Violet Mary Doudney facts for kids

Violet Mary Doudney (born March 5, 1889 – died January 14, 1952) was a dedicated teacher and a brave suffragette. Suffragettes were women who fought for the right to vote. Violet was part of a group called the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), which worked hard to get women the right to vote in the United Kingdom. She even went on a hunger strike in Holloway Prison and was force-fed because she refused to eat. For her courage, she received the Hunger Strike Medal from the WSPU.

Early Life and Education

Violet Doudney was born in 1889 in a place called Barkby in Leicestershire, England. Her parents were Laura Annie and George Richard Doudney, who was a corn merchant. When she was 19, in 1908, Violet started studying at St Hilda's College at the University of Oxford. She finished her studies and graduated in 1911 when she was 21 years old.

Fighting for Women's Rights

Joining the Suffragette Movement

After graduating in 1912, Violet moved to London because she wanted to become a teacher. In London, she joined the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). This group believed that women should have the same right to vote as men. They often used strong methods to get attention for their cause.

Protest and Imprisonment

Violet took part in a protest where suffragettes broke windows at the homes of important politicians. They did this to show how angry they were about how other suffragette prisoners were being treated, especially those on hunger strike.

On June 28, 1912, Violet Doudney broke windows at the home of Reginald McKenna, who was the Home Secretary at the time. The Home Secretary is a government minister in charge of law and order. She was arrested the next morning. In court, she was asked if she was sorry for what she did. Violet bravely said no, explaining that she acted to protest the Home Secretary's policies.

She was sentenced to two months in Holloway Prison. While in prison, Violet went on a hunger strike, refusing to eat. Even though she was not strong, she was force-fed, which means food was forced into her. After she was released from prison, Emmeline Pankhurst, a famous leader of the suffragette movement, gave Violet a Hunger Strike Medal to honor her bravery.

Violet's Strong Will

Violet's parents, who were well-known in Leicestershire, wrote to the Home Secretary. They asked for her early release from prison because she was unwell. They promised that if she was released, she would stop her suffragette activities.

When Violet found out why she had been released after only three weeks, she was very angry. She immediately wrote a letter to the Home Secretary. In her letter, she explained that as a 23-year-old woman, she could make her own choices. She made it clear that she had not made any promises to stop her work. She also stated that she would continue to do whatever she felt was necessary to help the cause she believed in. She even offered to go back to Holloway Prison if he felt she had been released unfairly.

Violet did not get a reply to her letter. For the next two years, she worked as a secretary for the suffragette movement. In 1914, she started her career as a teacher of English Literature and drama, which she continued for 25 years.

Later Life and Family

In 1929, Violet married an architect named Sidney Toy. They had three sons together, including John Toy, who was born in 1930.

In 2018, John Toy remembered his mother. He said that his father, Sidney, was not in favor of women having the right to vote. His father asked Violet not to talk about her suffragette past. Because of this, Violet did not tell her sons about her experiences until the day World War II started. John Toy said he was very proud of what his mother did and that she always taught them to stand up against unfairness.

In 1939, Violet retired from teaching. At that time, she and her husband lived in the City of London near the Temple Church. They both worked as ARP Wardens, helping to protect people during air raids. Violet also helped with first-aid duties.

Violet Mary Toy passed away in Epsom, Surrey, in 1952.

Images for kids

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  Violet Mary Doudney at St Hilda's College (c1921)

See also

In Spanish: Violet Mary Doudney para niños