Florence Haig

Florence Eliza Haig (1856–1952) was a Scottish artist and suffragette who was decorated for imprisonments and hunger strikes.

Biography Haig was born in 1856. Her father was a Berwickshire barrister and she had two sisters, Cecilia and Evelyn. Her cousin Douglas Haig went on to be Field Marshal Haig in 1915.

Her involvement with the women's suffrage movement started with a £1 donation in 1901 to the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies. She made another in 1907 but in February she was attracted to the rival Women's Social and Political Union. This was a more militant organisation led by the Emmeline Pankhurst. Haig she saw them in action at the "Women's Parliament" which was held on 24 February 1907 at Caxton Hall.

Haig and her sister, Evelyn, started a local branch of the WSPU in Edinburgh, but she then left for London. Haig was met by a young Grace Roe when suffragettes were chalking the pavement in Kensington High Street. Haig invited Roe to the demonstration at Hyde Park and she went and was inspired by Christabel Pankhurst. Haig became a founder member of East London Federation of Suffragettes and had her artist studio in Limehouse, and co-ordinated all classes of women to campaign together. A year after the Women's Parliament she was involved with the audacious "pantechnicon raid". This was where a furniture van (pantechnicon) was used as a "Trojan Horse" Haig was arrested together with the Brackenburys. They received six-week sentences. and received a four-month sentence for her involvement. Haig immediately went on hunger strike and was subsequently released after four days.

Haig left the East London Federation at the start of World War I and joined Emmeline Pankhurst, Annie Kenney and Mabel Tuke in their halt of militancy and turning to support the war effort. Haig was one of the movement chosen as coffin carriers at Emmeline Pankhurst's funeral in June 1928. She exhibited regularly and was a member of the New Society of Artists. She also joined the Society of Women Artists in 1934.