My box of (broken!) treasures
Just a little butterfly?
When it comes to material inheritance of monetary worth, I didn't inherit much - my maternal grandmother's Victorian oil lamp; my mother in law's turquoise ring (rescued from a box of paper rubbish put out for 'the bin men' !); my paternal grandfather's 'Victory' medal from WW1; my father's wigs and make-up. Two or three items from Dad's mother - a broken Indian silver bracelet, a broken locket, a broken silver brooch. (notice a theme?). I keep the smaller items in my 'box of treasures' - treasures to me, but by no means to anyone intending to make their fortune from burglary (*that* box has already been burgled - 30 years ago).
It was on one of my little reminiscence forays into that box that the broken brooch caught my eye anew. I had been watching 'The Antiques Roadshow' a few days before, when items belonging to an ancestral Suffragette had been brought in. Amongst the items, there were several displaying the same colours - purple, green and white. There, on the green velvet of my treasure box, was Granny's broken butterfly brooch - and there were the colours of the enamel with which it was decorated - purple, green and white. The colours of the Women's Social and Political Union - the colours of the Suffragettes!
Born in 1888, Granny was a feisty woman in middle and old age. She sure scared the bejabers out of me! One of three Hosking sisters (and three brothers), I imagine (especially from her photographs) that she was quite a gal - from quite a trio of women.
Kate, Flo & Lena - the Hosking sisters
Her younger (by 12 years) sister, Kate, sailed off to Australia and adventure, to marry Frank McCallum, Chief Medical Officer at Australia House in London when they married (and later Director-General of Health for the Commonwealth of Australia). Poor Kate had only three years of happiness with her 'Mac' before she came back to the UK for treatment for TB. It was not successful - she died, aged just 29, in 1929.
Her other sister, Lena, took a different path, becoming a Salvationist in Cardiff. She was apparently very enthusiastic in her handling of the tambourine!
Florence Emma Hosking, my Granny, married Grampy, Arthur Henry Latham and ran a little corner shop in Newport after their marriage. But I know little of her life before then. Now I think I might know a little bit more. I am heartened to see that little brooch and appreciate its significance - just a tiny bit of what might be evidence that Granny's spirit led her to espouse the cause of Women's Suffrage. My enthusiasm is spurred on to discover much more about her now.
On this Centenary Day of women (of property) being given the vote, I say Thank You, Sisters (and Grannies!) and the good men who supported them, for supporting and fighting the Good Fight to give everyone representation.
There is much still to be done, but since 1918, we have still come a wonderfully long way .
Women Members of Parliament, 2017 General Election, UK.
ONWARD, SISTERS!
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