Emily Pankhurst and "Mummymum"

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Little John
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Emily Pankhurst and "Mummymum"

Post by Little John »

So. Today is supposed to be the day we all get down on our knees and thank Emily for our emancipation. "Mummymum" was my grandmother. The name was just sort of taken for granted and slipped off our tongues unquestionably until one day I suddenly felt embarrassed by how readily and confidently I uttered the name amongst the uninitiated; in the way you might mention something you assume everyone does the same as you and your family have done all your life.

If you haven't guessed, "Mummymum" was my mother's mother. How that pet name became such an accepted part of our vocabulary I have no recollection, but there it is. The main thing about Mummymum, was that she was born in 1900 and was denied a vote until she was 30 years old. She wouldn't have had a vote at all before 1928 because she was not a property owner and was never to become one till the day she died.

And for her, the idea that she might not vote at an election from the day the right was granted right up to that day in 1993, was as foreign to her as our pet name for her was to people outside the family. She spent the last years of her live in a home but never even considered using that as an excuse for not going out in the rain to put her vote in the ballot box.

Naturally, today is about the 100th anniversay of women getting the vote at all in the uk. We watched the film Suffragette the other night and at the end, among the credits, was a list of countries around the world and the date that they gave women the vote. You wouldn't be surprised to know that some of the Arab states are still thinking about it but women in Switzerland didn't get the vote until 1972!

To be honest. Women's suffrage was largely a middle/upperclass thing. In the film, there were a number of working class women who, quite frankly, probably had more to worry about that who to vote for. But they were still coerced into going to prison for the right of rich women to vote. The real celebration should come in 10 years time. And by then, maybe working class women will be able to speak for themselves and tell the world what they believe is good for themselves rather than by their husbands or richer more educated women.
Yes this is the real "Little John" (or it could be "colin")
Lady P
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Re: Emily Pankhurst and "Mummymum"

Post by Lady P »

It did occur to me that in the film Suffragette, the husband of the main working class woman was unable to vote.
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marymary
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Re: Emily Pankhurst and "Mummymum"

Post by marymary »

It was appalling that men who fought for their country still didn't have the vote when they returned home because they were working class. That doesn't negate that women had been disenfranchised for as long. There is a debt to repay to those who worked towards a democratic say in the running of the country. That debt can only be repaid by actively voting. My gran was also born in 1900. My father's mother may well have had a vote before working class men because her side of the family were well off, living in a large house that was eventually knocked down (I think) to make way for the scheme that became Easterhouse. Their house, in fact, was called Easter House.

My daughter used the word Bibi for my mother which is Arabic for mother of the mother. The regular word for mother is Yom. My cousin now gets her daughter to call my aunt Bibi. Odd how families absorb ideas.
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SRD
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Re: Emily Pankhurst and "Mummymum"

Post by SRD »

Mother's parents were Nan & Pop to my family but Nana & Poppa to my cousins, my father's parents were Gay & Gramp (they didn't like the age connotations of grandma or somesuch) and my step-father's parents Grandma & Grandpa.

And whilst I understand and appreciate all the background to gaining the vote there's not much point to it as it's been hijacked by all the self-interest groups with the money to get themselves elected.
Children are like Slinkys - not much use for anything, but it always brings a smile to your face when you throw them down the stairs. Chinchilla
Lady P
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Re: Emily Pankhurst and "Mummymum"

Post by Lady P »

My paternal grandmoher who died around 1975 was the only grandparent that I knew To us she was nanny and I am not sure how old she was when she died but it was before 1900. I don't remember any conversations with her which is a shame really.
Lady P
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Re: Emily Pankhurst and "Mummymum"

Post by Lady P »

Correction, I should have said paternal grandmother and that she was born before 1900.
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