Charlotte Despard (née French)
(1844-1939), Suffragette and social workerSitter in 9 portraits
Charlotte Despard was a suffragette and social worker who was drawn to the women’s movement through her philanthropic work with vulnerable women and children. Working in the slums of Battersea, London, she founded clinics, social clubs and a soup kitchen. Despard was originally allied to the Pankhursts' Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), but soon became the leader of a breakaway organisation, the Women’s Freedom League. Their tactics were non-violent but spectacular, including the incident in the Ladies’ Gallery of the House of Commons, where several women chained themselves to the viewing grille. Despard was imprisoned twice for protesting and tax resistance.
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