Flail, truncheon

Leather covered baton adapted and used by the suffragette Lettice Floyd. The handle is bound with purple,white and green ribbon. It is possible the baton was used by Lettice for the purposes of 'self-defence'. Many Suffragettes were 'manhandled' by police and male members of the public and often had to defend themselves and their dignity.
Lettice Floyd joined the militant suffrage campaign in 1908 when, at the age of 42, she left her home in Birmingham to become a full-time regional organiser for the Women's Social and Political Union (W.S.P.U.). She worked primarily in Bristol and Newcastle, but occasionally came to London to participate in militant action. Lettice was first imprisoned in October 1908 for wilfully obstructing the police in the execution of their duty at Bridge Street, Westminster, during the 'rush' of the House of Commons for which she served one month in Holloway Prison. In March 1912 Lettice participated in the WSPU. window-smashing campaign in London's West End. As punishment for her participation, Lettice was sentenced to a term in Holloway prison for 'wilful damage' during which she endured hunger strike and, on one occasion, force-feeding.
Although Lettice reports in her account to the Suffragette Fellowship as having been arrested a further three times for obstruction and disrupting Cabinet Ministers meetings she was not, on these occassions, charged by the police.