Stories

In 1905 Annie Kenney together with her sisters Jessie and Jane attended a meeting in Oldham, where Christabel Pankhurst spoke about women’s suffrage. Inspired, Annie became involved - organising and speaking at many different meetings. She became a close friend of Christabel Pankhurst who wrote of her:

Evening by evening, after her day’s work, and on Saturday afternoons, she would take a train to Manchester, make for our house and join in whatever work needed doing for the cause.

On 13^th October 1905 Annie and Christabel Pankhurst attended a Liberal rally at Manchester's Free Trade Hall - and there demanded of Winston Churchill and Sir Edward Grey

If you are elected, will you do your best to make women’s suffrage a government measure?

Upon receiving no reply, they unfolded a banner bearing the slogan “Votes for women” and were thrown out of the meeting. In the ensuing struggle, a policeman claimed the women had kicked and spat at him. This resulted in their arrest with the charge of assaulting the police and also with causing an obstruction in South Street, Manchester.

In court Ms Pankhurst was fined 10s.6d. and costs, or seven days in prison for assaulting the police; and for causing the obstruction  each of the defendants was given a fine of 5s. , or three days inprisonment.

When the Clerk of the court enquired of them “Have you any goods which may be distrained upon?” they both answered NO   - realising that the news of the two women being imprisoned  would have far greater publicity value than just the paying of a fine.

They were taken below.

A little later they were taken in a cab to Strangeways Gaol.

It was the first of 13 times that Annie Kenney was sent to prison.