Lillian Forrester
by Linley Blathwayt
Born	Lillian Williamson 1879
Died	after 1916
Nationality	British
Known for	Militant suffragette
Height	5 ft 3.5 in (161 cm)[1]
Spouse	Mr Forrester

Lillian Forrester (née Williamson; born 1879) was a British suffragette who led an attack on the Manchester Art Gallery.

Life

She was born Lillian Williamson in 1879, and was the second daughter of Arthur Williamson, a commercial clerk, and Elizabeth Hall. In 1901 she was attending Owen's College, which later became Victoria University of Manchester.^[2] At one point she said she had a degree in History.

In 1911 Forrester was invited to Eagle House near Bath by Linley and Emily Blathwayt.^[3] The Blathwayts invited leading suffragettes to visit their house. They created over 40 memorial trees to celebrate these visits in what was known as 'Annie's Arbour'.^[4]

Militant Suffragettes as secretly identified by the Criminal Record Office (See No. 14)

Forrester led an attack on the Manchester Art Gallery on 3 April 1913. She, Evelyn Manesta and Annie Briggs waited until the gallery was closing and then proceeded to break the glass on many of the most valuable paintings. The three attacked the glass of thirteen paintings including two by John Everett Millais and two by George Frederick Watts. Staff were alerted by the sound of broken glass and the three were apprehended. Four of the paintings had been damaged by the broken glass. They were bailed to appear before magistrates the next day.^[5]

Briggs persuaded the court that she had been present but had not been involved. Evelyn Manesta was given a sentence of a month and Forrester's sentence was three months for malicious damage.^[5]

While she was imprisoned she and Manesta were secretly photographed and pictures of them were circulated with pictures of other militant suffragettes to police and art gallery staff.^[6] Manesta's photograph was modified to hide that she was being held around the neck whilst the photograph was taken.

Paintings involved

• The Last Watch of Hero and Captive Andromache by Lord Frederic Leighton
• The Last of the Garrison by Briton Riviere
• Birnam Woods by John Everett Millais
• The Prayer and Portrait of The Hon J L Motley by George Frederick Watts
• A Flood by John Everett Millais
• When Apples were Golden by John Melhuish Strudwick
• The Shadow of Death by William Holman Hunt
• Astarte Syriaca by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
• Sybilla Delphica by Edward Burne-Jones
• Paola and Francesca by George Frederick Watts
• The Syrinx by Arthur Hacker

References