to the ladies.
I recognise the enormous work women are doing as nurses in the battle
line and in the great London hospitals and elsewhere. However, I say
to women, let them see to it they were either the mother of a soldier,
the wife of a soldier, or make up their minds to be the bride of none
other than a soldier.
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