Helen MacRae

Helen MacRae (fl. 1909–1914) was a British suffragette who won a Hunger Strike Medal from the Women's Social and Political Union, and was one of those who embroidered the Suffragette's Handkerchief whilst in prison.

Helen MacRae
Years active1909–1914
Known forSuffragette activism
MovementWomen's Social and Political Union
RelativesSisters: Georgiana (Georgie), Betty
HonoursHunger Strike Medal for Valour

Life

Macrae and her sister Georgiana supported women's suffrage. In 1909, they both adopted a 2 year old girl from South Wales, Hilda Maud.[1] Their third sister was Betty.[1] The sisters lived together as adults and opened their home to recovering suffragettes.[1]

Activism

MacRae was a member of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) but soon joined the militant Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU),[1] and in 1911, she joined with Muriel Sackville (Countess de la War) and her daughter, Marie Corbett and daughters Margery and Cicely, Lilla Durham,[2] and others to establish the East Grinstead Suffrage Society (EGSS).[1] In an EGSS parade through the town on their way to join the Women's Grand March in London, they were jeered by local people and had rotten tomatoes, eggs and turf thrown at them.[2]

MacRae left NUWSS to join WPSU and got to know Edith Downing and Emily Davison.[1] Her first four month prison sentence in 1910, was for breaking windows in Whitehall.[3]

In 1912, MacRae broke the windows of London toyshop, Hamleys in Regent Street, damage valued as £200. On 6 March she appeared at Bow Street Court and was bailed by Mrs Cecil Chapman (whose husband was magistrate at Tower Bridge Court sympathetic to the women's cause).[1]

MacRae was sentenced to two months in Holloway Prison, went on hunger strike and was force-fed.[1]

MacRae's signature was one of those along with 67 others who embroidered their signature in prison on a rough cloth[4] known as The Suffragette Handkerchief',[5][6] smuggled out by Mary Ann Hilliard, this is now held in the Priest House, West Hoathly.[2]

Force feeding used on suffragettes on hunger strike

MacRae was awarded WSPU Hunger Strike Medal 'for Valour.'[1] An image of her medial is on East Grinstead Museum website.[2]

By 1914, sisters Georgie (Georgiana) and Helen MacRae had a house, Comforts Cottage in Edenbridge, Kent in which they allowed fellow suffragettes to recover and recuperate 'to be restored by quiet and country air'.[1] One of those who benefitted was Gladys Schütze ( also known as 'Henrietta Leslie') who had been hurt at Buckingham Palace protest, kicked by a police horse.[1] Leslie/Schütze described MacRae as 'gentle and sweet' and whose interests were "darning, embroidering, cooking, bottling, jam-making' whilst Georgie was more of an outdoorsman and Betty interested in local children and country-dancing.[1]

Legacy

MacRae's medal, described as 'incredibly rare' was auctioned by Lockdales Auctioneers in 2015,[7] and sold to academic collector[8] for £12,300.[3] Auction manager, James Sadler said 'These are among the most historically important items we have ever dealt with.' [8]

A collection of MacRae's postcards including image of suffragettes on horse drawn carriage outside their Clements Inn HQ, and one of Emily Davison, who died under the King's horse at Epsom,[3] and another of Godstone sent by Olive Walton,[9] were also sold.[3]

References
  1. Atkinson, Diane (2018). Rise up, women! : the remarkable lives of the suffragettes. London: Bloomsbury. pp. 298, 463–4. ISBN 9781408844045. OCLC 1016848621.
  2. "THE EAST GRINSTEAD SUFFRAGISTS | EAST GRINSTEAD MUSEUM". Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  3. "Suffragette gallantry medal sold". 2015-03-21. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  4. "The Suffragette Embroidery of 1912". Homespun Stitchworks. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  5. https://sussexpast.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Priest-House-suffragette-handkerchief.pdf
  6. "The Suffragette Handkerchief" (PDF). Preist House,West Hoathly. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  7. the-saleroom.com. "Suffragette Medal in original personally inscribed case. Named to Helen MacRae, medal (silver hal". www.the-saleroom.com. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  8. "Suffragette memorabilia - separating the fact from the fiction". Antique Collecting. 2015-10-08. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  9. the-saleroom.com. "Godstone view postcard sent to Helen Macrae from Olive Walton, both suffragettes". www.the-saleroom.com. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
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