Rebel Suffragette: The Life of Edith Rigby

The suffragette movement was a nationwide movement with a strong northern influence, led by the Pankhurst sisters. Edith Rigby was a controversial figure who founded a school for girls and young women and was the first woman to own and ride a bicycle in her home town. She was found guilty of arson and an attempted bomb attack and endured a hunger strike. She was charismatic, passionate, ruthless, and unpredictable and was just as effective and brave as the Pankhurst women. This is her story.

Format: Hardback
Length: 168 pages
Publication date: 23 September 2021
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

The suffragette movement, led by the Pankhurst sisters, took hold of the nation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. With demonstrations and rallies taking place across London, the movement had a strong northern influence, with Edith Rigby being an ardent supporter. Edith was a controversial figure, known for being the first woman to own and ride a bicycle in her hometown and for founding a school for girls and young women. She followed the example of Emmeline Pankhurst and her supporters and founded the Preston branch of the Women's Social and Political Union. However, her involvement in arson and attempted bomb attacks led to her incarceration and participation in the Cat and Mouse system with the government. During a political rally with Winston Churchill, Edith threw a black pudding at a MP, adding to her colorful and unpredictable life.

Edith Rigby was a charismatic, passionate, ruthless, and unpredictable suffragette. She rejected the accepted notion of what a woman of her class should be, dressing and running her household independently. She was independent in mind and spirit and always had courage in her own convictions. As a suffragette, she was just as effective and brave as the Pankhurst women. This is the story of a life of a lesser-known suffragette, Edith's story.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 241 x 163 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526773906