Photograph of Suffragette Sarah Carwin

Portrait of Suffragette Sarah Carwin in her nurses uniform. It is possible the image was taken when Sarah worked as nuse-in-charge of the Invalid Children's Special School at the Passmore Edwards Settlement prior to her becoming a Suffragette.

Sarah Carwin was born in Bolton, Greater Manchester but moved to Russia with her family as a young girl. She returned to England in 1881 undertaking social work with the West London Mission. She also worked as a nurse at Great Ormond Street hospital, set up a co-operative dressmaking business and later established a Babies home for illegitimate children. She was arrested and imprisoned multiple times between 1909 and 1912 for Suffragette militancy, including window smashing and wilfully obstructing the police. On her arrival in Holloway prison in 1909 she smashed all the windows in her cell and was moved to a basement room for insubordination. In March 1912 she was arrested for breaking 7 windows in Regents Street. She served time in Winson Green prison where she took part in hunger strikes and was forcibly fed.