Elizabeth Pinnance

Women's Suffrage Work

On 21st March 1907, Elizabeth was arrested in Westminster for protesting with members of the Women’s Social and Political Union. 

She had travelled to London with Dora Thewlis, Annie Hopson, Mary Scawthorn, Sarah Pogson and Gertrude 'Ellen' Brook, all of which were arrested. She was sentenced to six weeks and imprisoned in Holloway Prison, London. 

Elizabeth had lead a second attempt to enter the House of Commons that evening. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph reported:

'Later in the evening crowds of women again marched towards the House, but there was very little disorder. Mrs. Pinnance (Huddersfield) was at their head, and along with three companions, she made a gallant effort to push her way through the cordon of police who had remained on duty, but was unsuccessful in the attempt. She, however, soon succeeded in getting marched off to the police station with her three colleagues.' 

 - Sheffield Daily Telegraph, March 21st 1907

Elizabeth continued to be active at home. In February 1908, she spoke on one of four platforms at the Hunslet Moor rally during the South Leeds by-election with a crowd of 60,000 people. The evening event included torchlight processions from across South Leeds, with a brass band and banners, and the suffragettes singing:

Vote, vote for women, they'll vote for you ;

They will to children and to all be true.

This is the message we bring to you-

Vote, vote for women, and they'll vote for you. 

She would later be awarded an illuminated testimonial signed by Emmeline Pankhurst for her time spent in prison.

Example of a WSPU illuminated address courtesy of LSE

Biography

Elizabeth Ann Shaw was born in Paddock around 1879. Her father Paul was a Cloth Finisher and together with his wife Mary had five daughters and one son. The family lived around Johnny Moore Hill in Paddock.

Elizabeth left school at the age of 10 and was employed part-time as a rug weaver. At the age of 20, she married Robert ‘Bob’ Ormonde Pinnance a Cloth Presser and Trade Unionist. Together they had a son and two daughters.

The couple were members of the Independent Labour Party. Bob was blacklisted by the local mills for his strong involvement with trade unionism. As a result, he had to find work in Lancashire. However, the rest of the family stayed in Huddersfield.

In 1901 they were living together at Kilner’s Buildings, Longwood Bridge and Elizabeth was continuing to work as a Carpet Rug Weaver. By 1911, they had moved to 13 Longwood Road, unfortunately their youngest daughter had died in 1906 at only 1 year old.

In the 1939 census, the couple are listed as living on Adelaide Street in Blackpool and an advert for their hotel/boarding house is given in the Leeds Mercury on 20th June 1932.

By 1959 the couple had returned to Huddersfield and were living at Cross Cottages in Marsh. In August of that year Elizabeth died aged 80 at St Lukes Hospital.


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