Louise Mary Eates (née Peters; 1877–1944) [1] was a British suffragette, chair of Kensington Women's Social and Political Union and a women's education activist.
In June 1907, Eates hosted other middle-class women in her drawing room in Knightsbridge, where she paid Minnie Baldock from WSPU one shilling and sixpence to give a talk on how important suffrage was to working women. Eates had encouraged Baldock to bring a 'real' working woman Jane Sbarborough with her. Her guests gave 'many nice compliments' to the speaker.[2] Her two guests were later arrested for their suffrage activism. Eates again invited Baldock to 'make the rich and idle women realise the difficulties that drive poor women to demand the Vote', and this time included Emmeline Pankhurst and Gertrude Conolan as speakers.[6]
These events raised awareness of the situation of working women and may have helped encourage funding the WSPU cause in this large and active branch, which raised £32 in its first year and £804 in 2010.[6] In one year, Eates's branch sold almost 26,000 copies of Votes for Women and set up an innovative 'Votes for Women' shop in Church Street, Kensington.[6]
A postcard etching of Eates, seated in a large hat, was drawn by Glenn Hinshaw and signed in support of women's suffrage.[8] A copy of the postcard is in the Museum of London collection and it is displayed here.[9]
Imprisonment and release
Eates was arrested and charged with obstruction, sentenced to one month in prison,[4] along with eight others including Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence who rushed the St. Stephen's Entrance to the House of Commons in an attempt to meet the Prime Minister[10] in March 1909. This was the day after three other suffragettes including Emily Davison were also in court for obstruction. The incident was reported in the WSPU Votes for Women 2 April 1909, pp 506–7.[2]
Upon Eates's release from prison, a special piece of jewellery - enamelled silver pendant of the winged Hope figure singing outside prison bars with semi-precious stones in a chain in the WSPU colours of purple, white and green - was commissioned from silver artist and enameler, Ernestine Mills This is now held in the Museum of London.[4] The old Kensington Town Hall was hired for a celebration meeting by the branch after greeting her at the gates of Holloway Prison on her release.[4]
In January 1910, Eates organised for WSPU in the election campaign in the Kensington (North) Division,[4] and in December 2010 in the constituency of West St. Pancras.[6] She marshalled processions in Kensington and spoke on one of the main platforms at the Hyde Park rally.[6]
She travelled throughout the country in the Midlands and Wales. From 1910 to 1913, she and her husband were in India and Vienna, then living in Marylebone on their return to London.[6]
Eates joined the Pethick-Lawrence's United Suffragists, with Agnes Harben and her husband, which welcomed women and men, former militants and non-militants[1] at the start of the Great War in 1914,[2] and continued to publish Votes for Women until the passing of the Representation of the People Act 1918 gave (some) women the vote and the group and its newspaper were disbanded.[1]
^A. R. Eates, M.B., C.M., The British Medical Journal Vol. 1, No. 5346 (Jun. 22, 1963), p. 1681. Published by: BMJ JSTOR20381239
^ abcdefghijklCrawford, Elizabeth (1999). The women's suffrage movement : a reference guide, 1866-1928. London: UCL Press. pp. 28, 186. ISBN0203031091. OCLC53836882.