Drum & Fife WSPU Band
The Women Social & Political Union formed a Fife and Drum band in January 1909. By April the band had 20 members, and devoted three evenings a week to practice at Queen's Road Battersea. It was decided that the band would be a good vehicle to promote the campaign for women's suffrage. The women wore a uniform in the WSPU purple, white and green colour scheme. After its first appearance the band paraded around the streets of central London every evening until the end of the exhibition 26th May. On each occasion they went out accompanied by volunteers selling the Votes for Women newspaper. (1)
In May 1909, Mary Leigh was appointed drum major of the Drum and Fife Band. Its first task was to publicize the Women's Exhibition at the Prince's Skating Rink. Fifty stalls were loaded with farm produce, sweets, dresses, badges and jewellery. The event raised £5,664 for the campaign fund. (2) On each occasion they went out accompanied by volunteers selling the Votes for Women newspaper. The success of the band enabled the WSPU to pay Leigh a £1 a week, a decent wage at the time. (3)
Primary Sources
(1) Diane Atkinson, Rise Up, Women!: The Remarkable Lives of the Suffragettes (2018)
The purple, white and green Women's Drum and Fife Band, led by the drum-major, Mary Leigh, marched about London advertising the exhibition and sale. Suffragette waitresses served tea and cakes in Suffragette tea sets decorated with Sylvia Pankhurst's angel design, made in Staffordshire. Fifty stalls were loaded with farm produce, sweets, dresses, badges and jewellery, and chic hats donated by the members of Kensington WSPU: £5,664 was raised for the campaign fund.
