Some historical and global examples of tax resistance → women’s suffrage movements → British women’s suffrage movement → Mrs. Beaumont Thomas

From the 1 May 1914 issue of The Vote:

Women’s Tax Resistance League.

Dr. Jessie Murray’s Protest.

On April 22 there was a most interesting open air meeting in Upper-street, Islington, when Dr. Jessie Murray, of Endsleigh-street, Tavistock-square, protested against the seizure and public sale of her carriage clock, owing to her refusal to pay Imperial taxes. Mrs. [Margaret] Kineton Parkes and Mrs. Tyson also spoke, and gained the attention of a large crowd by whom the usual resolution was unanimously passed.

Tax Resistance in John Burns’ Borough.

On Friday evening, April 24, Mrs. Beaumont Thomas and Mrs. Sutcliffe had goods sold by public auction, because of their refusal to pay King’s taxes. The sale took place at Warren’s Auction Room, Battersea Rise, and afterwards a procession with banners flying wended its way to Mosbury-road, where a protest meeting was held and a big crowd assembled. Miss Beaumont took the chair, and Mrs. [Anne] Cobden Sanderson and Mrs. Kineton Parkes, of the Tax Resistance League, explained the reasons of tax resistance and answered the questions asked. At the conclusion of the speeches cheers were given for the speakers, and a resolution was carried:

“That this meeting is of opinion that women taxpayers are justified in refusing to pay all Imperial taxes till they have the same control over the national expenditure as male taxpayers possess.”

In the Country.

On April 22, goods belonging to Miss Rose were sold at Frinton-on-Sea, owing to her refusal to pay Imperial taxes.

From the 3 October 1913 issue of The Vote:

Mrs. [Kate] Harvey’s Imprisonment.

Mrs. Harvey was released from Holloway on Tuesday morning in a very bad condition of health, her imprisonment having had a serious effect on her constitution. She was met at the prison gates by Mrs. [Charlotte] Despard, Miss Harvey, and Miss Watson, and taken to Brackenhill, where she will be nursed back to health. The refusal of the Home Secretary to allow the attendance of a homœpathic doctor aroused great indignation at Bromley, and some women residents, deeply interested in her person as well as in her protest, paid the smaller fine to secure her release before actual injury should have occurred. Mrs. Harvey has served her sentence for the Insurance Act resistance, and the remaining term of imprisonment would have been in respect of the gardener’s license.

Also in that issue are a letter Harvey sent from prison to her comrades and some of the correspondence concerning her struggle to get her preferred variety of medical treatment while behind bars, and a report on an “Indignation Meeting” that includes the following:

Mrs. [Margaret] Kineton Parkes next addressed the meeting. In the first place she compared the sentences passed on persons who resisted taxation from conscientious convictions with those who resisted from selfish or dishonest motives, showing very forcibly that in the eyes of the Government the former were more worthy of contempt than the latter. Secondly, she condemned the incompetence of the officials who administered the law showing the ridiculous and dilatory methods in which the proceedings against tax-resisters were carried through, often being allowed to extend over months, and in many instances eventually dropped. Finally Mrs. Parkes drew attention to the policy followed previously in the cases of Miss [Clemence] Housman and Mr. [Mark] Wilks, as well as that of Mrs. Harvey, of waiting until Parliament was prorogued before making any attempt to bring such cases to an end, and carry out the sentences imposed. Of course, it was quite easy to see the reason for this policy. Had Mrs. Harvey’s imprisonment been effected while the House was sitting, numerous friends drawn from all parties would have been asking awkward and unpleasant questions.

…

More Indignation Meetings.

The usual Wednesday meeting was held last week by the Women’s Tax Resistance League, in Bromley Market-square, to protest against the imprisonment of Mrs. Harvey. The chair was taken by Mrs. Beaumont Thomas, and the speakers were Mrs. Despard and Mrs. Kineton Parkes.

Mrs. Despard emphasized Mrs. Harvey’s care for neglected children, even to taking them to her home for weeks together. This, she said, was the kind of woman on whom the Government passed vindictively heavy sentences. Mrs. Kineton Parkes also pointed out the peculiar hardships of the case. At the close of the meeting the following resolutions was unanimously carried:— “That this meeting protests against the sentences passed on Mrs. Harvey, and demands equal treatment under the law for men and women.”

A large and enthusiastic mass meeting was held by the League in Hyde Park on Sunday afternoon to protest against the injustice of Mrs. Harvey’s imprisonment. The speakers were Mrs. Despard and Mr. H.W. Nevinson, and the chair was taken by Mrs. Kineton Parkes. At the close of the meeting the resolution was passed unanimously followed by prolonged cheering and applause, and the crowd manifested a great interest in this case and remained for more than half an hour to have their questions answered.

…

Pertinent Questions to Mr. McKenna.

The following letter has been sent by Mrs. Kineton Parkes, Organising Secretary of the Women’s Tax Resistance League:—

To the Right Honourable R. McKenna, M.P.,
Home Office, S.W.
September 25, 1913.

Sir,— I am writing again on behalf of the Committee of this League with regard to the imprisonment of Mrs. Harvey. I find that an urgent letter was sent to you about this matter on September 9, setting forth the facts of the case in detail, and that though acknowledged by your secretary, no reply of any kind had been received.

Would you kindly see that a definite answer is at once sent to the following questions, either by yourself or whoever is acting at the Home Office during your absence?:—

1. Are you aware that one of the two months’ imprisonment to which Mrs. Harvey was sentenced is for non-payment of the license for her manservant?
   If so, can you explain why Mrs. Harvey has been treated differently from other members of this League who for the same conscientious reasons have refused to pay licenses?
2. Can you explain why Mrs. Harvey is sentenced to a term of imprisonment in the second division instead of being placed in the first division, as Miss Housman was, who also refused to pay taxes?
3. Will you explain why the Insurance Commissioners were allowed to make a claim for special costs of two guineas in Mrs. Harvey’s case? Such costs have never been claimed before from man or woman, and Mrs. Harvey’s court fees were already far in excess of the usual costs, viz. £4 10s. Will you explain why the Bench was allowed to grant this unusual claim?
4. Can you explain why, if Mrs. Harvey’s imprisonment is a just one, she was not arrested immediately she refused to pay her fine instead of waiting until Parliament was prorogued, when no questions could be asked in the House of Commons by Members of Parliament about the injustice of the case?

Also in the same issue were reports from local branches, including the following:

Provinces. — Burnage.

At our last meeting Miss [Mary?] Trott addressed the members of the Branch, appealing to all to help in every possible way to secure the release of Mrs. K. Harvey and to work harder for the suffrage cause…

Manchester.

An interesting Branch meeting was held on Wednesday, September 24, at which Miss Trott, from London, appealed on behalf of Mrs. Harvey. Printed post-cards protesting against the vindictive sentence passed upon her are now ready for signature, and may be obtained at the office.…

I’ll finish off this year-long series of this-day-in-The Vote tax resistance history posts with a bit from the 25 April 1913 issue. You can find a chronological index to the entire series at this link.

Come and protest against the official robbery of married women carried on by the Government for their own benefit. Earl Russell and Mr. [Israel] Zangwill will speak on the subject at the Caxton Hall on April 28 at 8 p.m. The meeting is organised by the Women’s Tax Resistance League.

Also in the same issue:

Distraint on a Duchess.

Distraint was levied, on April 21, upon the property of [Mary Russell] the Duchess of Bedford in non-payment of Imperial taxes due in respect of the Prince’s Skating Rink, and a silver cup was taken to satisfy the claim. The Duchess has instructed the Women’s Tax Resistance League to point out that this is quite out of order, because as a married woman she is not liable to taxation, and therefore neither assessment nor demand note should have been served upon her, but upon the Duke of Bedford. She, however, allowed the authorities to proceed in this perfectly irregular manner because she wished to use their mistake as an opportunity of making her protest against the treatment of Woman Suffrage by the present Government in the practical way of refusing to pay taxes until women are enfranchised. Her comment is: “Obviously it is not my business to point out the law to those whose duty it should be to understand it.”

Also in the same issue:

Women’s Tax Resistance League…

A quantity of silver, the property of Miss Rhoda Anstey, Principal of the Anstey Physical Training College, Erdington, Warwickshire, was sold on April 14, by public auction, under distraint for King’s taxes. The sale and protest meeting took place in the gymnasium of the college, and the speakers at the meeting were Mrs. [Margaret] Kineton Parkes and Miss Dorothy Evans; Miss Leonora Tyson presided.

On the same day goods, the property of Dr. [Francis] Ede and Dr. [Amy] Sheppard, of Upper Berkeley-street, Portman-square, W., were sold by public auction at 26, Lisson-grove, W.; Dr. Ede made a protest against the sale in the auction rooms. The speakers at the protest meeting which was held after the sale were Miss Amy Hicks, M.A., Dr. Ede, and Mrs. [Anne] Cobden Sanderson.

On April 15, Miss Rose, of Frinton-on-Sea, had goods sold under distraint for King’s taxes, and Miss Amy Hicks, M.A., was the speaker at the protest meeting held in the small Town Hall, Miss Rose being in the chair.

The first tax resistance sale in the Lake District took place on April 16, when Mrs. [Kate Raven] Henry Holiday had goods sold by public auction at Hawks-head, Ambleside. A most enthusiastic protest meeting was held after the sale, the speakers being Mrs. Kineton Parkes and Miss [Winifred] Holiday.

On April 18, goods, the property of Miss Corcoran, were sold at Loughborough by public auction, followed by a successful protest meeting.

Miss Beatrice Harraden’s goods were sold on April 22, at 6 p.m., at Gill’s Auction Rooms, Cambridge-road, Kilburn. Miss Harraden explained, in the auction room, the reasons for her refusal to pay. At the same time goods belonging to Dr. Mabel Hardie and Miss Gibbs were sold. There was a procession after the sale to public meeting at corner of Harrow-road and Elgin-avenue.

Dr. Jessie Murray’s goods were sold on April 23, at 1.15 p.m., at Davies’ Auction Rooms, 15, Upper-street, Islington, and a protest meeting held after sale at Highbury Fields.

On April 25 goods of Mrs. Beaumont Thomas and Mrs. Mary Sutcliffe will be sold at Warren’s Auction Room, 73, Battersea Rise (five minutes from Clapham Junction) at 7 p.m. Protest meeting after sale. Supporters urgently needed.