Medical Doctor

41

Single

3 Rhodesia Avenue, Halifax, West Riding HX3 OPB

WSPU

Evades

Born in 1870, Helena Jones grew up in north Wales and became an early Fabian. One of the pioneer generation of impressive women doctors, she studied at the Royal Free in London, qualifying in 1901. A suffragette, she spoke at the great 1908 WSPU rally in Hyde Park ~ and soon impressed Emmeline Pankhurst.

 Circa 1909 Dr Helena Jones was appointed the first schools’ Medical Officer for the West Riding, and moved up to live in Halifax. Despite her demanding job, she became the WSPU organizer for Halifax, linking the Pankhursts’ headquarters in London (undoubtedly by telephone) with local suffragettes - like Mary Taylor who lived just a short walk away.

Helena Jones was the organizing genius behind Emmeline Pankhurst’s census boycott meeting in Halifax on Thursday 30 March 1911. It was  held in the town-centre Mechanics’ Institute Hall and Dr Jones took the chair at this crowded meeting. Three days later, on census night itself, Helena Jones was a very resolute evader: the enumerator wrote a statement to this effect on her schedule, which was signed by her domestic servant, the only occupant of the house.

In World War I, Dr Jones worked in Corsica with the Fabian Relief Fund. She then returned to Wales, working as assistant Medical Officer of Health in the Rhondda, in charge of the maternity and child welfare clinic. She died in September 1946.

For more see, Ryland Wallace, The Women’s Suffrage Movement in Wales 1866-1928 (University of Wales Press, 2009).