Emily Davison (1872–1913) was an English suffragette. This was the name for a member of an organization which campaigned for women to have the right to vote. The organization, called the Women’s Social and Political Union, was founded by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel in 1903. At that time, women were not allowed to vote in elections to Parliament or stand as MPs. The suffragettes decided they would use any means necessary to get the vote. Some women broke shop windows or attacked paintings in art galleries. Many, including Emily Davison, went to prison.

Early life

Emily Wilding Davison was born on 11th October 1872 in Greenwich, Kent. She was a clever student, and won a scholarship to Royal Holloway College. After that she went to Oxford University and gained top marks in her final exams. She did not get a university degree, however, because Oxford did not award them to women. She found work as a teacher, before taking a degree at the University of London.

Emily was fearless. In 1909 she was arrested several times for stone-throwing and setting fire to buildings. She spent a month in Strangeways Prison in Manchester where she went on hunger strike (refusing to eat anything). The prison guards attempted to force-feed her. On one occasion they flooded her cell with freezing cold water. Emily was arrested again in 1910 for breaking windows in the House of Commons, and in 1912 for setting fire to a pillar box.

Epsom Derby

On 4th June 1913, Emily Davison went to one of the most important horse races of the year, the Epsom Derby, where she intended to cause some trouble. As the horses rounded the course close to where she was standing, Emily ran out and attempted to grab the bridle of a horse belonging to King George V. The horse ran into her and trampled her as she fell to the ground. The jockey fell, and the horse ran free. Both Emily and the jockey were taken to hospital. The jockey survived, but Emily died from her injuries four days later.

"Deeds not Words"

To this day, we do not know whether Emily planned to take her own life deliberately. The whole incident was captured on film, and some experts now say that Emily was simply trying to attach a suffragette scarf to the horse’s bridle.

At the time, Emily’s actions caused much debate. Some people admired her courage, but others were appalled at her actions. Thousands of supporters turned out for her funeral, and she was buried in Morpeth, Northumberland (her father’s home). The text on her gravestone reads: "Deeds not Words".

Votes for women

After World War I (1914–18) things changed. The new prime minister David Lloyd George supported women’s suffrage. In 1918, acts of Parliament were passed giving all women over the age of 30 the right to vote and to stand for election. It was not until 1928 that every woman over 21 (the same age as men at the time) was allowed to vote.