Olive Wharry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Olive Wharry
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Wharry after a 32-day hunger strike in 1913
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| Born | 29 September 1886 London, United Kingdom
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| Died | 2 October 1947 (aged 61) Torquay, United Kingdom
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| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Artist, Suffragette |
Olive Wharry (born September 29, 1886 – died October 2, 1947) was an English artist and a brave suffragette. Suffragettes were women who fought hard to get the right to vote. In 1913, Olive was put in prison with another suffragette, Lilian Lenton, for setting fire to a tea pavilion at Kew Gardens.
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Olive Wharry's Early Life
Olive Wharry grew up in London, England. Her father, Robert Wharry, was a doctor. Olive was his only child from his first marriage. Later, her family moved to Devon when her father stopped working.
Olive studied art at the School of Art in Exeter. In 1906, she traveled around the world with her parents. She became very active in the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). This group worked to get women the right to vote. She was also part of the Church League for Women's Suffrage.
Fighting for the Vote: 1911 to 1913
In November 1911, Olive was arrested for breaking windows during a WSPU protest. She was sentenced to two months in prison. During her time in prison, and in later sentences, she kept a special scrapbook. This book had autographs from other suffragettes. This scrapbook was even shown in an exhibition at the British Library.
In March 1912, Olive was arrested again for breaking more windows. She was sentenced to six months in Winson Green Prison. While there, she went on a hunger strike. This meant she refused to eat to protest her imprisonment. She was released early in July 1912 because of her hunger strike.
In November 1912, she was arrested again in Aberdeen. She was involved in a small fight during a meeting where a famous politician, David Lloyd George, was speaking. She was sentenced to five days in prison. While in her cell, she managed to break the windows.
The Kew Gardens Protest
On March 7, 1913, when Olive was 27, she and Lilian Lenton were sent to Holloway Prison. They had set fire to the tea pavilion at Kew Gardens. This caused a lot of damage, about £900 worth. The owners only had £500 of insurance.
During her trial, Olive said she and Lilian had made sure the tea pavilion was empty before starting the fire. She believed the building belonged to the British Government. She wanted the owners to understand that she was fighting a "war" for women's rights. She said that in a war, even innocent people might suffer.
Olive was sentenced to 18 months in prison. She refused to pay any fines, saying, "You can send me to prison, but I will never pay the costs."
Hunger Strike in Prison
While in prison, Olive went on a hunger strike for 32 days. She even passed her food to other prisoners without the guards noticing. She said she lost a lot of weight during this time.
More Prison Sentences
Olive Wharry was arrested and imprisoned eight times between 1910 and 1914. She often used different names like "Phyllis North" or "Joyce Locke" to avoid being caught. Each time she was in prison, she went on a hunger strike.
Because of her hunger strikes, she was often force-fed. This meant prison staff would make her eat. Then, she would be released early under a law called the Cat and Mouse Act. This law allowed the government to release sick prisoners, then re-arrest them when they got better.
In May 1914, Olive was sentenced to a week in prison after protesting to King George V. It was important to Olive not to finish any prison sentence. She went on hunger strike again and was released after only three days.
In June 1914, she was arrested again in Carnarvon. She had broken windows during another meeting held by David Lloyd George. She was held in custody and went on hunger strike again, leading to her release.
Later, she was arrested in Liverpool and sent back to Carnarvon. There, she received a three-month prison sentence. She was sent to Holloway Prison to complete this sentence. While there, she continued her hunger strike and was kept alone in solitary confinement.
The WSPU gave Olive Wharry a special Hunger Strike Medal for her bravery.
Olive's Scrapbook
Some doctors who treated Olive in prison thought she might be mentally unwell. However, her scrapbook shows she was very clear-headed. Her scrapbook is full of drawings of prison life, funny poems, and autographs from other suffragettes. It also has a photo of her and Lilian Lenton during their trial for the Kew Gardens fire.
The scrapbook, now kept at the British Library, also shows how much weight she lost in prison. It includes newspaper clippings of a policeman carrying her bags when she was released. Olive was released on August 10, 1914, as part of a general release of suffragette prisoners by the government.
Later Life and Legacy
Later in her life, Olive Wharry lived in Torquay, Devon. She never married or had children.
In her will, she asked for her body to be cremated. She wanted her ashes scattered on the open moorland between Exeter and Whitstone. She left some of her money and belongings to her fellow suffragette, Constance Bryer. This included her Hunger Strike Medal.
Olive Wharry passed away in Torquay in 1947 at the age of 61.
Images for kids
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Wharry after a 32-day hunger strike in 1913
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The Tea House at Kew Gardens after the arson attack by Wharry and Lenton
