Women and Recruitment in East Grinstead
Women played an important role in persuading men to join the army. In August 1914, Admiral Charles Fitzgerald founded the Order of the White Feather. This organisation encouraged women to give out white feathers to young men who had not joined the army.
Leading members of the Women's Suffrage Political Union (WSPU) such as Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst also played an important role in persuading young men to join the army. Local members of the WSPU had doubts about this strategy. Kitty Marion, who lived at Hartfield, was totally opposed to the war and disagreed with the WSPU's decision to call off militant action. Kitty Marion decided to leave England and in the autumn of 1914 went to the USA to help American women in the fight for the vote.
Members of the East Grinstead Suffrage Society did not take part in the recruitment campaign. Some members, such as Marie Corbett, Margery Ashby and Cicely Fisher disagreed with women using their influence to persuade men to join the army.
In September 1914, Lady White, the widow of Sir George White, the commander-in-chief of the British Army during the Boer War, visited the area and made several speeches where she urged women to encourage their husbands and sons to join the British Army. On 11th September Earl Donoughmore spoke at a recruitment meeting at the Whitehall Theatre in East Grinstead where he told local women to "see to it they were either the mother of a soldier, the wife of a soldier, or make up their minds to be the bride of none other than a soldier."
Sources
Primary Sources
(1) The East Grinstead Observer (5th September, 1914)
An enthusiastic recruiting meeting at West Hoathly was held at the Village Hall on Wednesday evening. The meeting heard Lady White, the widow of George White, the heroic defender of Ladysmith, make an earnest appeal for recruits. Lady White said: "Mothers be brave and send your sons. Wives part with your husbands, leaving them in God's preservation."
Lady White said she full well knew the heartache of these partings, but she also knew the joys of the return, and she knew the pride and glory of it all. If they had a glorious death their deeds would live in their minds and hearts and in the history of the country.
After the speech a fairly large number of young fellows came forward to offer themselves and eleven were of the age required.
(2) Speech made by Earl Donoughmore on 11th September 1914, at the Whitehall Theatre, East Grinstead.
I appeal to the ladies. I recognise the enormous work women are doing as nurses in the battle line and in the great London hospitals and elsewhere. However, I say to women, let them see to it they were either the mother of a soldier, the wife of a soldier, or make up their minds to be the bride of none other than a soldier.
Further Research
Margery Ashby
Cicely Corbett