watched a performance of a scene from Shakespeare’s The merchant of Venice.
The two Emmelines, in their turn, also entertained their companions by telling
stories, and even joined in a game of ‘Here we come gathering nuts in May on a
cold and frosty morning’.^68 But a pressing family matter was now on Emmeline
Pankhurst’s mind. An anxious Adela travelled to London to see her mother but
was refused a visit. Sometime earlier, she had told her mother that she wanted
to train as a gardener, a decision which had disappointed Emmeline but which
she nevertheless accepted. Adela now wanted to finalise the financial arrange-
ments with Emmeline, even if she was in prison, since she needed the money
that Emmeline had carefully saved from her last lucrative American tour for the
£200 enrolment fee at an agricultural college.^69 Emmeline had to delay the
matter until a more convenient time. In the meantime, together with the
Pethick Lawrences, she threatened to hunger strike unless granted political
offender status and placed in the First Division, a plea that was vigorously
supported by Keir Hardie and George Lansbury, another Labour MP, in the
House of Commons. Other influential figures, both national and international,
also added their voice of protest by writing to newspapers and to Asquith.
Success was attained on 10 June, when all three prisoners were placed in the
First Division. The two Emmelines were given adjoining cells which they
furnished with comfortable chairs, tables, their own bedding and towels; they
wore their own clothes, ordered in food and were allowed books, newspapers
and writing materials.^70 Emmeline Pankhurst was elated, ‘We had gained our
point that suffrage prisoners were politicals.’^71 Her joy was short-lived since she
soon found out that transfer to the First Division was for the leaders only, not
for the rank-and-file members. It was decided that if the government refused to
grant First Division status also to the other 78 suffragettes imprisoned in
Holloway, Winson Green and Aylesbury, then all WSPU prisoners, including
the leaders, would go on hunger strike.
On 19 June, the hunger strike started. Three days later, forcible feeding
began. Again, Adela, now a student at Studley Agricultural College, travelled
to see her mother who had just begun her hunger strike and was refused permis-
sion, as was Herbert Goulden.^72 Emmeline, now nearly fifty-four years old, was
experiencing hormonal changes of mood and hot flushes since she had been
going through the menopause for some time, and had been treated by Dr. Agnes
Savill.^73 But her own discomfort was nothing compared to the horror of forcible
feeding that she heard all around her. ‘Sickening scenes of violence took place
almost every hour of the day, as the doctors went from cell to cell performing
their hideous office. ... I shall never while I live forget the suffering I experi-
enced during the days when those cries were ringing in my ears.’^74 Emmeline,
already physically weakened by fasting for three days, was with Mrs. Pethick
Lawrence in her cell on Saturday, 22 June, when doctors and nine wardresses
came to feed the latter by force, and joined with her in the attempt to resist.
After the two women were separated and Emmeline was back in her own cell,
she heard the brutal operation being carried out. ‘I sprang out of bed and,
THE WOMEN’S REVOLUTION