Hunger strike medal

ID:

2003.46/197

Production date:

1912

Location:

In Store

Silver hunger strike medal in presentation box presented to the suffragette Leonora Tyson. On one side is engraved 'Hunger Strike' on the reverse 'Leonora Tyson'. The medal is attached to a small strip of purple, white & green ribbon to which is attached one purple white and green enamel bar engraved on the reverse 'fed by force 4/3/12. At the top of the ribbon is a silver pin inscribed 'For Valour'. The box covered in starched purple fabric has a hinged lid padded with cream silk on which is gilded in gold the following 'presented to Leonora Tyson by the Women's Social & Political Union in Recognition of a gallant action, whereby through endurance to the last extremity of hunger and hardship a great principle of political justice was vindicated'. The base of the box is lined with green velvet.
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Silver hunger strike medal in presentation box presented to the suffragette Leonora Tyson. On one side is engraved 'Hunger Strike' on the reverse 'Leonora Tyson'. The medal is attached to a small strip of purple, white & green ribbon to which is attached one purple white and green enamel bar engraved on the reverse 'fed by force 4/3/12. At the top of the ribbon is a silver pin inscribed 'For Valour'. The box covered in starched purple fabric has a hinged lid padded with cream silk on which is gilded in gold the following 'presented to Leonora Tyson by the Women's Social & Political Union in Recognition of a gallant action, whereby through endurance to the last extremity of hunger and hardship a great principle of political justice was vindicated'. The base of the box is lined with green velvet.

Leonora (1883-1959), her mother Helen and sister Diana joined the WSPU around 1908. In 1909 Leonora became honorary secretary of the Streatham branch and in 1910, organising secretary of the Lambeth branch. As well as attending weekly meetings on Streatham Common, Leonora was an effective fundraiser for the campaign organising Streatham's contribution to the Women's Exhibition of 1909. In 1911 she took part in the Census boycott by spending census night, along with other Suffragettes, at her local WSPU branch shop at 5 Shrubbery Road, Streatham. Leonora was bi-lingual, her Father being German. In October 1911 she represented the WSPU at the Women's Congress in Hamburg, the following year she returned to Germany for a speaking tour on female suffrage.

In March 1912 Leonora served her only prison sentence for militancy. Sentenced to two months hard labour for breaking windows at Government Offices she went on hunger strike and was force-fed. From her prison letters Leonora indicates that she went on hunger strike from Sunday 14th April at 4pm and was first force-fed on Wednesday 17th April at 5pm. She was released from prison on 8th May 1912. As well as receiving the official WSPU hunger-strike Leonora was also presented with a silver medallion by her local WSPU Streatham branch at a Prisoners Reception at Streatham Town Hall. < Hide

Measurements

H 50 mm; L 38 mm (medal); L 103 mm; H 21 mm; D 60 mm (presentation box)

Materials

silver; silk

Last Updated

2024-03-14