Arabella Scott

Arabella Scott (7 May 1886 – 27 August 1980) was a Scottish teacher, suffragette hunger striker and women's rights campaigner. As a member of the Women's Freedom League (WFL) she took a petition to Downing Street in July 1909. She was arrested many times and went on hunger strikes when she was sent to jail. She wrote about her experiences in her autobiography A Murky Past.

Early life and education Arabella Charlotte Scott was born on 7 May 1886 in Dunoon, Scotland. Her mother was a teacher and her father served as a captain in the British army for more than 25 years. if they did not return voluntarily or provide a current address and all Scottish police forces were informed of the need to find and arrest them, as per the case file. and Donald McEwan. Following their trial, at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on 19 May 1913, Arabella Scott, Edith Hudson and Donald McEwan were sentenced to nine months, Elizabeth Thompson, three months, and Agnes was released. They were imprisoned at Calton Gaol Edinburgh and the women went on hunger strike. and rearrested, when she returned to Calton Gaol she went on hunger strike again. She only served a few days of her sentence, as on 16 June she was assessed as too weak by a medical officer and was released on licence again Scotland Yard and the Brighton Police both had to help the police that had come from Scotland to arrest Scott and return her to prison there, as she refused to walk and had to be lifted and dragged onto trains.

Force-feeding at Perth prison

Scott was taken to Perth Prison on 20 June and released on 26 July 1914. She knew this as she had sent a bunch of sweet peas to Ethel Moorhead in March that year, when she had been suffering from this treatment and was eventually being released in health grounds. Despite an appeal to prison authorities by Janie Allan on Scott's own behalf, warning of dangerous protests during a royal visit if Scott was force-fed, she suffered force feeding throughout her imprisonment three times a day for a period of five weeks. She replied, "That would be tantamount to saying that all this protest of mine was in vain and wrong and I would be giving in." Public buildings and films shows were cancelled, and an extra fifty police sent to the city.

She died on 27 August 1980.

Dramatic representation A fictional account based on Arabella Scott's ordeal has since been dramatised by Ajay Close. The writer had researched the novel A Petrol-scented Spring, alt=Photograph of a square metal grave marker bearing the name 'Arabella Charlotte Colville-Reeves', the dates '7.5.1886 - 27.8.1980' and the epitaph 'In loving memory'.