Suffragette Walking Tour of Whitehead Preview

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Introduction to the Whitehead Suffragette Walking Tour

Many people don't know that women did not get the vote on the same basis as men in Northern Ireland until 1973. This is the forgotten, surprising story of the women and men in Whitehead who fought for women to get the vote before the First World War.

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Former Site of Whitehead Golf Club

This location is the former site of the Whitehead Golf Club. Although some suffragettes burned down golf clubs which did not admit women, not this one. Not only did it admit women, it was started by Dr Franz Koeller, brother-in-law of Margaret Robinson who you will hear from shortly at Location 4. Dr Koeller and some other men supported the suffrage movement with some even going to prison for the cause.

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Whitehead War Memorial: Suffragettes in Wartime

The First World War divided suffrage activists. Some thought it was their duty to help in the war, or that it would help in their campaign for the vote if they showed that they were patriotic. Others thought that the war was wrong. Charlotte Despard was opposed to the war, her sister Kate went to the war and was killed in the Balkans, and their brother John French was a distinguished General and Commander In Chief of the British Expeditionary Force at the start of the war.

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Whitehead Excursion Station: Suffragettes in Prison

Many suffragettes were imprisoned while fighting for their cause. Margaret Robinson served time in Holloway Prison. Dorothy Evans was taken to Tullamore Prison in County Offaly by train. While being transported, Dorothy Evans broke several windows on the train and threw out a postcard with a defiant suffragette message on to the platform which was picked up by the station master Margaret Robinson is played here by Polly Wilson

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Whitehead Congregational Church: Dr Elizabeth Gould Bell

Dr Elizabeth Bell played by Angela Turkington

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Suffragettes and Militancy

Suffrage activists had different opinions on what tactics were legitimate to use. Some supported the use of militant actions such as setting fire to post boxes, burning buildings and breaking windows. If you look across the train tracks towards the top of the hill you will see the largest property in Whitehead which originally belonged to Bishop Henry Henry. Bishop Henry also owned a house in Killroot called 'Orlands' which was burned down by the suffragettes. Orlands may have been targeted because the Bishop's church opposed votes for women, but the arson was also carried out to put pressure on the government who had to pay compensation to the owners of destroyed property.

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Dorothy Evans: St. Patrick's Parochial Hall

Dorothy Evans played by Josephine Flynn

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Maude Knox: Whitehead Presbyterian Church

Whitehead was a small town and suffrage activists would have had neighbours and friends with opposing views. Many of the suffragette activists were very angry with the Ulster Unionists, in particular SIr Edward Carson who was opposed to women getting the vote. Women were furious that suffragettes were being imprisoned while the Ulster Volunteer Force, led by Sir Edward Carson, were gunrunning and preparing for civil war but went unpunished. This included Maude Knox's husband, the Reverend Knox, who held a church service for the Ulster Volunteer Force. At this time the Ulster Volunteer Force were a militia that vowed to resist attempts to impose home rule upon Ulster. Maude Knox played by Suzie Taggart

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Dr Koeller: Alexandra Terrace

Dr Koeller and his family (including Margaret Robinson) lived at Alexandra Terrace. Dr Koeller was born in Germany and was a naturalised British citizen. At the beginning of the First World War Dr Koeller was interned by the British government due to public anti-German hostility. Internments were carried out for the safety of the individual as much as for the British population. Dr Koeller was a distinguished musician composing music for the suffragettes and was the conductor of the Ulster Philharmonic Orchestra.

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Charlotte Despard: The Old Tea House

Charlotte Despard played by Hanni Reinhardt