Blue plaque to commemorate Suffragette who confronted Churchill in Bristol

A Suffragette who earned a place in history – and a prison sentence – for confronting Winston Churchill at Bristol Temple Meads has been commemorated with a blue plaque.

The sign bearing the name of Theresa Garnett was unveiled on the side of HMP Bristol, the very building in which the late activist was imprisoned in 1909 for lunging at the politician who went on to become Britain’s Prime Minister with a horse whip.

The Suffragette was arrested for assault but was found guilty of disturbing the peace – a contemporary report stated that she had not actually hit Churchill – and during her time in jail, she went on hunger strike and was force-fed.

The plaque immortalising her name is connected to an education project led by Emma Lilwall, an artist and fine art lecturer from Weston College’s prison-based education department that is using art to explore the history of the Suffragettes who were imprisoned in Horfield.

Addressing a group gathered in the sun outside HMP Bristol on Friday, Lilwall thanked Garnett and others who have paved the way for women’s rights.

“Let us not forget that Theresa was tortured here through force feeding in her fight for equality,” said Lilwall.

“Education opens possibilities for change. Through this project, we have started an ongoing dialogue with male prisoners about equality for women.”

The artist continued: “Until we can walk home safely at night and not change our path for fear of our own safety, equality has not been realised.

“Until women do not think twice about what to wear for fear of being noticed in the wrong sort of way, the fight is not over; until we have real equality in all countries in the world, there is still work to be done.”

Theresa Garnett was sentenced to a month-long prison sentence for the altercation at Temple Meads Station. Churchill had been invited to the city to speak at a meeting in the Bristol Beacon, then known as the Colston Hall, which was also disrupted by Suffragettes.

A blue plaque commemorating Suffragette Theresa Garnett has been unveiled on the side of HMP Bristol – photo by Ellie Pipe

The blue plaque in her honour was unveiled by Labour councillors and cabinet members Nicola Beech, Helen Holland and deputy mayor Asher Craig.

It is located just inside the outer prison wall so can be viewed from Cambridge Road outside, while a giant QR code on the side of the building enables people to see the mural created inside the prison, in collaboration with Bristol based-street artist Rosalita.

This work has also been published by Bristol Museum Service on its ‘Stories’ website.

A Suffragette mural has been created in collaboration with Rosalita inside HMP Bristol – photo courtesy of Bristol Civic Society

Lilwall added: “Equality for women remains a very pressing issue and connecting male prisoners with this history has provoked transformative discussion and inspirational creative responses”.

Lori Streich from Bristol Civic Society, which installed the plaque, said: “Blue Plaques aim to inspire curiosity and discussion, and this is exemplified by Theresa Garnett’s story, and the actions she took to achieve women’s right to vote.”

Four other Suffragettes were imprisoned for their protest actions during Churchill’s visit to Bristol in November 1909.

Nurse Ellen Pitman sent a message to Churchill on a brick, through the plate glass window of the Post Office on Small Street; Vera Wentworth broke windows at the Liberal Club in Bristol; while Mary Sophia Allen, broke windows at the Board of Trade Office in Bristol; alongside Jessie Lawes.

Gaby Solly turned out with a protest banner to mark the unveiling of the new blue plaque on HMP Bristol – photo by Ellie Pipe

Horfield resident Gaby Solly turned out to watch the unveiling with a banner bearing the words ‘thank you for protesting’.

“All my life I’ve been standing up for issues that are important to me,” Gaby told Bristol24/7.

“At this particular moment, I think it’s even more important to have people willing to stick their heads above the parapet and the Suffragettes are a great example of that.”

The blue plaque to commemorate Suffratte Theresa Garnett on the side of HMP Bristol can be seen from Cambridge Road –  photo by Ellie Pipe

Main photo by Ellie Pipe

Read more: 100 years of votes for women