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Votes for Women. Women's Freedom League. Weekly Paper: THE VOTE. President: Mrs.
DESPARD.
Hon. Treasurer: Dr. ELIZABETH KNIGHT.
Hon. Organisinig. Sec.: Miss EUNICE MURRAY.
Head of Political & Militant Dept.: Miss. C. NINA BOYLE.
Secretary: Miss F. A. UNDERWOOD. Telephone: Museum 1429.
Telegrams: Despaard, Museum 1429, London.:
Colourrs: Green, Gold & White. Offices: 114 High Holborn
W.C. 29th November, 1915 Dear Madam, We feel that now is the time for an important
rally of suffragists of all suffragist societies to make an
uncompromising demand for Votes for Women. Would your
Society be willing to take part with us in such a meeting?
We think that Sunday afternoon, December 12th or December 19th
would be the best dates, and we find that we can get the
large Portman Rooms on both these days. We in no way wish
this to interfere with the Albert Hall meeting which it has
already been proposed to run in February, but we are con—
vinced that an earlier meeting is necessary at the present
crisis Will you kindly let me know, tomorrow by telephone,
if possible, so that we can get a notice into the various
suffrage papers this week:
(a) if your society would join in this meeting.
(b) which date you consider most suitable, the 12th ot
19th pr ox.
(c) if you will send a representative to a meeting at
this office Saturday morning, December 4th at
11 o'clock, to confer with us as to how the
expenses of this meeting, and any of its profits
should be shared amongst the Societies taking part
in it, how best to make the meeting known amongst
all suffragists, and who are to be the speakers.
We also should agree on a resolution to be put to
the meeting. Awaiting the favour of your reply,
I am,
Yours faithfully,
Florence A. Underwood.
Letter from Florence Underwood to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1977-1946) inquiring whether
Skeffington's organisation would be interested in collaborating in a meeting with
various suffrage organisations.
Florence Underwood was the secretary to the Women's Freedom League.
Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, suffragette, nationalist, language teacher, was the founder
of the Irish Women’s Franchise League and a founding member of the Irish Women Workers’
Union. She was the widow of Francis Sheehy-Skeffington who was summarily executed
on 26 April 1916. She was active during the Rising, bringing food to the Volunteers
in the G.P.O. and the College of Surgeons. Four days passed before she found out what
had happened to her husband, Francis (1878-1916), and it wasn't until almost two weeks
later that the full details of his execution emerged.