Electrical engineer and suffragist. Born Phoebe Sarah Marks in Portsmouth. Aged 16 began teaching in London. Studied maths at Girton College Cambridge. Married William Ayrton in 1885. Elected a member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers in 1899 and was the only woman member until 1958 (shame on them). In 1902 she was proposed for the Royal Society but this was blocked because a married woman had no standing in law and so was ineligible. Not surprisingly Hertha supported the militant suffragists and marched in all the suffrage protests, in academic gown, which, of course, she was not entitled to wear. Mrs Pankhurst and other hunger strikers were nursed in her home and Hertha declared herself "proud" when her daughter Barbara was imprisoned. Barbara went on to become an MP and to produce Michael Ayrton, the artist. Hertha died in Sussex.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Hertha Ayrton
Commemorated ati
Hertha Ayrton
Hertha Ayrton, 1854 - 1923, physicist, lived here, 1903 - 1923. English Herit...
Other Subjects
Suffragettes' Women's Hall
This 1893 map (extract here) shows a hall, Salisbury Hall, beside the pub (Morpeth Arms) set back behind a house on Old Ford Road. This 1870 map shows the hall labelled 'Bethal Chapel (Baptist)'. ...
Building, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration, Religion
Justice for Lai Dai Han
This group campaigns for an independent UN-led investigation into allegations of widespread sexual violence by South Korean soldiers during the Vietnam War. The group commissioned the Mother and Ch...
Women's Freedom League
Split off from the Women's Social and Political Union where Emmeline Pankhurst held sway. Worked for equality between men and women. Dissolved in 1961.
Peter Tatchell
Campaigner for human rights, gay freedom and social justice. Co-founder of Outrage!. Born Australia and began his campaigning there. To avoid conscription he moved to London in 1971 and here began ...
Sylvia Pankhurst
Born in Manchester as Estelle Sylvia, daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst. Trained and initially worked as an artist. Worked with George Lansbury in the East End. 1924 Sylvia moved from the East End of...