Emily Wilding Davison and Parliament

The 1911 Census

Emily Wilding Davison's census forms, 1911 - At a time when some suffragettes were evading the census, it is ironic that Emily was recorded twice; once in Parliament, and once at her lodgings in Russell Square. The original census forms are held at The National Archives.

Parliament's police reports

These are police reports held by the Parliamentary Archives  in a Serjeant-at-Arms office file titled 'Police and Suffragettes'. The reports are mostly written by Chief Inspector Scantlebury, the head of the police in Parliament, and addressed to Sir H David Erksine, the Serjeant-at-Arms.

• Attempt to present a petition - Emily's first appearance among Parliament's police reports, among a list of suffragettes taken into custody.
• Hiding in a ventilation shaft  - Emily's first solo demonstration in Parliament.
• Breaking a window in the Crown Office  - Emily usually targetted the House of Commons, but this incident took place at the other end of the building, in the House of Lords.
• Banned from Parliament  - As a direct result of the ventilation shaft and Crown Office incidents, the Speaker decided she should be banned from the premises.
• Hammer through Division Lobby window  - Despite the ban, Emily continued her protests in Parliament with another window-breaking incident.
• Report of trial  - Emily was tried for the hammer incident and went to prison.
• Found on staircase  - Emily's last appearance in Parliament's police reports has her found on a staircase near the Commons chamber in the middle of the night.

Emily's death

Memorial leaflet, 1913 - Emily died in 1913 after a collision with the King's horse at the Derby.