Blue plaque honouring Wakefield suffragists to be unveiled on International Women's Day
A blue plaque honouring three incredible suffragists was unveiled this week at Hatfeild Hall.
Championing the role of women erased from the history of Wakefield has long been a passion of Sarah Cobham and the other members of the Dream Time Creative.
The Forgotten Women of Wakefield project celebrates the achievements of these women by ensuring Blue Plaque parity with men and keeping their stories alive for future generations.
Suffragists Gwendoline Beaumont, Florence Beaumont, and Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett are the most recent recipients of a Blue Plaque.
Their political legacy of fighting for women's rights was outlined at a celebratory event at Hatfield Hall last week in the very room where suffragist history was made.
Members of Dream Time Creative in costume acted out stories of the suffragists’ lives.
Florence Beaumont delivered a tireless campaign and advocacy for women’s rights at the League of Nations, which contributed significantly to the granting of the right to vote to all women in 1928.
This then inspired and enabled her sister-in-law, Gwendoline, to go on and stand as the only female MP in the region in the 1935 national election.
Hatfeild Hall was the Wakefield home of the Beaumont family between 1899 and 1922 and was a nationally significant regional centre for the ‘Votes for Women’ campaign.
Nigel Beaumont, Gwendoline’s grandson and Florence’s great-nephew, spoke of his immense pride: "I’d like to say a huge thanks to Sarah and her wonderful team. It's brought my own family alive to me. Like so many people, I haven't taken enough interest in our history at all. It's because of Sarah that I've really reconnected with our ancestral home.
"We are all so proud of the legacy the Beaumont women have left the country and are delighted this blue plaque is going on the old family home of Hatfeild Hall.”
The leader of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, Millicent Fawcett, was a regular visitor to the hall and her name also appears on the plaque.
Sarah said: “The difficult and politically heady days at Hatfeild Hall, when Florence and Gwendoline greeted Millicent Fawcett and other now famous suffragists, are difficult to imagine.
“They lived side by side, supporting one another, and hundreds of women to find purpose in a world constantly denying them the vote.
"The women of Hatfeild Hall left an indelible mark on our nation's history.
“Florence’s motto, ‘ I will not bow to convention if that convention is based on unkindness or stupidity’ is a reminder for women in 2026 who live in a world which continues to deny women autonomy, continues to roll back hard fought for and won rights, and is quick to dismiss and condemn success, is a reminder to keep integrity, kindness and ethical choices at the heart of all things.”
She added: "Since starting this campaign in 2017 the cost of a blue plaque has always been the first barrier to overcome.
"In this case, it has been the generosity of the Beaumont family and the fundraising efforts of Dream Time Creative volunteers who deliver heritage walks, alongside the incredible support from Hatfeild Hall, which has taken that stress away, and for that I am so grateful.”
A percentage of the proceeds from the event will go towards funding a sculpture of Florence Beaumont in Wakefield, to further mark her legacy.