Clemence Housman facts for kids
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Clemence Annie Housman (born November 23, 1861 – died December 6, 1955) was a talented author, artist, and a strong supporter of women's rights. She worked hard to help women gain the right to vote. Clemence was the sister of two other famous writers, A. E. Housman and Laurence Housman. She wrote several novels, including The Were-Wolf and The Life of Sir Aglovale De Galis. She was also a very important person in the suffragette movement, which fought for women's voting rights.
Life and Activism
Clemence Housman was born in a town called Bromsgrove in England. In 1883, she went to the South London School of Technical Art. There, she learned many skills, including how to make detailed pictures by carving them into wood. This skill is called wood-engraving. For a while, she used her engraving talents to create pictures for newspapers like The Graphic.
Clemence was very passionate about women's rights. In 1908, she joined the Women's Social and Political Union, a group that actively campaigned for women to get the right to vote. The next year, in 1909, she helped start a group called the Suffrage Atelier with her brother Laurence. This group created art and banners to support the women's suffrage movement. Clemence herself made many banners for protests between 1908 and 1914.
In 1910, Clemence became part of the Women's Tax Resistance League. This group believed that women should not pay taxes if they didn't have the right to vote. Because she refused to pay her taxes, Clemence was arrested on September 30, 1911. She was sent to Holloway Prison. However, many people protested and showed their support for her. Because of these protests, she was released from prison after only one week.
Clemence lived with her brother Laurence for most of her life. After World War I, they lived in a small house in a village called Ashley. Later, in 1924, they moved to Street, Somerset. Clemence Housman lived a long and impactful life, passing away in December 1955 at the age of 94.
Her Written Works
Clemence Housman wrote three novels. She also created illustrations for some of the fantasy stories written by her brother Laurence. Her novels are often called "Christian fantasies" because they explore religious ideas through imaginative stories.
Her first novel, The Were-Wolf, was published in 1896. It's a fantasy story about a female werewolf. People who read it found it exciting and a bit scary, saying it felt like a real old folk tale. Another important novel was The Life of Sir Aglovale De Galis. This story is a fantasy set in the world of King Arthur and his knights. Clemence also wrote a short story called "The Drawn Arrow" in 1923, which is a fable set in a desert land.
Novels
- The Were-Wolf (1896) – illustrated by Laurence Housman.
- The Unknown Sea (1898)
- The Life of Sir Aglovale De Galis (1905)
- "The Drawn Arrow" (1923) – a short fable.
As illustrator
- Laurence Housman, The Blue Moon (1904) – illustrations by L.H., engraved by C.H.
