Norah Balls

Norah Elizabeth Balls (3 August 1886 – 26 May 1980) was a British suffragette, women's rights campaigner, magistrate and councillor. She was a co-founder of the Girl Guides movement in Northumberland.

Early life Norah Elizabeth Balls was born to Elizabeth Balls (née Rutherford) and William Balls on 3 August 1886 in a house called Deneside on Linskill Street, North Shields, Northumberland, 8 miles (13 km) north-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. Her father was a mariner, her mother's family were farmers and she had one younger brother. Balls attended the Misses Herberts' private school. She was never sure why as her mother was not particularly pro suffrage, although of a strong character. Some years later, Balls became an active member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), having had her interest piqued whilst out walking her dog and seeing women waiting for waggon to a meeting in Tynemouth. She worked with the WSPU, arranging meetings in the North East of England. She collaborated with the Pankhursts when they visited the area. and admitted later in life to undertaking an arson attack in May 1913 on Brandling House in Gosforth Park. All charges were dropped for those arrested as Winston Churchill felt "on this occasion no public advantage would be gained by proceeding with the prosecution" and he did not want the women to be made martyrs for their cause.

Community work With the start of the First World War, Balls followed the WSPU's policy of pausing the campaign for female suffrage and stepped up to support the war effort. Instead, Balls set up a soldiers’ canteen in Whitley Bay. During the Second World War, she served as an air raid warden in Tynemouth at night, and worked for the Ministry of Information during the day. These included chairing of the Tynemouth Unemployed Welfare Committee and the Tyneside Union of Girls’ Clubs. On 25 January 1957, Balls read the lesson at the memorial service for Dame Caroline Haslett at St Martins in the Field, having worked closely with her for over 20 years in the EAW.

Balls was invited by the third Lady Armstrong to move into a flat in Bamburgh Castle, then later moved to a cottage in the nearby village. When she moved, Balls left behind a tapestry that had been given to her by Noël Coward as it would not fit in her new home. In 1975, she made an oral history recording about her suffragette experiences for Northumberland Archives. Extracts from this recording can be heard in the podcast "Northumberland Voices: A Dangerous Woman" (2021) by Northumberland Archives.

Balls travelled widely, during her working life and retirement.

Commemoration A blue plaque was unveiled in her honour at 36 King Edward Road, Tynemouth, her home from 1902 to 1936 on 8 March 2022, with members of her family in attendance. The house was originally built for Norah Balls's family and named Deneside.

The Museum of London hold five postcards previously owned by Norah Balls, showing key suffragette moments, including one of Balls herself modelling The Suffragette Look, "the white frock with regalia and colours" of a sash in purple, green and white proclaiming "Votes for Women", introduced by the WSPU in June 1908. The other postcards feature Mrs. Pankhurst at Trafalgar Square inviting the audience to "Rush" the House of Commons on October 13, 1908, Emmeline Pankhurst, Christabel Pankhurst and the Arrest of Mrs. Pankhurst, Miss Pankhurst, and Mrs Drummond. Mr Jarvis Reading the Warrant at Clement's Inn, October 13, 1908.