Page 86 - All About History - Issue 27-15

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LADY CONSTANCE LYTTON:

ARISTOCRAT, SUFFRAGETTE, MARTYR

Wethinkweknowthesuffragettes
Author Lyndsey Jenkins Publisher Biteback Publishing Price £20 Released Out now
ady Constance Lytton is no Emmeline the discrepancy between the classes in terms of rightsfrequentlyfallintothetrapofglorifyingthe
Pankhurst or Susan B Anthony; her story is their treatment of women. men and women involved with the movement,
one that is not often told. It is that of one of Reassuringly, Lady Constance Lytton is presented placing them on the pedestals they were denied
the several women and men following the as a complete human being, flaws and all. This is in the press at the time. Here, Lady Constance’s
Lmore charismatic leaders. Lady Constance’s not a greatest hits compilation of the suffragette’s motives, weaknesses and martyrdom are not
life itself, slotting easily into a wider picture of deeds – though there are several outlined in detail, revelled in, but carefully examined and dissected.
more recognisable players, highlights the social and the book itself does revolve around that pivotal Easy as it is for biographers to fall into the trap of
differences between a well-to-do woman becoming moment of her time spent in prison as Jane – but wanting to glorify the individual they feel they
involved with the suffragette movement and the instead a presentation of a human being. Jenkins have gotten to know well, Lady Constance Lytton
group of working class women involved. And is a candid, honest story-teller, and therefore the is humanised, her shyness, awkwardness, and
this was exactly what Lady Constance wanted to narrative is utterly engaging. reluctance to engage with the majority of people
highlight herself as she briefly adopted the persona There are intermittent sour notes to Lady detailed in full. The occasional foray into the
f ki l ‘J W t ’ t t l fi ht f Constance’s life story, such as details of her absurd – becoming agitated that the only topic
curring depression and involvement with of conversation she could come up with was jam
harlatan Homer Lane, but then that, again, is when speaking to Lord Salisbury, for example – is
freshingly honest. Texts that deal with women’s utterly human, and therefore considerably more
fascinating than another well-meaningly biased
character analysis of those involved with the
suffragette movement.
The media reports at the time describe a gaggle
of silly women, when in reality the suffragettes
were a calculating political group managing both
the cause and the image of their cause in a deeply
serious manner. In times when riots and violence,
sometimes co-ordinated, sometimes spontaneous,
over civil rights and human liberty were
commonplace, there are a surprising amount of
parallels that can be drawn to the continued fight
for equality between all people that is still playing
out around the world today.
With its candid, honest nature (and gloriously
rich foot-notes), this biography isn’t just for
those already interested in feminism and/or the
suffragette movement, but also in the changing
socioeconomic times of the turn of the transition
from one century to another, how a civil rights
movement gains momentum. Above all, it is a
fascinating study of a handful of the potential
Lady Constance Lytton was
imprisoned four times for motivations behind violent political acts through
her campaigning activities the balanced examination of a remarkable woman.
Rebecca Richards