You may have heard of it – the death of Emily Davison. But have you really considered what actually happened that day at the Derby? Our Year 9 class were asked to investigate the incident and decide wether she meant to kill herself, or perhaps it was an unanticipated accident. Guglielmo Catanzaro wrote the following essay tackling the issue. It is a fantastic piece of work and I would like to share with the community.
Did Emily Davison Mean to Kill Herself?
One of the most important events in the history of women’s suffrage in Britain, and in many ways the world; was the death of Emily Davison. A disgruntled member of the WSPU, she believed in the doctrine of “deeds not words”, and sought to bring great attention to the movement via disruptive actions, such as obstruction or setting fire to a church. The deed that fully defined her career, however, was far more grand. During the annual Derby, she stepped in front of the King’s horse, perhaps hoping to be able to pin a suffragette flag to it. She was instead trampled, and paid for this action with her life. Much speculation arose as to this event, as many historians actually believe that it was not her intention to be a martyr and die for the cause. In this essay, the various pieces of evidence for both arguments will be presented, and a final verdict will be made.
The first, and probably most significant, fragment of evidence is the account of an eyewitness who saw the event unfold. According to him, Davison purposely stepped on the race track just as Anmer (the King’s steed) was passing by. She was then hit and both her and the jockey fell, showing severe wounds and bleeding. This evidence shows that the activist clearly planned to collide with the horse all along, or else she would have chosen a more favourable position from which to pin a flag to the animal. This recount may not be the most reliable, however, as the witness reported it being over in seconds and did not know the full details.
The next piece of vital proof is the spoken words of Davison herself. She made it all too clear that she was planning something very special on the day of the Derby, so important that she would miss part of the Suffragette Summer festival. She even mentioned looking in the evening paper, clearly proving that her idea was not to simply attach a flag to the horse, but rather do something that would have grabbed the attention of a multitude of people. This is indicative of the woman hoping to partake in something extremely important and relevant.
Another crucial primary source would be the black and white recording of the event. Davison is clearly seen as she steps in the track as the King’s horse passes. Her hand can also be seen reaching out to the reins of the horse, yet no flag whatsoever is visible in her grasp. If she had, indeed, planned to pin a banner to Anmer, she would have held a placard in preparation for the arrival of the King’s steed. It should also be noted how she made no attempt to step out of the way, showing that her wish was to be struck at full force.
The final piece of evidence corroborating the theory of intentional death is yet another account from Davison. In this writing, she describes her experience in Holloway Prison, emphasising her numerous attempts at causing self-harm, mainly by throwing herself down an iron staircase, once at a distance which would kill her. She also remarked “One big tragedy would save many others”, implying that she was not frightened in the least by death if it was to aid the Suffragette movement. This proves that the suffragette had a self-destructive character, which makes her suicidal with the goal of furthering the campaign for women’s right to vote all more understandable and plausible.
There are two main factors which contrast the first theory, however: the first being how Davison had stated that she would not die without sending a final farewell message to her mother. She sent no such note, leading to the inevitable conclusion that it was not her intention to perish. This is somewhat disproven, however, by the sewing of two suffragette flags inside her coat. Had she not planned to become a martyr all along, the flags would not have been inside her garments, but rather in her hands, ready to be pinned to the King’s horse. As this is contradictory information, it cannot fully support either side of the argument, though it likely leans more to the idea of the collision being an accident and not an intended tragedy.
The second vital attestation to this theory is the police report on the matter. The document described the objects which had been found on her corpse, though what attracts attention is mostly the return train ticket she had purchased. This is important as it is illogical for someone who is planning suicide to buy a return ticket, as they would only come back as a cadaver.
In conclusion, the most probable explanation for the dilemma of Emily Davison’s death is her planning to become a martyr; there a far too sizeable amounts of evidence which points in this direction, and the only truly contradicting fact could be explained as something else (i.e, Davison wishing to create an aura of mystery around her demise, to garner even greater attention to her movement).
Billy Catanzaro