£60 in aid of the Mary Clarke Statue Appeal, selling ‘Mary Cakes’, our version of traditional fairy cakes. 

The Mary’s Lamp girls’ group was set up by River Isaac, our first Child Ambassador. She and the group recently delivered a power point presentation about Mary Clarke to a packed school assembly and were determined to launch our new Mary Cakes. 

They spent hours baking their Mary Cakes and preparing a Guess-the-Number-of-Sweets competition to draw children and adults to the stall. They handed out leaflets to parents and explained to them why Mary is important. We were thrilled to see how interested other children were (boys as well as girls) and how many already knew about Mary. 

Many younger children were fascinated by our life size ‘cut out’ of the proposed statue and asked to be photographed with it. Others loved the life-size model of Mary’s lamp, which was kept on the stall near the cakes, to remind us why we were there.

Jean Calder, Chair of the Appeal said:

“I was so impressed by the girls’ enthusiasm and commitment – and the support they received from their parents and the school. The girls were determined to sell all the cakes and succeeded. We are so grateful to them all. We are confident the Mary’s Lamp group will go from strength to strength.”

The title Mary’s Lamp’ I was inspired by the lamp which is

depicted at Mary’s feet in Denise Dutton’s design for the statue. Mary is shown at the end of her life having laid down the lamp for others to take up. This idea springs from the words of  prominent local suffragette Isabella McKeown, who spoke at Mary’s memorial meeting on 6th January 1911, in the Royal Pavilion, telling the suffragettes not to “mourn in silence”, but to “take the torch from her and light the darkness”. These words will be written at the base of the statue, amongst other key quotes. We have found that young people, in particular, find Isabella’s words very inspiring. This was certainly true for River Isaac, who chose this title for the group. 

We are delighted that the best selling author Peter James has agreed to serve as a Patron and has made a generous donation.

Peter James is best known for his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, now a hugely popular ITV drama starring John Simm. Much loved by crime and thriller fans for his fast-paced page-turners full of unexpected plot twists and accurate portrayal of modern-day policing, he has won over forty awards for his work including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger. 

To date, Peter has written an impressive total of nineteen Sunday Times Number ones, sold over twenty one million copies worldwide and been translated into thirty eight languages. His books are also often adapted for the stage, the most recent being Looking Good Dead. He has donated £1000 to the Appeal.

Peter James said:

“Mary Clarke was an extraordinary woman who fought tirelessly to support votes for women. She was a determined campaigner who never gave up and sadly became the first woman to die for such an important cause. This statue is such a significant recognition for all she set in motion, both for Brighton and for women’s rights throughout the world, and I am delighted to be supporting it .”

Jean Calder, Chair of the Appeal, said:

“ We are so grateful to Peter James for his support and his generosity, as well as to our other wonderful Patrons. We are hoping Peter’s support and generosity will encourage others to give. Our current target is £35,000, which we hope very much to raise by the end of next year. We are also seeking corporate sponsors and hope that Peter James’ involvement will encourage this. Donations to the Appeal can be made via the website maryclarkestatue.com.”

Unlike her charismatic sister Emmeline Pankhurst (whom Mary supported in a myriad different ways, from undertaking her paid duties as a Registrar to caring for her children) Mary preferred to tirelessly organise in the background rather than take centre stage. She also seems to have avoided posing for photographs. This unposed shot of Mary reveals her talking to another woman, apparently relaxed and completely unaware of the camera. We don’t yet have a good copy of the photograph, but please see the attached image. 

The photograph in the Daily Mirror accompanied a fascinating article about Mary’s death. The copy is very hard to read, so the text is reproduced here. It highlights both her leading role in Brighton and her importance in raising morale amongst prisoners. What emerges from many testimonies given after her death is that Mary was deeply loved by other suffragettes. She looked after them and they admired her calm good humour and bravery.

A WSPU official who is quoted speculates that her death may have been precipitated by a “weak heart”. In fact, it later emerged, she had died of a brain haemorrhage. The article reads as follows:

DEATH AFTER RELEASE – Mrs Pankhurst’s Sister, Freed from Prison, Dies Suddenly

Mrs Marie Clarke, a younger sister of Mrs Pankhurst, died, it was yesterday reported, on Christmas Day.

Mrs Clarke was, together with sixteen others, on November 21 sentenced to a month’s imprisonment for breaking a window at Cannon Row police station on the occasion of the last suffragette raid (this word is illegible so may be incorrect) on the House of Commons. 

She was released from Holloway gaol on Christmas Eve, and, after being entertained ata luncheon at the Criterion Restaurant, left for Brighton. She returned from there on Christmas day, and died suddenly in London. 

 “Mrs Clarke‘s loss is a great one to the cause especially where Brighton is concerned.“ said an official of the Women’s Social and Political Union to The Daily Mirror yesterday. 

“Without approaching her older sister’s power as an orator, she did an immense amount of splendid service, and she was the leader of the women’s franchise movement in Brighton. 

“Altogether she went to prison three times, and on each occasion she was a great favourite with her fellow prisoners. Always when she got the chance during exercise hours she would whisper words of cheery encouragement and hope to them. Her great work was done away from the platform. 

“I saw her on the night of her last arrest, and, although she did not then complain of any unduly rough treatment, I thought she looked very worn out. She had, I believe, a weak heart.”

Mrs Clarke is to be buried today. (Taken from the Daily Mirror of 29 December 1910).