Dora Thewlis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dora Thewlis
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Thewlis was arrested on 20 March 1907. This photograph appeared in the Daily Mirror the following day.
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| Born | 1890 Meltham Mills
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| Died | 1976 Australia
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| Occupation | British suffragette |
| Organization | Women's Social and Political Union |
| Known for | working for women's rights |
| Criminal charge(s) | Arrested in 1907 for planning to break into the Houses of Parliament |
| Spouse(s) | Jack Dow (1918) |
| Children | Mable born 1920 and Jack 1923 |
| Parent(s) | James and Eliza Thewlis |
Dora Thewlis (1890–1976) was a brave British suffragette. Suffragettes were women who fought for the right to vote. Dora became famous when a picture of her arrest appeared on the front page of the Daily Mirror newspaper. She was only 16 years old at the time.
Contents
Early Life
Dora was born on May 15, 1890. Her birthplace was Shady Row in Meltham Mills. This village is near Huddersfield in Yorkshire, England. She was one of seven children. Her parents were James and Eliza Thewlis. Her father, James, worked as a weaver. Dora also worked in a Yorkshire mill when she was a teenager.
Fighting for Women's Rights
In 1907, when she was 16, Dora joined the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). This group worked hard for women's right to vote. That same year, Dora was arrested. She was part of a group of 75 women who tried to enter the Houses of Parliament. They wanted to protest and demand voting rights.
The "Baby Suffragette"
When Dora appeared in court, the judge was not kind to her. He suggested she had gone to London for bad reasons. The newspapers called her the Baby Suffragette or the 'little mill hand'. Her picture was on the front page of the Daily Mirror. The caption said "Suffragettes storm the House". Other newspapers called her a 'girl suffragist' or 'infant agitator'. This kind of news coverage was not what the suffragette movement wanted.
The judge thought Dora's parents should control her. But her parents fully supported her actions. They said Dora was her own person. Her family were socialists, meaning they believed in equality for everyone. Dora's mother, Eliza, said she had taught Dora to read newspapers and discuss politics since she was seven. The family also supported Emmeline Pankhurst, a leader of the suffragette movement.
Dora was sentenced to two weeks in prison. However, she only served one week. When she left prison, she met Edith How-Martyn, another suffragette.
Life After Activism
Before World War I began, Dora moved to Australia. This meant she did not see women get the right to vote in England. In 1918, she married Jack Dow. He passed away in 1956. Dora Thewlis died in 1976.
Images for kids
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Dora Thewlis was arrested on 20 March 1907. This photograph appeared in the Daily Mirror the following day.
