Medal, hunger-strike medal

Silver hunger strike medal presented to the Suffragette prisoner Violet Jones. The medal, attached to a purple, white and green ribbon includes two hunger strike bars dated September 4th 1909 and December 8th 1909. These refer to Violet's two periods of imprisonment that year for Suffragette militancy during which time she went on hunger-strike. The first period of imprisonment refers to Violet's arrest at the Palace Theatre in Leicester whilst attempting, with other Suffragettes, to disrupt a meeting being held by Winston Churchill. In December she was again re-arrested on the charge of a breach of the peace. In November 1911 Violet was rearrested for malicious destruction of property in London for breaking windows at the offices of the National Bank in the Strand.
The hunger strike medal is stored within its original wooden presentation box externally covered with purple paper and internally padded with velvet, and, on the the inside lid, cream silk inscribed in gold with Violet's name.
Suffragettes treated the fight for the vote as a military campaign. From 1909, those who served prison terms for militancy were awarded medals for their service to the cause. Hunger-strike medals were first presented, in St James's Hall, Great Portland Street, in early August 1909.