What is Emily Davison?
'''Emily Wilding Davison''' (11 October 1872 &ndash; 8 June 1913) was born in [[Blackheath]] in southeast London on. She studied at [[Royal Holloway College]] and at [[Oxford University]], although women were not allowed to take degrees at that time. In 1906, she joined the [[Women's Social and Political Union]] (WSPU), founded by [[Emmeline Pankhurst]]. Three years later she gave up her job as a teacher and went to work full-time for the suffragettes. She was frequently arrested for causing a public disturbance and burning post boxes. She spent a number of short periods in jail. In 1909, she was sentenced to a month's hard labour in [[Strangeways Prison]] in Manchester after throwing rocks at the carriage of chancellor [[David Lloyd George]]. She attempted to starve herself, and resisted force-feeding. A prison guard, angered by Davison's blockading herself in her cell, forced a hose into the room and nearly filled it with water. She sued the wardens of Strangeways, and was awarded 40 shillings. By 1911, Davison was becoming increasingly militant. On 4 June 1913, she ran out in front of the king's horse as it was taking part in the [[Epsom Derby]]. Her purpose was unclear, but she was trampled on and died on 8 June – at the age of 40 – from her injuries.<ref>{{cite news |last= Thorpe |first= Vanessa |date= 26 May 2013 |title= Truth behind the death of suffragette Emily Davison is finally revealed |url= https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/may/26/emily-davison-suffragette-death-derby-1913 |work= The Observer |access-date= 15 March 2022}}</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Davison, Emily}} [[Category:1872 births]] [[Category:1913 deaths]] [[Category:Suffragettes]] [[Category:People from London]]