Plaque Honour for Derby S Alice

Plaque honour for Derby’s Alice

Derby Peoples’ History welcomes Alice Wheeldon’s Blue Plaque campaigned for by her family and socialists all over the world to Clear the Family Name and defend AntiWar and Suffragist activists.

Thursday, May 02, 2013

Chris Jones

RELATIVES of Derby anti-war campaigner Alice Wheeldon have said a Blue Plaque installed in her honour has "restored her reputation".Mrs Wheeldon is famed for her political activism in the early 20th century but was jailed in 1917 for 10 years after being accused of plotting to poison the then Prime Minister David Lloyd George.

A Blue Plaque has been unveiled at the former home of Alice Wheeldon, in Pear Tree Road which is now a travel agents. Pictured at the ceremony, from left, are Alan Grimadell, Deirdre Mason, Mayor of Derby Lisa Higginbottom, Chloe Mason and Hardyal Dhindsa.

There is widespread belief that Alice and her family were framed by MI5 to raise sympathy for the Government; and family members have spent years campaigning to clear her name.Yesterday, a ceremony at her former home in Pear Tree Road was held as a Blue Plaque was unveiled to mark her achievements as a socialist.

And it was attended by Mrs Wheeldon's great-granddaughters, Chloe and Deirdre Mason who had both flown from their home in Sydney, Australia, to attend.

In an emotional speech, Chloe Mason thanked the people of Derby for helping to "restore the reputation she deserves".She said: "We never believed something like this would happen, so to see that Plaque up there means more than I can tell you. When she died, she was reviled for something we believe she never did. But she did so much good.

"This is important for history and for young people growing up in Derby and learning about its heritage."

Blue Plaques are traditionally put on a building or a site to mark the connection between that location and a famous person or event. This is one of 20 plaques being put up in the city this year.

Candidates needed to have been dead for at least 20 years; had a long-lasting effect; have public support and a link to a building or site in Derby.

Derby City Councillor Hardyal Dhindsa said: "I hope we can clear Alice Wheeldon's name and give her the correct place in history for future generations."

And in further honour of Mrs Wheeldon, singer-songwriter Robb Johnson has written a new song called "Alice Annie Wheeldon" as part of his new album Bring Down The Moon.

YouTube: The RobbJohnson

THE STORY IN BRIEF

A Blue Plaque honouring Alice Wheeldon has been affixed to the house in Derby where she lived with her children Nell, Winnie, Hettie and Will. This Derby family campaigned actively on many social issues, especially women's rights and opposition to conscription.

A branch of MI5, thought up a fantastical strategy of ‘discovering’ a treasonable plot in Derby, the heartland of Britain’s war effort. This would discredit the people who opposed the war, as well discourage women from their call for women’s suffrage.

The Wheeldons fitted the bill - the women were suffragists and William Wheeldon and Alf Mason (Winnie’s husband) were both facing conscription. An MI5 agent was planted in their home to entrap the family by suggesting a facile scheme to poison the guard dogs of a nearby prison in return for safe passages to America. Then the correspondence about obtaining the poison was fused with some of the family’s recorded conversations to fabricate evidence of a plot to kill Lloyd-George, the Prime Minister, as well as the leader of the Labour Party, who was part of the national government.

Alice Wheeldon, Hettie Wheeldon, Win Mason and Alf Mason were tried at the Old Bailey with the Attorney General, and future Lord Chancellor, leading the prosecution.

The agent provocateur was not present to testify in the trial so the defence could not cross-examine him on his evidence. The court proceedings show that the evidence was flimsy and that the prosecution attempted to publicly destroy the reputations of the accused so they could convict them on that basis.

Hettie Wheeldon was acquitted but the others were sentenced to prison and their application to appeal was refused. Alice Wheeldon was released early because of ill health, due in part to hunger striking. The Masons were released unexpectedly at the end of the war.

It is time to restore the reputation of the Wheeldons and the Masons. Derby people and the family are seeking to clear their names so history will record that this was a miscarriage of justice.

“Derby Peoples’ History” announces

A FESTIVAL FORPEACE AND JUSTICE

1913-2013

SATURDAY 14th SEPTEMBER

Guildhall, Derby

12 HOURS OF ENTERTAINMENT, WORKSHOPS AND DISCUSSION

Peggy Seeger, Robb Johnson & Rosa’s Lovely Daughters.
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