It’s rare that the chance to own a piece of feminist history arises but if you have the cash, you could soon be securing the keys to a founding mother of women’s rights- a famous martial arts-trained suffragette who helped to secure the right for women to vote. The Elizabethan mansion where Kitty Marshall once lived is on sale right now in Essex and could be yours and if you can meet the £1.5 million price tag..
The Bridge House in Queen Street, Sible Hedingham is not just a historic gem. It’s a picture-perfect historic manor house – a des res and then some- which also happens to be the former home of Emily Katherine “Kitty” Marshall who made a huge impact on women’s rights.
Kitty lived in the six bedroom home along with her husband Arthur, from 1932 until her death in 1947. What a life Kitty had. She was a member of the militant Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) and is today considered one of the most important suffragettes of the time, alongside Emmeline Pankhurst, who founded the group in 1903.
Kitty was born in 1870 in Lancashire and was the daughter of a church canon. Her uncle was a famous African explorer and lion hunter. Kitty’s early life was marred by misfortune. She married a doctor named Hugh Finch but was divorced from him in 1901 after he gave her venereal disease.
In 1904 she then wed a much nicer fellow- Arthur Marshall. He was a solicitor who would spend his life supporting and defending women activists who were imprisoned and often force fed in their battle to secure the vote.
Kitty was a driving force in the WSPU. Needing to be able to defend themselves as they were increasingly manhandled by the police, Kitty was one of the first suffragettes to learn Jujutsu. She was a member of Emmeline Pankhurst’s bodyguard unit which was made up of women who were all trained in the martial art in order to protect Mrs Pankhurst at rallies and public meetings.
Kitty was thrown into prison three times for smashing windows and militant action on at least one occasion she was kept in a bitterly cold underground solitary confinement cell. While in Holloway after being convicted of throwing a stone (which could have been a potato) through the window of Number 10 Downing Street, Kitty used her artistic skills to create a deck of playing cards out of four old postcards she’d found in the prison library. Throughout her life several of her artistic works were displayed at the Royal Academy. You can see her artwork and find out more about her life through a Museum of London virtual exhibition (museumoflondon.org.uk).
In February 1911 Kitty, along with fellow suffragette Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, held up a ‘Give Women the Vote’ banner in front of Prime Minister Henry Asquith as he left Downing Street. The protest didn’t gather the publicity they hoped so Kitty returned to Number 10 again and stencilled ‘Votes for Women’ on the Prime Minister’s doorstep.
Kitty was so close to Emmeline Pankhurst that she helped to carry her coffin at her funeral in 1928- a decade after women had finally won the right to vote in the UK.
Kitty and Arthur spent their final years in Sible Hedingham where they were well liked and respected. Kitty reportedly played the organ at her local church and the couple supported several charities.
Kitty died in Essex in 1947 aged 77. Arthur died seven years later.
Such a couple could only have lived in a truly outstanding home- and that they did. The Bridge House- their Grade II Elizabethan home- is up for sale for a guide price of £1.5 million.
Set within a designated conservation area and boasting an English Heritage plaque due to its cultural significance, all these decades later the property stands as a testament to history.
With six bedrooms, plenty of spacious reception rooms and four bathrooms the property is a dream for people who admire original features. The interiors are a haven of exposed timber frames, oak mullion lead light windows, ornate fireplaces, high ceilings and rooms adorned with oak panelling
However, it’s not a matter of being stuck in the past. The home has been restored and modernised to incorporate all the mod cons any family would need for luxurious living.
For those who commute, train services to Liverpool Street run from nearby Braintee, Witham and Kelvedon stations and for those who work from home, well they’re in luck. There’s no crouching over your laptop in a freezing laundry room here. You’ll have an entire wing as your workspace as the ground floor wing is currently being used as a home business with a consultancy room. But there’s plenty of room for versatility. The space could easily be transformed into a self-contained annexe if desired, adding to the flexibility of the property.
Meanwhile a spacious top floor attic room with beautiful gabled windows, holds plenty of potential for extra accommodation or for setting up as a unique, individual space.
It’s not just inside that has the wow factor. The picturesque gardens that come with Bridge House are a delight to the senses. Accessed through electric gates, the mature gardens include a small stream and a bridge. A separate enclosed garden and a winding brick path lead to a small orchard while the raised covered terrace is simply perfect for al fresco dining. If you ever want to venture out, a garden gate leads to a neighbouring footpath and direct access to country walks.
Karl Manning, head of residential sales at Savills in Chelmsford, said: “The Bridge House is an impressive Grade II listed Elizabethan home. However, the appeal goes beyond bricks and mortar. The cultural history of Emily ‘Kitty’ Marshall adds a very special charm.”
Savills.com
