Emmeline Pethick Lawrence, at ‘At Homes’ held every Monday afternoon at
the large Queen’s Hall, Langham Place, raising £500 at one such gathering
when she appealed for financial assistance for the Union’s work.^76 In between
these London talks, she joined the by-election campaigning in Pudsey in
Yorkshire and Pembroke in Wales where she met up with friends, made some
new acquaintances and found time to engage in some relaxation.^77 While
staying at the Mariner’s Hotel, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Emmeline and
Miss Douglas Smith were joined by Annie Kenney and Mary Blathwayt whom
they met at the station. The following day, Sunday, 5 July, Emmeline had lunch
with the young women and other workers and then, in the evening, joined
some of them for a stroll.^78 But all did not run smoothly. Emmeline found the
tram service in the area ‘very inadequate’ and hoped, via the offices of Professor
Ayrton, the distinguished scientist, that a Mrs. Gregory would lend her motor
car.^79 A car was duly supplied but, on the following day, it broke down for two
hours on the way to St. David’s. An anxious Emmeline was glad to relax that
afternoon in the company of Annie and Mary, the three visiting the ruined
palace and the cathedral in the town, where they all signed the visitors’ book.
After her talk in St. David’s that evening, which Annie chaired, Emmeline was
cheered as she drove away.^80
Emmeline had announced, after the Hyde Park demonstration, that similar
events would be held in the provinces and so she spoke at Nottingham on 18
July, Manchester the following day and Leeds on the 26th where a crowd of
100,000 gathered.^81 It was especially the warm reception that she received at
Heaton Park, in her home town of Manchester, that Emmeline enjoyed.
Accompanied by Adela, Christabel, Annie and Mary Gawthorpe, a Yorkshire
woman known as a witty speaker, some 150,000 people were drawn to the thir-
teen platforms, one of which bore the words ‘Manchester first in the fight’.^82
Although Emmeline had planned to chair the celebratory breakfast party for
the release of Mary Leigh and Edith New on 22 August, she was persuaded ‘with
difficulty’ to lengthen her holiday with Flora Drummond in Scotland.
Christabel took her mother’s place and read out a telegram from the Union
leader, ‘Heartiest greetings and congratulations to our dear released prisoners.
Courage like theirs must win freedom for women.’^83
Refreshed from the change of scene, Emmeline then travelled in September
to campaign in the Newcastle by-election where some of the local socialist
women were critical of her style and influence. ‘How very theatrical they are’,
commented one member of the Women’s Labour League, Lisbeth Simms, of the
WSPU speakers generally. She was appalled at the amount of money the WSPU
raised in distressed areas of Newcastle and when she attended Emmeline’s
meeting on 14 September, ‘wished she’d had her shilling back’. Although most
ILP members had complimentary tickets, others had to pay an entrance fee of
6d., 1s. and 2s. At the meeting, a further £30 was raised, perhaps two years
wages for a local working woman.^84 Similarly, Nellie Best from Middlesbrough
complained that there were ‘ladies of wealth and position’ leading the suffrage
AUTOCRAT OF THE WSPU?