In 1913, women across Kent actively campaigned for political rights. Under the leadership of Emmeline Pankhurst, the Women’s Social and Political Union organized protests, marches, and acts of civil disobedience to demand suffrage.
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On 11 April 1913, tensions within the women’s suffrage movement escalated when suffragettes set fire to the Nevill Ground cricket pavilion in Tunbridge Wells.1 According to a local newspaper, a man driving a cart near the cricket ground overheard four women in a motorcar, three carrying parcels, discussing, “You sure the bombs will go off alright?” to which another replied, “Yes, they will do right enough.” The fire was discovered by a passing lamplighter at approximately 3:50 am, who alerted the fire brigade. Upon their arrival, the building could not be saved.2 After the incident, a flyer featuring a photograph of Emmeline Pankhurst and the ‘Votes for Women’ slogan was found on the grounds. Although the pavilion was insured, the policy did not cover trophies or archival records. Local newspapers reported widespread shock and controversy regarding these militant tactics. The attack directly challenged exclusion, as cricket grounds symbolised spaces where women were present but denied equality, aligning with the broader aims of the suffragette movement.
By burning the pavilion, suffragettes confronted political inequality. Following this incident, the National League for Opposing Woman Suffrage convened a meeting on 28 April, where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a prominent speaker. He publicly condemned the fire, characterizing constitutional suffragettes as “female hooligans.”3 Although Sir Arthur supported women’s equality, he opposed the violence of women’s suffrage and the right to vote, for fear of causing marital discord. However, he was not opposed to women’s rights; he advocated strongly for the reform of Victorian divorce laws, believing these laws unfairly favoured men.4 Sir Arthur was an avid cricketer, having played for more than 50 teams, including Tunbridge Wells and Kent.5
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Betty Archdale, the first captain of the England women’s cricket team, provides a direct link between Kent cricket and the suffragette movement. Her mother, Helen Archdale, was an activist in the Women’s Social and Political Union and was imprisoned for breaking a window at Whitehall. Betty recalled collecting stones for her mother and visiting her during her imprisonment at Holloway Prison in 1911.6 In the 1930s, Betty played for Kent at a time when women’s cricket was largely amateur and required self-funding.
The events of 1913 demonstrate that progress in sport and politics requires protest and persistence, as shown by the ongoing exclusion women have faced over time. Progress has been gradual, as women in cricket have faced cultural misogyny and marginalisation across sport. Due to financial exclusion, a lack of representation in media coverage, and limited access to certain venues, a 2023 report from the Independent Commission on Equality in Cricket found that only 19% of cricket is played by women. Despite these figures, women’s cricket thrives in Kent today, particularly in Tunbridge Wells. The women’s team has over 100 active members, secured the ECB National Club T20 Champions title in 2021,7 and has a successful under-15s team, currently the U15 National Champions at Lord’s Cricket Ground.8
Bibliography
Ewan, Elizabeth L. (2006) The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women. Edinburgh University Press.
Godfrey Jennifer, Suffragettes of Kent, Pen and Sword, 2019.
“Suffragette Outrage at Tunbridge Wells” Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, April 19, 1913, https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000338/19130419/056/0003?browse=true#. Tunbridge Wells Cricket Association “Women XI,” , accessed June 11, 2026 https://www.tunbridgewellscc.org.uk/women-s-xi.
“Sir A. Conan Doyle on the Outrages.” The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopaedia accessed June 11, 2026, https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/wiki/Sir_A.Conan_Doyle_on_the_Outrages.
“Sir A. Conan Doyle on suffragettes.” _The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopaedia, accessed June 11, 2026, https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/wiki/What_I%27d_Do_with_the_Militant_Suffragettes.
“Cricket results Tunbridge Wells V Fulham.” The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopaedia, accessed June 11, 2026, https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/wiki/Tunbridge_Wells_v._Fulham
References
Jennifer Godfrey, Suffragettes of Kent, (Great Britain: Pen and Sword, 2019), 151. ↩︎
“Suffragette Outrage at Tunbridge Wells “Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald”, April 19, 1913, https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000338/19130419/056/0003?browse=true#. ↩︎
“Sir A. Conan Doyle on the Outrages,” The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopaedia, accessed June 11, 2026, https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/wiki/Sir_A._Conan_Doyle_on_the_Outrages. ↩︎
“Sir A. Conan Doyle on suffragettes, “ The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopaedia , accessed June 11, 2026, https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/wiki/What_I%27d_Do_with_the_Militant_Suffragettes ↩︎
“Cricket results Tunbridge Wells V Fulham,” The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopaedia , accessed June 11, 2026, https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/wiki/Tunbridge_Wells_v._Fulham ↩︎
Elizabeth L. Ewan, (2006). The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women. Edinburgh University Press. p. 16. ↩︎
“Women XI,” Tunbridge Wells Cricket Association, accessed June 11, 2026 https://www.tunbridgewellscc.org.uk/women-s-xi. ↩︎
ibid. ↩︎