Struggle and Suffrage in Windsor: Women's Lives and the Fight for Equality

by Katharine Johnson

Windsor’s role in the women’s suffrage story is a fascinating one and yet has received very little attention. At drawing room meetings, debates and rallies suffragists fought not just for the right to put a cross on a ballot paper but so that they could help put an end to some of the shocking injustices women faced, some of which were especially felt in Windsor at that time.

It was no easy task – they came up against fierce opposition, ridicule and rage, with one newspaper saying Windsor was the town in which the suffragettes were “most cordially hated.”

From Queen Victoria to Princess Elizabeth, the women of Windsor have played a major role in shaping this country. But what of the lesser-known women? The untold and often intertwined stories of the rich and famous are brought together with those of domestic staff, nuns, nurses, school teachers, mothers, shopkeepers, beggars and prostitutes who all played a part in a century of extraordinary social changes.

What was it like to be a female resident of the workhouse? Or the lady who founded a home for destitute women and the ‘fallen women’ who lived there? The lady who allowed her home to be used as a hospital in WWI and the nurses who worked there? For those who lived in the cholera-infested Victorian slums and the women evacuated to Windsor with their children during WWII? And those who campaigned tirelessly to improve women’s rights and get the vote?

This book provides a fascinating, behind-the-scenes insight into women’s lives above and below stairs in this unique microcosm of Britain.

168 pages, Paperback

Published August 29, 2019

About the author

Katharine Johnson grew up in Bristol and now divides her time between Berkshire and Lucca, Italy. After doing a History degree she trained to be a journalist and has worked for a variety of magazines, writing about everything including the kitchen sink. She's loved writing since childhood and wrote her first book aged nine. When not writing she can usually be found walking her spaniel, doing the school run, playing netball or being a room guide in a stately home.
Katharine loves to hear from readers so if you fancy a chat do get in touch
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Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this quite difficult to read. Each chapter reviews one aspect of women's lives, education, employment, healthcare etc. These aspects are interconnected but presented completely separately so, to get an idea about a single time period, you have to read a section from every chapter.