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Emily Wilding Davison

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Emily Wilding Davison Famous memorial

Birth
Blackheath, Royal Borough of Greenwich, Greater London, England
Death
8 Jun 1913 (aged 40)
Epsom, Epsom and Ewell Borough, Surrey, England
Burial
Morpeth, Northumberland Unitary Authority, Northumberland, England GPS-Latitude: 55.1598011, Longitude: -1.6938237
Memorial ID
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Suffragette. She is best-remembered as the woman who lost her life protesting the suffragette movement by running in front of King George V's horse Anmer at the popular Epsom Derby in June of 1913. She was trampled underfoot, never regained consciousness and died in a hospital a few days later of a skull fracture. Historical information surrounding the events that led to Davison's death have been speculated, in particular the idea that she actually intended to commit suicide, which was false. Actually she wrongly predicted that the horse would stop and at that moment and she could drape the Women's Social and Political Union ribbon on the animal, but it did not happen that way. She was born in London and was college educated having attended Royal Holloway College. Later she studied English Literature at St. Hugh's College at Oxford and rose to the top of her class at a time when women were not granted degrees. In 1906 she began her association with the suffrage movement by joining the Women's Social and Political Union and became known for her militant behavior. She was arrested several times, most notably on an occasion when she mounted a violent attack on a man she mistook for Chancellor David Lloyd George. She was housed in Holloway Prison for her crime where she attempted suicide by trying to starve herself to death. Her attempt was thwarted when she was force-fed. Much speculation surrounds the events of June 8, 1913, the most popular theory held that she had spent the preceeding weeks practicing stopping horses and attaching ribbons to them. Her plan was the that King's horse Anmer would slow so that she could place the banner on him and that he would cross the finish line waving the flag of the WSPU. Historians now believe that a return train ticket in her pocket proves beyond a doubt that her intention was not suicide. She is buried in the churchyard of St. Mary the Virgin, Morpeth, Northumberland. Her headstone bears the suffrage slogan "Deeds Not Words."
Suffragette. She is best-remembered as the woman who lost her life protesting the suffragette movement by running in front of King George V's horse Anmer at the popular Epsom Derby in June of 1913. She was trampled underfoot, never regained consciousness and died in a hospital a few days later of a skull fracture. Historical information surrounding the events that led to Davison's death have been speculated, in particular the idea that she actually intended to commit suicide, which was false. Actually she wrongly predicted that the horse would stop and at that moment and she could drape the Women's Social and Political Union ribbon on the animal, but it did not happen that way. She was born in London and was college educated having attended Royal Holloway College. Later she studied English Literature at St. Hugh's College at Oxford and rose to the top of her class at a time when women were not granted degrees. In 1906 she began her association with the suffrage movement by joining the Women's Social and Political Union and became known for her militant behavior. She was arrested several times, most notably on an occasion when she mounted a violent attack on a man she mistook for Chancellor David Lloyd George. She was housed in Holloway Prison for her crime where she attempted suicide by trying to starve herself to death. Her attempt was thwarted when she was force-fed. Much speculation surrounds the events of June 8, 1913, the most popular theory held that she had spent the preceeding weeks practicing stopping horses and attaching ribbons to them. Her plan was the that King's horse Anmer would slow so that she could place the banner on him and that he would cross the finish line waving the flag of the WSPU. Historians now believe that a return train ticket in her pocket proves beyond a doubt that her intention was not suicide. She is buried in the churchyard of St. Mary the Virgin, Morpeth, Northumberland. Her headstone bears the suffrage slogan "Deeds Not Words."

Bio by: Selk



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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Originally Created by: Selk
  • Added: Apr 11, 2005
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10754918/emily_wilding-davison: accessed ), memorial page for Emily Wilding Davison (11 Oct 1872–8 Jun 1913), Find a Grave Memorial ID 10754918, citing St. Mary the Virgin Churchyard, Morpeth, Northumberland Unitary Authority, Northumberland, England; Maintained by Find a Grave.