Holloway brooch
The Holloway brooch was presented by the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) to women who had been imprisoned at Holloway Prison for militant suffragette activity. It is also referred to as the "Portcullis badge", the "Holloway Prison brooch" and the "Victoria Cross of the Union".
Also recorded as Portcullis badge · Holloway Prison brooch · Victoria Cross of the Union
Holloway brooch

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- Name
- Holloway brooch
- Field
- medal.
- Period
- Holloway brooch was established or created in 1909.
- Region
- Holloway brooch is situated in United Kingdom.
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Documentary summary
The Holloway brooch was presented by the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) to women who had been imprisoned at Holloway Prison for militant suffragette activity. It is also referred to as the "Portcullis badge", the "Holloway Prison brooch" and the "Victoria Cross of the Union".
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Authority files
wikidata · Q72221563 · wikipedia · Holloway brooch
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Holloway brooch • Country — United Kingdom • Presenter — Women's Social and Political Union
Background
Background
• Illustration — Violet Ann Bland's Hunger Strike Medal and Holloway Brooch Beginning in 1902 Holloway Prison was a female-only prison in London, England. In the early part of the twentieth century many suffragettes were incarcerated at the prison. As their actions became more militant, the women received more severe sentences. Once in prison the women continued their protests, eventually going on hunger strikes as they demanded to be designated as "political prisoners".
Holloway brooch
Holloway brooch
The Holloway brooch was designed by Sylvia Pankhurst. Made of silver, it depicts the portcullis symbol of Parliament and a broad arrow, associated with prison uniforms, in purple, white, and green enamel. The brooches were given to suffragettes upon their release from Holloway. The size is one inch by of an inch. It was manufactured by Toye & Co London. On 29 April 1909 the first brooches were distributed at a large meeting at the Albert Hall organised by the WSPU. The first brooches were presented by Christabel Pankhurst and Emmeline Pankhurst, Annie Kenney and Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence.
Recipients
Recipients
• Dora Beedham • Sarah Benett • Violet Ann Bland • Lady Constance Bulwer-Lytton • Mabel Capper • Joan Cather • Leonora Cohen • Louie (Louisa) Cullen • Emily Davison • Kate Williams Evans • Theresa Garnett • Clara Giveen • Katie Edith Gliddon • Laura Geraldine Lennox • Anna Lewis • Selina Martin • Edith Bessie New • Annie Seymour Pearson • Pleasance Pendred • Grace Roe • Amy Sanderson • Janie Terrero • Minnie Turner • Julia Varley • Illustration — Edith New (1908) • Illustration — Louie Cullen (1908) • Illustration — Theresa Garnett (1909) • Illustration — Minnie Turner (1909) • Illustration — Janie Terrero (1912) • Illustration — Mabel Capper (1912) • Illustration — Emily Davison (1913) • Illustration — Clara Giveen (1914) • Illustration — Grace Roe (1914) • Illustration — Sarah Bennet (1909) • Illustration — Kate Williams Evans (c1890) • Illustration — Amy Sanderson (1907)
Chronology
Dated record
Chronology
Explore 1909
The full dated record · 3 entries
1909
Holloway brooch first recorded.
1909
Holloway brooch is recorded from 1909.
1909
Holloway brooch was established or created in 1909.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Holloway brooch is situated in United Kingdom.
Country
Holloway brooch is associated with United Kingdom.
Country
Context
Primary material
Context
The circumstances in which Holloway brooch stands. Manufactured by Toye, Kenning & Spencer. Established or created in 1909. Recorded as a kind of medal. Situated in United Kingdom. Within the Encyclopedia. Connected to 1 other published record in the VALÉORINE Encyclopedia.
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q72221563: Holloway brooch
Unverified · Wikidata
reference work
- “Holloway brooch”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Holloway Prison closure announced. BBC News. 25 November 2015.
- 2.Davies, Caitlin. The Suffragettes and Holloway prison. Museum of London.
- 3.Garrett, Miranda. Suffrage and the Arts: Visual Culture, Politics and Enterprise. Bloomsbury Publishing. 2018. 9781350011830.
- 4.Holloway Prison brooch. UK Parliament.
- 5.Clara Giveen Holloway Brooch. Rowan and Rowan.
- 6.A silver Holloway Prison brooch with enamel suffragette colours. Invaluable.com.
- 7.Collecting Suffrage: The WSPU Holloway Brooch. Woman and Her Sphere. 19 October 2012.
- 8.Our history – Suffragette brooch. Islingtonlife.london.
- 9.From the Archives: The 'Holloway' brooch presented at historic Suffragette meeting, 29 April 1909. Royalalberthall.com.
- 10.'We owe it to their memory': family stories 100 years since the suffragette movement. The Guardian. 6 February 2018.
- 11.medal | British Museum. Britishmuseum.org.
- 12.Louie Cullen—part two. Nla.gov.au.
- 13.Rare suffragette's Hunger Strike medal is set to be auctioned. Insidecroydon.com. July 13, 2018.
- 14.Who's Your Heroine? Laura Geraldine Lennox. Rte.ie. 27 January 2020.
- 15.Suffragette Medal for Hunger Strike and for Valour bought for £27,250… | Lawrences Auctioneers. Lawrences.co.uk.
- 16.York Civic Trust. Suffragettes-STUDENT-V1.pdf. 22–23.
- 17.Lot 669, Orders, Decorations and Medals (21 September 2001) | Dix Noonan Webb. Dnw.co.uk.
- 18.Collecting Suffrage: Mrs Amy Sanderson, Scottish Speaker For The Women's Freedom League. Womanandhersphere.com. September 18, 2020.
References
Citations
References
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authority record
Partially resolvedreference work
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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