Letter from Edith How Martyn to Louie Cullen

Typed Letter on WSPU headed notepaper addressed to Louie Cullen, Kensington. The letter, signed by Edith How Martyn, Hon Sec. notes 'You can arrange a meeting for Friday March 1st, and have as speakers Mrs Pankhurst in the Chair, Mrs Pethick Lawrence, and some released prisoners; and if you write to Mrs Cobden Sanderson direct she would probably come too. It think you would certainly be able to have the help of an Organiser for holding of 'dinner hour' meetings, as it is such a good form of propaganda work.'

Louie Cullen formed the Kensal Rise branch of the WSPU with the Misses Auld in 1906. She subsequently helped establish the Kensington and Hammersmith branches.
Louie joined the WSPU in 1906 inspired by Dora Montefiore's refusal to pay tax. Her first act of militancy was the same year on 23rd October when she was ejected from the House of Commons for waving a banner. In the letter Louie noted the 'rough handling' she received when being thrown out Parliament.
Louie was arrested three times for Suffragette militancy - the first time for taking part in the Pantechnicon raid on the House of Commons in February 1908 remembered by her as 'the most exciting ride I ever remember', for which she received a sentence of 6 weeks in the 2nd division. In June 1908 Louie was a speaker on platform 3 at the Great meeting in Hyde Park chaired by Annie Kenney.
Louie's second arrest was in Norwich where she organised a demonstration against Winston Churchill at which, she notes in her letter local Norwich papers 'said there had been no such crowds since the Diamond Jubilee'. Louie along with other Suffragettes were arrested and detained without charge until Churchill was safely out of the City. In June 1909 Louie was amongst the 110 women arrested during the deputation to Prime Minister Asquith on 29th June 1909. Louie claims in her letter to the Fellowship in 1932 to have attended almost every 'meeting where Suffragettes made protests at Liberal Meetings in London and the near suburbs and often had some 'very rough treatment' 'I always had the help & support of my husband & many times he was helping in the protest in our district'. She also took part in all demonstrations - peaceful & militant in London & the suburbs until December 1911 when illness caused her to leave England for New South Wales, Australia.
Louie notes in her letter to the Suffragette Fellowship 'I have always regretted that, through ill-health my activities had to cease just when 'real' militancy started ie. window smashing & hunger striking'.