Roots of women's suffrage

[duckweed]

In February 1851 a meeting was held to form the Female political society at the Democratic Temperance Hotel 33 Queen Street Sheffield. The first suffragette meeting.

It was formed from a mix of Chartists anti corn law activists and slavery abolitionists. 2 Women Anne Knight and Anne Kent had gone to an anti slavery conference in London. Many of the women who had gone were not allowed entry and none were allowed to speak. As a consequence of this and a continued failure of them getting any men to take their views seriously. Anne Kent wrote to Mrs E Crooke of the National Charter association with the idea of forming a group to push for women's suffrage.

Is this momentous event in History marked in Sheffield History books? Is there a plaque on the wall of the Temperance Hotel? The Hotel was demolished about 10 years ago. Nowhere is this fact recorded in Sheffield history books though some of the women abolitionists are written about. No plaque either.

Who was Mrs E Crooke? I don't know. I think she was possibly Eliza Crooke. I can't find a burial record so far. Anyone find a suitable candidate in the census records? Also looking for Abiah Higginbottom secretary of the Women's Rights Association in 1851.

 

[p.risboy]

Death reg.

Abia_ Higginbottom
Apr-May-Jun 1859
Reg dist - Doncaster
Yorkshire West Riding
V-9c
Page-31



Sorry, can't find her in the census.


Steve.

 

[duckweed]

I think this may be her down as Aldah in the 1851 census born Kippax. aged 39. Husband Thomas born Fullwood same age.

 

[leefer]

hi Duckweed...cannot find anything on her....she may not have been from Sheffield as many of the better off early suffragettes moved around rallying different towns and cities.
One of my favourite people is the Swindon suffragette Edith New.....a mild mannered teacher who felt compelled to violence and protests so strong was her beliefs.

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/4669862.Suffragette_jailed_for_votes_battle/

The above link shows that thousands of woman were put into prison for early beliefs.




Sorry i cannot help you with Mrs Crook but the link below is worth a look just for all round interest.

http://www.keele.ac.uk/history/currentundergraduates/tltp/WOMEN/RENDELL/CORE1.HTM#Forty-two

 

[juliejtp]

Hi Duckweed,

Looks like Abiah Higginbottom's death registration.

1859 - Apr/May/Jun - District Doncaster (no age given)

 

[duckweed]

My thought is she was probably a Unitarian or a Quaker as I think Mrs Crooke was a Unitarian and we know many of the others were Quakers.

Indications are that the Crooke family were Unitarians and went to the Upper Chapel as there are not a lot of Crookes in the city even though there is an area called Crookes and any Crookes I can find seem to go to the Upper Chapel.

Maybe Mrs Crooke will turn up on the Chartist sites as she was originally a Chartist.

 

[duckweed]

According to Chartist site her name is Rooke not Crooke. Shall have another look under Rooke.

 

[duckweed]

Can't find E Rooke but I have found that the Rookes had a business on Queen Street near the Temperance Hotel so looks promising. Button manufacturers. The middle name is Spooner. Spooner was an important name in the city.

 

[duckweed]

I have an Eliza Rooke who was buried in the General Cemetery. Wife of Thomas Rooke confectioner. 30th December 1856.

 

[duckweed]

I think I am cracking this. Thomas Rooke is down as a major Sheffield Chartist. He apparently wrote a book. Not sure what else he did but he has to be Eliza's husband as there are not a lot of Thomas Rookes anywhere. There is a Thomas Rooke at Wesley College in Sheffield in 1841 aged 10 but that would make him a bit young.

Maybe I can't get them because they were in York for a while? Mentions a march in York. Or am I clutching at straws?

 

[leefer]

http://www.chartists.net/Chase-s-index-of-Chartists.htm

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...wAQ#v=onepage&q=thomas rooke chartist&f=false

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36364&strquery=thomas+rooke+sheffield

Seems the York episode was the begining of the end.

http://www.925-1000.com/a_SheffieldDir_1822.html

http://www.rookfamily.co.uk/from George Rook 1809/George_Rook_1842.html

On this last link Duckweed there is an Eliza Rooke with a GEORGE ROOKE....maybe you have the wrong Rooke.
Note they live in Sheffield but born in the South.
A contact on the page that could be worth an email.

Apologies about the other links but just in case something is there.

 

[duckweed]

George's wife is too young. The first meeting was in 1851 and Mrs. E Rooke is said to be involved in the National Charter before that. Plus there are records for a Thomas Rooke a major chartist from Sheffield and an Eliza Rooke wife of Thomas Rooke buried in the General Cemetery.

Plus the first meeting is held 4 doors down from Rookes button manufacturer which had been there since at least 1829.

True as yet circumstantial but there are strong indications I have right person. Last known address was South Road Park, not far from Pond Street where Abiah wrote from. However there is also a Thomas Rooke who is a silversmith on Pond Hill also not far away so I do have to check everything. He could have course had more than one occupation.

What I need to do is find more about Thomas Rooke Chartist.

 

[duckweed]

Someone from Sheffield History Online has proved the link. He has sent me newspaper articles and a census record for Thomas and Eliza at Pondhill in 1851. Thomas is from York and Eliza from Lincoln. Thomas the confectioner is definitely Thomas the Chartist. Wonderful what you can find out with a little help from your friends. Next thing is to find out what happened to son Henry. He was 3 at the time of 1851 census, and what happened to Thomas after his wife died.

 

[leefer]

Next stop is York i reckon then Duckweed:biggrin:

 

[juliejtp]

Hi Duckweed,

Son Henry is down as Henry D (Dudley) in 1851. There is a probate in 1923 for a Henry Dudley Rooke of Dewsbury. Probate Wakefield to Edward Rooke - joiner. Effects £523.18s. A Henry Dudley Rooke father to Annie who married John Robert Pleasance in 1909 Dewsbury. Annie's year of birth is abt 1883. Will check the previous census for Annie.

 

[juliejtp]

Henrys occupation on Annie's marriage certificate is confectioner. Witnesses Henry Dudley Rooke and Ann Pleasance. Annies address given as 23 Alfred Place.

 

[juliejtp]

Hi Duckweed,

Have come across Thomas Rook(e) confectioner in 1861 with new wife Julia Ann and born Canada and young daughter Eliza C Rook age 1 born Sheffield.

Civil parish Sheffield - RD Sheffield - Sub RD South Sheffield
Ecclesiastical parish Dyers Hill

Address -------- Pond Hill

Class H0107
Piece 2340
Folio 467
Page 8

 

[juliejtp]

1891

Civil parish Aston - RD Aston - Sub RD Duddeston

Thomas Rooke age 72 occ confectioner born Yorks
Julia Ann wife age 62 British subject born Canada
Edward son age 17 occ mechanic born Bristol
Robert Townsend son in law age 36 occ printers compositor born Welton Northamptonshire
Eliza C Townsend dau age 31 born Sheffield
Florence Townsend g/dau age 7 born Birmingham
Stephen Townsend g/son age 3 born Birmingham

Class RG12
Piece 2423
Folio 46
Page 33

 

[juliejtp]

Death registration Henry D Rooke - 1923 - Dewsbury
Born abt 1848. That ties in with the probate.

 

[duckweed]

Thanks they certainly moved about a bit.

I have told the good news to the City Cemetery as they like writing stories about the people who have been buried there. There is a grave reference so maybe they can work out where she was buried.

Who knows maybe we can publicize the suffragette link with Sheffield a bit more. The Pankhursts lived in Sheffield in later years too in a house in Broomhall, and the suffragettes had a shop in the centre of town in a place called Chapel Walk. Apparently they hid incendiary devices there and had male Bodyguards who protected them.

I have heard other hints about suffragettes nearer to Norton but haven't found them yet.