Helen Tolson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helen Tolson
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Tolson campaigning in Manchester Docks in December 1908
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| Born | 1888 |
| Died | 1955 (aged 66–67) |
| Known for | Activism for women's suffrage |
| Relatives | Catherine Tolson (sister) |
Helen Tolson (1888–1955) was an English woman who fought for women's right to vote. She was a suffragette from Wilmslow in Cheshire. Helen was an active member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). This group worked hard to get women the right to vote. She was arrested several times in 1908 and 1909 for her actions.
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Fighting for the Vote
Helen Tolson was born in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 1888. Her father, Charles Guthrie Tolson, was a merchant. Her mother, Anna, and her younger sister, Catherine Tolson, were also suffragettes. This means her whole family believed in women's right to vote.
Early Protests and Arrests
In December 1908, when Helen was 20, she was arrested in Liverpool. This happened outside the Sun Hall where a politician named David Lloyd George was speaking. The judge decided to drop the case. He did not want to give their "stupid behavior" more attention.
In March 1909, Helen joined other women from Manchester. They tried to speak to the Prime Minister. They wanted to tell him that women needed to vote. Helen was arrested outside the Houses of Parliament. Her father wrote to the Home Secretary, Herbert Gladstone. He complained about how the police treated her.
Later that year, in August, Helen faced rough treatment from a crowd. This happened at Rushpool Hall in Saltburn-by-the-Sea. The crowd was there to hear politicians Winston Churchill and Herbert Samuel speak.
Breaking Windows and Hunger Strikes
In September 1909, Helen and her sister Catherine were arrested. They had broken windows at White City in Manchester. All the suffragettes arrested chose to go to prison instead of paying fines. Just two days later, they were let out of Strangeways prison. This was because they went on a hunger strike. A hunger strike means refusing to eat food in prison as a protest.
On December 4, 1909, Helen Tolson was arrested again. She was with Dora Marsden and Winson Etherley. They were arrested for disturbing a meeting. This happened when Winston Churchill was speaking at the Empire Theatre in Southport. The charges against them were dropped later that week.
Travel and Family Life
In April 1911, Helen, her sister Catherine, and their mother Anna traveled to New York. Their sister-in-law, Mrs. M. F. E. Tolson, also joined them. The newspaper said they were "all suffragettes who have served time in English jails for the cause." Mrs. Tolson said it was just a holiday. She stated they would not do any suffragette work in New York.
In 1919, Helen Tolson married John Paxton. Her uncle, Legh Tolson, gave Ravensknowle Hall to Huddersfield. It became a museum to remember Helen's brothers. Her brother Robert died in 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. Her brother James died in 1918, near the end of World War I. The Tolson Museum officially opened on May 27, 1922.
Helen Tolson received a special award called the Hunger Strike Medal. The WSPU gave her this medal "For Valour" (for bravery).
