Florence Macfarlane facts for kids
Florence Macfarlane was a brave woman who lived a long time ago (from 1867 to 1944). She was a nurse and a strong supporter of women's rights, known as a suffragette. She was part of a group called the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). Florence even went on a hunger strike in prison in 1912 to fight for her beliefs. Because of her courage, she received a special medal called the Hunger Strike Medal. She sometimes used the name "Muriel Muir."
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Florence Macfarlane's Early Life
Florence Macfarlane was born in Leith, Scotland, in 1867. She was one of many children in her family. Her older sister, Edith Marian Begbie, also became a suffragette. Their father, John Macfarlane, had successful businesses. He even started a newspaper that supported liberal ideas. These ideas might have influenced his daughters. By 1901, Florence was a Matron at a private hospital for women in Edinburgh. She worked there with two of her younger sisters.
Fighting for Women's Rights
Florence Macfarlane worked for the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in Belfast. She was arrested during a protest called Black Friday in November 1910. The charges against her were later dropped. In March 1912, she was arrested again for breaking a window in Kensington. She was sent to prison in Birmingham.
While in Winson Green Prison, Florence went on a hunger strike. This meant she refused to eat to protest for women's right to vote. Her sister Edith Begbie and another suffragette, Gertrude Wilkinson, also went on hunger strike with her. When they were released from prison, both sisters were very weak. Florence continued her fight for women's suffrage.
The photograph shows Florence Macfarlane on the right. Gertrude Wilkinson is in the middle, and Florence's sister Edith Marian Begbie is on the left. The child in front is Paul Lamartine Yates. He was the son of Rose Emma Lamartine Yates, who was important in the WSPU. The picture was taken at Rose's home, Dorset Hall, around 1912.
Florence's Later Years
In 1915, Florence Macfarlane moved to the United States. She worked as a mental healer and a magazine journalist there. She became the Honorary Secretary of the Six Point Group. This was a British feminist group started in 1921. It worked to change laws in six main areas. These changes aimed to make things more equal for women and protect children's rights.
In 1923, she returned to London. An article in The Vote newspaper in 1933 showed a letter she co-signed. She signed it as the Honorary Secretary of the Six Point Group. The group was involved in helping female staff who lost their jobs when they got married. In 1934, she was the Honorary International Secretary of the Six Point Group in Geneva.
Florence Geraldine Macfarlane went back to Los Angeles, California, in 1939. She passed away in Los Angeles in October 1944.
Images for kids
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Florence Macfarlane in 1912
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Suffragettes resting in 1912. From left: Edith Begbie, Paul Yates, Gertrude Wilkinson, and Florence Macfarlane.
See also
In Spanish: Florence Macfarlane para niños
