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Section 24: The Women’s Pilgrimage

(24.1) Helen Hoare sent letter to the East Grinstead Observer on 19^th July 1913

At the present time it is alleged by many that "the cause of Women’s Suffrage is dead". It is no doubt true that some men were formerly inclined to support it have been alienated by the doings of the militant party. The National Union of Women’s Suffrage Society (that is the law-abiding, non-militant party), in order to show the world that it is alive, and to encourage its members in a long and disheartening struggle, has organised a great pilgrimage from all parts of England to London. On 23^rd July, those from the south will pass Crawley, where the East Grinstead Suffragists will join them on the march to London and the great demonstration in Hyde Park on 26^th July.

The main streets of East Grinstead were disgraced by some extraordinary proceedings on Tuesday evening. The non-militant section of the advocates of securing women’s suffrage had arranged a march and public meeting on its way to the great demonstration in London. The "procession" was not an imposing one. It consisted of about ten ladies who were members of the Suffrage Society. Mrs. Marie Corbett led the way carrying a silken banner bearing the arms of East Grinstead. The reception, which the little band of ladies got, was no means friendly. Yells and hooting greeted them throughout most of the entire march, and they were the targets for occasional pieces of turf, especially when they passed through Queen’s Road. In the High Street they found a crowd of about 1,500 people awaiting them.

Edward Steer had promised to act as chairman, and taking his stand against one of the trees on the slope he began by saying, "Ladies and Gentlemen". This was practically as far as he got with his speech. Immediately there was an outburst of yells and laughter and shouting. Laurence Housman, the famous writer, got no better than Mr. Steer. By this time pieces of turf and a few ripe tomatoes and highly seasoned eggs were flying about, and were not always received by the person they were intended for. The unsavoury odur of eggs was noticeable over a considerable area. Unhappily, Miss Helen Hoare of Charlwood Farm, was struck in the face with a missile and received a cut on the cheek and was taken away for treatment.

Some of the women were invited to take shelter in Mr. Allwork’s house, but as they entered the crowd rushed the doorway and forced themselves into the house. The police arrived and the ladies were taken out the back way and escorted them to the Dorset Arms Hotel, their headquarters, and this was for a long time besieged by a yelling mob…. Mrs. Marie Corbett slipped away and took up a position lower down the High Street on the steps of the drinking fountain. A young clergyman who appealed for fair play was roughly hustled and lost his hat. Mrs. Corbett had began to speak from the fountain steps but the crowd moved down the High Street and broke up her small meeting.

The open-air meeting at East Grinstead on Tuesday evening, and the whole event was a distinct discredit to the town. Some hundreds of young men were determined to get what they called "fun". People have complained that the police were to blame. I entirely disagree with this view. The police must not take sides, and to my mind they showed excellent tact and did the best they could for all under trying circumstances. One false move on their part and a noisy rabble might have become a violent one… Mr. Steer said that the "tradesmen who had saved up rotten eggs to throw at ladies ought to be ashamed of themselves."

On Saturday the pilgrimage of the law abiding advocates of votes for women ended in a great gathering in Hyde Park attended by some 50,000 persons. The proceedings, indeed, were quite orderly and devoid of any untoward incident… the proceedings, indeed, were as much a demonstration against militancy as one in favour of women’s suffrage. Many bitter things were said of militant women.

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