Nellie Hall
Encyclopedia
Nellie Hall (born 1895 Eccles
, Lancashire) was a British
suffragette and god-daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst
after whom she was named.
Nellie began her political activism in 1909 at the age of fourteen when she joined the nightly protests against force-feeding
outside Winson Green Prison
. Nellie's involvement in he Women's Suffrage movement
was influenced by her parents, particularly her mother Martha who was one of the original six women who formed the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU)
in 1903.
Nellie worked for the WSPU in Birmingham
from 1911 to 1913 until she was arrested for throwing a brick through the car of Prime Minister
Herbert Asquith on 21 July 1913. She was sentenced to three weeks in prison but was released after eight days suffering from mumps
. She then moved to London and continued her activism culminating in her arrest in 1914 along with her mother and sister for concealing an arsenal of pebbles and "window smashing equipment" in their Maida Vale
flat for which she was sentenced to three months.
Nellie moved back to Birmingham during the First World War where she joined the Post Office
and became the first mail sorter for the British Expeditionary Force.
In 1920 Nellie married a schoolmaster
, Herbert Humpherson, and settled in Warwickshire
but in 1928, through the intervetion of Flora Drummond
she was persuaded to act as secretary and liaison officer for Emmeline Pankhurst whom she nursed through her final illness. Following Emmeline's death, Nellie and her family emigrated to Canada in 1929.
Eccles, Greater Manchester
Eccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
, Lancashire) was a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
suffragette and god-daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst
Emmeline Pankhurst
Emmeline Pankhurst was a British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement which helped women win the right to vote...
after whom she was named.
Nellie began her political activism in 1909 at the age of fourteen when she joined the nightly protests against force-feeding
Force-feeding
Force-feeding is the practice of feeding a person or an animal against their will. "Gavage" is supplying a nutritional substance by means of a small plastic tube passed through the nose or mouth into the stomach, not explicitly 'forcibly'....
outside Winson Green Prison
Birmingham (HM Prison)
HM Prison Birmingham is a Category B/C men's prison, located in the Winson Green area of Birmingham, England. The prison was formally operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service...
. Nellie's involvement in he Women's Suffrage movement
Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom
Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom as a national movement began in 1872. Women were not prohibited from voting in the United Kingdom until the 1832 Reform Act and the 1835 Municipal Corporations Act...
was influenced by her parents, particularly her mother Martha who was one of the original six women who formed the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU)
Women's Social and Political Union
The Women's Social and Political Union was the leading militant organisation campaigning for Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom...
in 1903.
Nellie worked for the WSPU in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
from 1911 to 1913 until she was arrested for throwing a brick through the car of Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Herbert Asquith on 21 July 1913. She was sentenced to three weeks in prison but was released after eight days suffering from mumps
Mumps
Mumps is a viral disease of the human species, caused by the mumps virus. Before the development of vaccination and the introduction of a vaccine, it was a common childhood disease worldwide...
. She then moved to London and continued her activism culminating in her arrest in 1914 along with her mother and sister for concealing an arsenal of pebbles and "window smashing equipment" in their Maida Vale
Maida Vale
Maida Vale is a residential district in West London between St John's Wood and Kilburn. It is part of the City of Westminster. The area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, consisting of many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats...
flat for which she was sentenced to three months.
Nellie moved back to Birmingham during the First World War where she joined the Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
and became the first mail sorter for the British Expeditionary Force.
In 1920 Nellie married a schoolmaster
Schoolmaster
A schoolmaster, or simply master, once referred to a male school teacher. This usage survives in British public schools, but is generally obsolete elsewhere.The teacher in charge of a school is the headmaster...
, Herbert Humpherson, and settled in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
but in 1928, through the intervetion of Flora Drummond
Flora Drummond
Flora McKinnon Drummond , , was a British suffragette...
she was persuaded to act as secretary and liaison officer for Emmeline Pankhurst whom she nursed through her final illness. Following Emmeline's death, Nellie and her family emigrated to Canada in 1929.