Image: Edith Rigby's house

Description: "This building was once the home of Preston’s most famous suffragette Edith Rigby. She lived here with her husband Charles Rigby. Edith was born as Edith Rayner in 1872, the second of seven children to surgeon Alexander Rayner. Many of her father's patients were from Preston's working classes, sparking Edith’s early awareness of social and economic inequalities. She married Doctor Charles Rigby just before her 21st birthday, choosing 28 Winckley Square as their family home. However, she was determined to become involved in working for social reform and she initially began her work improving the lives of women and girls in local mills. During her time living in Winckley Square, Edith became critical of how her neighbours treated their servants. Though the Rigbys had servants themselves, they allowed them to eat in the dining room and they were not required to wear a uniform. This became a passionate issue for Edith and saw her going to London and disguising herself as a servant to find out how they were treated. She did this for two weeks before her husband and a private investigator tracked her down and brought her home. In 1899 Edith founded St Peter's School, allowing girls to meet and continue education beyond the age of 11. In 1905 she joined the Independent Labour Party, forming a branch of the Women's Labour League in Preston a year later. Edith made many headlines; joining the Pankhurst sisters’ hunger strikes and window breaking campaigns, protesting at a 1909 Preston meeting addressed by Winston Churchill, throwing a black pudding at an MP, and setting fire to soap powder magnate at Lord Leverhulme’s holiday home. Due to her radical views and actions Edith wasn't approved of in her own time, however, many people have now come to respect her passion and contributions to her cause."
Title: Edith Rigby's house
Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bolckow/6916097997/
Author: Bolckow
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
License: CC BY 2.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Attribution Required?: Yes