Millicent Press

Laura's first book "Women of Kent rally to the Cause" looks at suffrage activity in East and South Kent (1909-1918) taken mainly from local press reports for Canterbury, Deal, Dover, Folkestone, Ramsgate, Margate and Broadstairs. People were usually surprised when Laura mentioned what she was writing about as they did not think there were any suffragettes in Kent. Setting the scene with chapters on Edwardian Thanet and the fashions of the day, as advertised in local newspapers of the period, this book sets out to dispel that myth.

During the long Edwardian summers many women were alone in Kent's seaside resorts from Monday to Friday while their menfolk worked in the City. They therefore had more freedom than normal to attend meetings and take part in suffrage-related activities. Many well-known suffragette speakers, including Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst, came to Kent to speak and to encourage women to join suffrage societies.

Margate Local Studies Library put Laura in touch with the grand-daughter of a suffragist, Beatrice Chapman, who had been an active member of the NUWSS in Margate in 1913. Laura proudly wore her original badge and ribbon when she spoke at a Women's History Conference at the University of Kent  in February 2008

"Women of Kent Rally to the Cause"
(ISBN 978-0-9558674-0-8) is available from
Millicent Press, PO Box 441, Ramsgate CT11 7WU
£9 including postage and packing.
Please make cheques payable to "Millicent Press"
millpress@live.co.uk