Jessie Craigen facts for kids

Jessie Hannah Craigen (born around 1835, died 5 October 1899) was a powerful speaker and activist. She was special because she came from a working-class background, unlike many others in the movement for suffrage (women's right to vote). Jessie was also a paid speaker for other important causes. These included the Irish Home Rule movement, which wanted Ireland to govern itself, and the cooperative movement, which helped people work together for common good. She also spoke against vivisection (experiments on live animals), compulsory vaccination, and the Contagious Diseases Acts, which unfairly targeted women.

Jessie Craigen: A Voice for Change

Her Early Life and Talents

We don't know for sure where Jessie was born in the UK. One newspaper in 1866 called her a 'Scotch lady'. However, records from 1871 show her living near Retford and saying she was born in London. By 1881, she was in Clifton, Bristol, and described herself as a 'Lecturer on Social Subjects' from London.

Jessie's father was reportedly a sailor from the Scottish Highlands. He died when she was very young. Her mother was an Italian actress. Jessie herself appeared on stage as a child. This experience likely gave her the skills and confidence to become a public speaker. In the late 1850s, she started by reading from plays and giving recitations. Later, she began speaking at temperance meetings, which promoted avoiding alcohol. In 1861, someone described her as a 'clever Quakeress'. By December 1868, she was speaking at meetings about women's right to vote. A reporter in 1869 noted that her talks were popular, but suggested it was because a woman lecturer was unusual at the time.

Fighting for Women's Rights

Jessie Craigen spoke about women's rights between 1868 and 1884. Her main supporters were radical suffragists like Priscilla Bright McLaren, Lilias Ashworth Hallett, and the Quaker sisters Anna Maria and Mary Priestman. These women understood that the suffrage movement needed support from working-class people.

Speaking Out for Suffrage

Helen Blackburn, a feminist and campaigner, called Jessie Craigen 'that strange erratic genius'. She said Jessie spoke with a voice like a 'mighty melodious bell'. Blackburn noted that Jessie planned her tours all by herself. She traveled across the entire country, from John O'Groats in Scotland to Lands End in England. She was usually only accompanied by her small dog. With her powerful voice, she could gather large audiences and keep them completely focused. She spoke to miners in Northumberland, fishers in Cornwall, and farm workers in country towns. Jessie also visited Stornoway in the Scottish Hebrides.

The writer and politician Henry Hyndman described her vividly:

Jessie Craigen was not conventionally beautiful, taught herself, dressed simply, and had unusual manners. But all this was soon forgotten once she started to speak. She would come forward, place her umbrella, neck scarf, and old bag on the table. Then she would turn to face the audience. She was often met with loud laughter at first. She looked a bit like a funny character, with a battered bonnet on her gray hair and a simple shawl. She had strong features and a sturdy build. But within two minutes, everyone was listening closely. Within five minutes, she had them laughing with her, not at her. Soon after, tears would be in every eye as she told a touching story of hardship. This unusual person had a greater impact than all the other speakers combined.

By 1879, Jessie was speaking alongside the most important figures in the suffrage movement. In October of that year, Helen Blackburn said Jessie 'held the meeting completely focused with her grand voice and her strong and witty words'. On 3 February 1880, she spoke at a 'Great Demonstration of Women' in the Free Trade Hall. She shared the stage with notable figures like Mrs McClaren, Lydia Becker, and Josephine Butler.

Friendships and Challenges

Around 1881-1882, Jessie may have become close friends with feminist and suffragist Helen Taylor. Helen came from a very different social background. This friendship faced difficulties because of class differences in Victorian England. Women like Jessie, who were paid for their suffrage work, were sometimes seen by the middle-class leaders as being like personal servants. Sadly, this friendship faded, which Jessie regretted. They disagreed about Ireland and Charles Stewart Parnell, who often stayed at Miss Taylor's house.

The suffrage movement later split. After it failed to win women the right to vote under the Third Reform Act in December 1884, Jessie Craigen's role as a paid speaker became harder. She slowly became less involved in women's rights. However, she continued to speak out for other causes. She wrote an article for the Nineteenth Century Review against plans to build a Channel Tunnel. In April 1894, when speaking at a protest against vivisection and vaccination in Chelsea, she was described as 'a stout, elderly lady of dark complexion, with a stubby beard and a strong moustache…'

Later Years and Legacy

The Local Government Act 1894 created new local councils and allowed women to become councillors. In December 1894, Jessie Craigen ran for election to the Ilford Urban District Council. She was the only woman candidate, representing the Women's Liberal Association. She was not successful, coming fourteenth out of seventeen candidates.

Jessie Craigen died in her home in Ilford, Essex, on 5 October 1899. Local newspapers described her as a 'well-known old maiden lady'. Her obituary in The Zoophilist stated that 'as a woman of the people, she had a great influence over the working classes... We will miss her brave and direct advocacy... her lively and powerful speeches'. Her belongings were left to Rosetta Blanche Vincent, who was granted permission to manage her will.

A Pioneer's Recognition

Jessie Craigen's name is honored on the plinth (base) of the statue of Millicent Fawcett in Parliament Square, London. This statue was unveiled in 2018. Her name is listed alongside 58 other women's suffrage supporters. There is no known photograph or drawing of Jessie Craigen.