Suffragette Mary Clarke

Studio photographic portrait of Mary Clarke, Emmeline Pankhurst's younger sister. In 1907 Mary became a salaried Organiser for the Women's Social & Political Union. By 1909 she was based in Brighton living in Minnie Turner's guest house.. It is likely this portrait by the Brighton based photographer Ada Schofield was taken during this period. In Brighton Mary organised a window smashing campaign but also travelled to London for large demonstrations including Black Friday in November 1910. Sylvia Pankhurst noted the physical fragility of her Aunt 'Facing the rude violence of the seaside rowdies at Brighton, where she was stationed, she displayed a quiet, persistent courage, which made peculiarly large demands on one so sensitive. Exerting her frail physique to its utmost, she was grievously ill on the eve of Black Friday, and her Brighton comrades had begged her not to go. She had promised to take the easier course of arrest for window-breaking, and had telegraphed to Brighton from the police court.'
Mary was arrested for breaking windows at the subsequent protest meeting following Black Friday. Sentenced, for a third time, to a month's imprisonment in Holloway Mary went on hunger strike and endured force-feeding. Released from prison on 22nd December Mary died on Christmas Day, probably from a burst blood vessel on the brain.