Men’s Matters visited Parliament today as guests of Jack Rankin MP and learned many new things.
Including the story of a suffragette breaking a stirrup on the statue of Lord Falkland, an account of a bold act of protest by Margery Hume on April 27, 1909. This incident took place in St Stephen’s Hall within the Houses of Parliament in London.
On that day, four suffragettes, including Margery Hume, entered St Stephen’s Hall under the guise of meeting Members of Parliament. They had cleverly concealed thick steel chains beneath their long cloaks. Suddenly, they sprang into action, shouting “Votes for women!” and “We will have the vote and nothing you can do will stop us!”
While three of her companions chained themselves to statues of Walpole and Selden, and another handcuffed a banner to a statue while blowing a police whistle, Margery Hume targeted the statue of Lucius Cary, 2nd Viscount Falkland. She chained herself specifically to the spur on his boot.
Lucius Cary, the 2nd Viscount Falkland (c. 1610–1643), was an English writer and politician who served as Secretary of State to King Charles I and fought for the Royalist side in the English Civil War, where he was killed in action. His statue, sculpted by John Bell in 1845, stands in St Stephen’s Hall.
The protest caused a commotion. In the ensuing “melee,” as one newspaper put it, the chains were cut with powerful shears, and two spikes from Lord Falkland’s spur were snapped off. The damage was never repaired, and the broken spur remains an unintentional symbol of the suffragette movement’s tenacious struggle for women’s suffrage. This act, like many other suffragette protests, aimed to draw significant public attention to their cause through direct and often disruptive actions.
A most interesting day… enjoy some photos of our experience…
Thank you.
Jon Davey
Community Champion
