Edith Rigby | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Rigby in 1900 | |
| Born | Edith Rayner 18 October 1872 Preston,Lancashire, England |
| Died | 23 July 1950 (1950-07-24) (aged 77) Llanrhos, Wales |
| Education | Penrhos College |
| Political party | Labour Party |
| Spouse | Charles Rigby |
| Children | 1 |
Edith Rigby (néeRayner) (18 October 1872 – 23 July 1950) was an Englishsuffragette who usedarson as a way to further the cause of women’s suffrage. She founded anight school in Preston called St Peter's School, aimed at educating women and girls. Later she became a prominent activist, and was incarcerated seven times and committed several acts of arson. She was a contemporary ofChristabel andSylvia Pankhurst.
Born Edith Rayner on St Luke's Day (18 October) in 1872 inPreston, Lancashire, she was one of seven children of Dr Alexander Clement Rayner and was educated atPenrhos College inNorth Wales.[1][2]
She married Dr Charles Rigby and lived with him inWinckley Square in Preston. From an early age she questioned the differences between working-class and middle-class women and after she was married she worked hard to improve the lives of women and girls working in local mills. In 1899, she founded St Peter's School, which allowed these women to meet and continue their education which otherwise would have stopped at the age of 11.[3][4] At home, she was critical of her neighbours' treatment of their servants. The Rigbys had servants themselves, but allowed them certain unconventional freedoms such as being able to eat in the dining-room and not having to wear uniforms.[5]
In 1907 she formed the Preston branch of theWomen's Social and Political Union (WSPU).[6] Rigby was a suffragette recruiter, gathering new members from among the localIndependent Labour Party.[7] A fellow member,Eleanor Higginson, became a lifelong friend.[8] Rigby took part in a march to theHouses of Parliament in London withChristabel andSylvia Pankhurst in 1908. Fifty-seven women, including Rigby, were arrested and sentenced to a month in prison.[4] In 1909 she was arrested again for obstruction during a visit byWinston Churchill. She was taken to court withGrace Alderman,Catherine Worthington andBeth Hesmondhalgh. They went to prison for seven days except for Rigby as her father paid the fine claiming that she was just in bad company of "hired women". Edith's brother Arther was reported to have pointed at another suffragette,Margaret Hewitt, saying that it was all due to "that painted jezebel".[9]
When the1911 census was enumerated, Rigby evaded by joining others at a house party in Manchester, possibly at the Dennison House party organised byJessie Stephenson.[10]
During later arrests and sentences, (seven in total) Rigby took part inhunger strikes and was subjected toforce-feeding.[4][5] Her activism included planting a bomb in theLiverpool Cotton Exchange on 5 July 1913,[11] and although it was later stated in court that ‘no great damage had been done by the explosion’, Mrs Rigby was found guilty and sentenced to nine months' imprisonment with hard labour.[4][12][13] Rigby was awarded aHunger Strike Medal 'for Valour' by WSPU.
She also claimed to have set fire to the bungalow ofSir William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme, on 7 July 1913.[14][15] The property, nearRivington Pike on theWest Pennine Moors, contained a number of valuable paintings and the attack resulted in damage costing £20,000.[12]Afterwards she said:
I want to ask Sir William Lever whether he thinks his property on Rivington Pike is more valuable as one of his superfluous houses occasionally opened to people, or as a beacon lighted to King and Country to see here are some intolerable grievances for women.[5]
Rigby disagreed with the WSPU's decision not to campaign on suffrage issues duringWorld War I. She joined theIndependent Women's Social and Political Union split, forming a branch in Preston.[16]
According to Elizabeth Ashworth inChampion Lancastrians, in 1888, Rigby was the first woman in Preston to own a bicycle.[4] DuringWorld War I, she bought a cottage near Preston named Marigold Cottage and used it to produce food for thewar effort.[5] With short hair and wearing men's clothes, she grew fruit and vegetables and kept animals and bees, following the teachings ofRudolf Steiner.[4] She had a happy marriage with her husband, who lived with her at her cottage.[4] They adopted a son called Sandy.[4] In the 1920s, Rigby was a founding member and the president of theHutton andHowickWomen's Institute.[5] Rigby became avegetarian.[1]
In 1926, Charles Rigby retired and the couple built a new house, called Erdmuth, outsideLlanrhos,North Wales. Charles died before it was finished, however, and Edith moved there alone at the end of 1926.[17][4][8] She continued to follow Steiner's work, forming an "Anthroposophical Circle" of her own, and visiting one of his schools in New York.[4] Into old age she enjoyed a healthy lifestyle, bathing in the sea,fell walking andmeditating in the early hours of every morning.[4] She eventually suffered fromParkinson's disease and died in 1950 at Erdmuth.[17][4]
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