Derby Day 1913

Derby Day 1913

There she committed the only successful suffragette suicide by being

trampled under the hooves of the Kings' horse.

I have looked at many different accounts of what actually happened on

the day, including newspaper reports and a video, and although they

all say Emily did commit suicide, some contradict each other and

disagree on things such as:

· The position of the King's horse during the race.

· How she got onto the race course

· When Emily actually died

· And Why Emily Davison actually committed suicide, (was it planned or

just a spur of the moment idea?)

What you have to understand whilst studying sources is that different

people have different views on things and the sources were written for

different purposes. For example, a letter to a loved one saying what

happened on Derby day will not be the same as a newspaper article for

a conservative, (who were anti-suffrage.) Some sources have the

benefit of hindsight and will know what happened afterwards; whereas

something written when Miss. Davison was still in hospital unconscious

will not know she is going to die four days after the derby.

The first source I looked at was an extract from an article of The

Times, (a conservative newspaper,) written on the day after the Derby,

June 5th.

It clearly is an anti-suffrage source because it does not mention

Emily Davison's name at all. It seems to be more concerned about the

welfare of the King's Horse, ridden by Jones', than Emily herself.

Although the source does not have the benefit of hindsight, (doesn't

know she is going to die,) it gives the impression that Miss. Davison

was 'clearly trying to cross the course.' But then goes on to say that

her action was deliberate and that it was 'in the interests of the

Suffragette movement. It also says all the other horses had 'gone by.'

After spectators saying the horses had 'all gone by,' the article then

goes on to say that 'Had Anmer brought down the other horses that were