Jessie Kenney
| Jessie Kenney | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 1887 Oldham |
| Died | 1985 |
| Nationality | UK |
| Occupation | activist and stewardess |
| Relatives | Annie Kenney (sister) |
Jessie Kenney (1887 – 1985) was a British suffragette who was jailed for assaulting the British Prime Minister and the Home Secretary as they played golf. She was protesting to gain votes for women in Britain. She and her sister's flat contained details of a bombing campaign to support their cause. These were discovered by the authorities when Kenney was sent abroad to convalesce. Kenney later went on to train as a wireless operator but worked as a stewardess.
Kenney was born in Oldham in 1897 in Lees which is in the West Riding of Yorkshire (part of the Borough of Oldham). She was the daughter (among 12 children) of Nelson Horatio Kenney (1849-1912) and Anne Wood (1852-1905); the family was poor and working class. One of her sisters was Annie Kenney who was eight years older than her. Her sister promoted the study of literature amongst her colleagues – inspired by Robert Blatchford's publication, The Clarion.
Jessie Kenney became actively involved in the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) after she and her sister, Annie, heard Teresa Billington-Greig and Christabel Pankhurst speak at the Oldham Clarion Vocal Club in 1905. Jessie did not have her elder sisrter's gift for public speaking but she was more organised. In 1906 she became the secretary of Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence, Baroness Pethick-Lawrence. She would organise members to interrupt meetings and to send deputations.
The WSPU were keen to press the case for women's suffrage with the government. The government changed the law and it was agreed that the Post Office would allow people to send "human letters". On 23 February 1909 Jessie Kennedy took advantage of this loophole to send two delegates, Ms Solomon and Ms McClennan, from Strand Post Office to the Prime Minister. On 10 December 1909 Kenney disguised herself as a telegraph boy to obtain access to Asquith at a public meeting in Manchester. She was unsuccessful, but the picture was used as publicity for the cause.
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