Thursday, 8 July 2010

Grace Roe and Christabel Pankhurst

In April 1913 Grace Roe became head of operations in London. Roe was arrested on 23rd May 1914. She went on hunger strike and was forcibly fed and was still in prison when on 4th August, when England declared war on Germany. A few days later the leadership of the WSPU began negotiating with the British government. On the 10th August the government announced it was releasing all suffragettes from prison.


In 1918 Grace Roe went to live with Annie Kenney in St Leonards-on-Sea in Sussex. They remained together until Kenney, who was bisexual, fell in love James Taylor. Grace now went to live with Christabel Pankhurst. They eventually settled in Santa Barbara but later moved to Hollywood. They were still together when Christabel died at her home in Santa Monica on 13th February 1958 from a heart attack. Grace was appointed as her literary executor and was responsible for the publication of Christabel's memoirs, Unshackled: the Story of how we Won the Vote.

Grace Roe was interviewed by Anna Raeburn for BBC's Woman's Hour in 1968. This can be found here:

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Wroe.htm

Other interviews can be found here:

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WpankhurstC.htm

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