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LINCOLNS INN HOUSE

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

THE FORMER HEADQUARTERS OF THE WOMENS SOCIAL AND POLITICAL UNION

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Lincoln's Inn House, Nos. 40 and 42 Kingsway, London, is an office block dating to 1908-9. Built from Portland stone with a rusticated ground floor, the building is of six storeys and attic. It is three windows wide and has square-headed ground floor openings flanked by Greek Doric order pilasters rising through the ground and first floors. All windows are casements and those to the fifth floor are flanked by pilasters carrying a secondary cornice below a balustraded parapet. Above this, there is a pediment flanked by chimney-stacks.

Lincoln's Inn House was the headquarters of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) from 1913 until 1917. The WSPU was an organisation known for their use of militancy in the campaign to achieve women's suffrage. It was during this latter phase of their existence that the WSPU protests became increasingly violent and many suffragettes were arrested. On a few occasions, Lincoln's Inn House was raided by police who also tried to have their phones disconnected, however the General Post Office refused to do this.

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In the 1918 edition of the Post Office Directory London, Lincoln's Inn House is listed as being on the eastern side of Kingsway, between Nos. 38 and 44 &46. (1)

According to the OS map dated 2007 (MasterMap), Nos. 40 and 42 Kingsway is a listed building with the listed building UID: 478626. (2)

Since the Post Office Directory London places Lincoln's Inn house between Nos. 38 and 44 & 46, it must therefore be Nos. 40 and 42 Kingsway. (3)

Nos. 40 and 42 Kingsway is an office block dating to 1908-9. Its facade and hall were designed by Edwin Lutyens, while the plan was by Pilditch and Company. Built from Portland stone with a rusticated ground floor, the building is of six storeys and attic. It is double fronted, is three windows wide and has square-headed ground floor openings flanked by Greek Doric order pilasters rising through the ground and first floors. All windows are casements with leaded panes except that on the ground floor which has plate glass. The left hand entrance features a head on the keystone while the right entrance has been replaced by a window. The fifth floor windows are flanked by enriched pilasters carrying a secondary cornice below a balustraded parapet. Above this there is a pediment flanked by chimney-stacks. (4)

Lincoln's Inn House in Kingsway, London, was the headquarters of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) from 1913 until 1917. The WSPU was an organisation known for their use of militancy in the campaign to achieve women's enfranchisement.

It was during this latter phase of their campaign that the WSPU protests became increasingly violent and more and more suffragettes were arrested. Their headquarters at Lincoln's Inn was raided by police on at least a couple of occasions with staff members arrested and their mail seized. The police also tried to have the phones disconnected, however the General Post Office refused to do this. Recounting one such occasion in her book, Crawford (1999) quotes Herbert Samuel, the Postmaster General, telling police that, '"Deprivation of telephones would of course inconvenience them but I fancy the actual work of organizing outrage is done from semi-private premises like the Lauderdale Mansions flat and they would have little difficulty in setting up telephone centres in private houses."'

Following the outbreak of the First World War, all WSPU prisoners were granted an amnesty by the government. The beginning of the war also signalled the end of the militant campaign and the fragmentation of the WSPU. In 1915 some members left to form the Suffragettes of the WSPU, while in the following year, others formed the Independent WSPU. In November 1917, the remaining members, including Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst, formed the Women's Party. (5)

After 1912, the WSPU's suffrage campaign tactics became increasingly militant and included the use of arson and bombs. Two of the most influential figures in the WSPU and its 'chief propagandists', Emmeline and Frederick Pethick Lawrence, disagreed with the decision to increase the use of violence and left the union. They took with them the newspaper they had founded, 'Votes for Women', which the WSPU replaced with 'The Suffragette'. The latter was never as successful as 'Votes for Women', however, as due to the increase in militancy it suffered from fewer organisational resources, the imprisonment of key staff and the prosecution of printers. The tone of the publication was also more radical and therefore less popular with general reader. The departure of the Pethick Lawrences also lead to the phasing out the trademark white, green and purple colour scheme in demonstrations and WSPU merchandise. The visual aspects of the WSPU that had characterised their campaign between 1908 and 1912 had gone and been replaced by increasing incidents of violence. (6)

This is an image of 'The Suffragette' newspaper from 2 May 1913 which was produced by the WSPU. It features the headline 'RAIDED!!' which refers to a police raid at the Lincoln's Inn headquarters. This newspaper is held in the collection at the Museum of London and its ID no. is MoL_73.83/65. To see the image, click on the link in the list of sources. (7)

SOURCE TEXT

(1) 1918 The Post Office London directory, 1918

Page(s)428

(2) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

2007 (MasterMap), 1:2500

(3) Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments

(4) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

Camden London Borough, 14-MAY-1974

(5) Elizabeth Crawford 1999 The Women's Suffrage Movement A Reference Guide 1866-1928

Page(s)748-55

(6) Externally held archive reference

Mercer, J. (2005). 'Media and Militancy: propaganda in the Women's Social and Political Union's campaign', Women's History Review 14 (3&4), pp471-86. Page(s)475-82

(7) World Wide Web page

Museum of London et al. (2005). Exploring 20th Century London http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/server.php?show=conObject.5304&pp=10&search_word=&catId[6][]=002006001065&&currentPage=16&current_browser_object=158 [accessed 05-AUG-2010]

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