Violence, Flight, and Divided Counsels

The mass window-breaking of 21 November 1911 had not been accepted with equanimity by all of the Union’s members. The tactic caused Dr Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the pioneer woman physician, to resign from the WSPU. Her daughter, Dr Louisa Garrett Anderson, like her mother a Union member, told Nevinson that she was ‘now very doubtful about the wisdom of the tactics … they take too much explanation.’ ¹ On 7 December, Nevinson talked with Annie Kenney, ‘who also had doubts about the policy, but “would go through fire for Christabel”.’ ²