Emily Wilding Davison Statue And Grave

If you visit Carlisle Park in Morpeth, you may have noticed a statue of a lady sitting on a bench next to the budgies. This is Emily Wilding Davison who was a suffragette who died after stepping out in front of the king's horse at Epsom.

Her statue sits here in Carlisle Park and her grave is a 10 minute walk around the corner in the St. Mary The Virgin Church.

Emily was born on the 11 October 1872 in Blackheath, southeast London. Although women were not allowed to take degrees at that time, she still studied at Royal Holloway College and then at Oxford University.

She initially took jobs as a teacher and governess before joining the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1906 becoming an officer of the organisation and a chief steward during marches.

She was arrested on 9 occasions for acts ranging from causing a public disturbance to burning post boxes and subsequently spent a number of short periods in jail. She also hid overnight in the Palace of Westminster on three occasions.

She was sentenced to three month's hard labour at Strangeways Prison (Manchester) in 1909 for hurling rocks at the carriage of chancellor David Lloyd George. While incarcerated, Emily attempted to starve herself and resisted force-feeding.

On the 8th June 1913 she ran out in front of King George V's Horse Amner, who was running in the Epsom Derby. She had given no prior explanation for what she planned to do at the Derby and the uncertainty of her motives and intentions may have affected how she has been judged by history.

Some have speculated that she may have been trying to pin a suffragette banner to the king's horse.

The WSPU organised her funeral was on the 14 June 1913 and a procession of 5,000 suffragettes and their supporters walked with the coffin through London. Over 50,000 people came to watch. Her coffin was then taken by train up to Morpeth to be buried in the family plot.

The below maps and directions are to the grave in the church, but if you can't find the statue in the park then use these what3words ///humid.ripen.dragon

Emily also lived with her mother for a time in Longhorsely and there is a plaque dedicated to her there too. ///catchers.enjoy.hack.

The statue was created by north east sculpter Ray Lonsdale.