27 Facts About Christabel Pankhurst

Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst was a British suffragette born in Manchester, England.

Christabel Pankhurst was the daughter of women's suffrage movement leader Emmeline Pankhurst and radical socialist Richard Pankhurst and sister to Sylvia and Adela Pankhurst.

Christabel Pankhurst's father was a barrister and her mother owned a small shop.

Christabel Pankhurst learned to read at her home on her own before she went to school.

Christabel Pankhurst obtained a law degree from the University of Manchester, and received honours on her LL.

Later Christabel Pankhurst moved to Geneva to live with a family friend, but, when her father died in 1898, returned home to help her mother raise the rest of the children.

In 1905 Christabel Pankhurst interrupted a Liberal Party meeting by shouting demands for voting rights for women.

Christabel Pankhurst was arrested and, along with fellow suffragette Annie Kenney, went to prison rather than pay a fine as punishment for their outburst.

Emmeline Christabel Pankhurst began to take more militant action for the women's suffrage cause after her daughter's arrest and was herself imprisoned on many occasions for her principles.

Christabel Pankhurst engaged in a hunger strike, ultimately serving only 30 days of a three-year sentence.

Christabel Pankhurst was influential in the WSPU's "anti-male" phase after the failure of the Conciliation Bills.

Sylvia was against turning the WSPU towards solely upper- and middle-class women and using militant tactics, while Christabel Pankhurst thought it was essential.

Christabel Pankhurst felt that suffrage was a cause that should not be tied to any causes trying to help working-class women with their other issues.

Christabel Pankhurst felt that it would only drag the suffrage movement down and that all of the other issues could be solved once women had the right to vote.

On 8 September 1914, Christabel Pankhurst re-appeared at London's Royal Opera House after her long exile, to utter a declaration on "The German Peril", a campaign led by the former General Secretary of the WSPU, Norah Dacre Fox in conjunction with the British Empire Union and the National Party.

Christabel Pankhurst called for the internment of all people of enemy nationality, men and women, young and old, found on these shores.

Christabel Pankhurst's supporters attended Hyde Park meetings with placards: "Intern Them All".

Christabel Pankhurst championed a more complete and thorough enforcement of the blockade of enemy and neutral nations, arguing that this must be "a war of attrition".

Christabel Pankhurst demanded the resignation of Sir Edward Grey, Lord Robert Cecil, General William Robertson and Sir Eyre Crowe, whom she considered too mild and dilatory in method.

Emmeline Christabel Pankhurst proposed to set up Women's Social and Political Union Homes for illegitimate girl "war babies", but only five children were adopted.

David Lloyd George, whom Christabel Pankhurst had regarded as the most bitter and dangerous enemy of women, was now the one politician in whom she and Emmeline Christabel Pankhurst placed confidence.

Christabel Pankhurst was not issued with the "Coalition Coupon" letter signed by both Liberal and Unionist leaders.

Christabel Pankhurst returned to Britain for a period in the 1930s and was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire "for public and social services" in the 1936 New Year Honours.

Christabel Pankhurst died 13 February 1958, at the age of 77.

Christabel Pankhurst died of a heart attack sitting in a straight-backed chair.

Christabel Pankhurst was buried in the Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery in Santa Monica, California.

Christabel Pankhurst was played by Patricia Quinn in the TV series Shoulder to Shoulder.