Women's Cardiff to London march for voting rights change
- Published
It is 100 years since the Representation of the People's Act, which granted some women over the age of 30 the right to vote. These photos show Welsh women taking part in the great suffrage pilgrimage of 1913, travelling from Cardiff to London's Hyde Park to campaign peacefully for the change.
In south Wales, the women set off from Cardiff, congregating near City Hall and the law courts to symbolise that they wanted to claim their place in public life. They walked past the castle and down Queen Street before heading out of the city centre towards Newport. In north Wales, a march started in Bangor.
The women - seen here supported by a male brass band - described themselves as pilgrims. As there was an ancient tradition of taking to the roads for religious reasons, this gave them a certain respectability. Not all marched the whole way to London. Some marched for a few days, returned home, then rejoined at a later date. Older women often travelled by car or carriage; the younger often used bicycles.
While en route, the women held talks and meetings to explain the real meaning of the movement. They sometimes met hostility but many admired their peaceful action. These photos are from the National Museum Wales’ women’s suffrage collection. They will be on display in the new galleries at St Fagans National Museum of History from October 2018.
The women reached Hyde Park on 26 July, merging with other groups from around the country. Numbers totalled around 50,000 and a peaceful demonstration was held with speakers on different stages. Many viewed the non-militant campaign a great success