Now I have to say the story of the Cactus House in the Park and the bomb passed me by.
But back in the early hours of Tuesday November 11th 1913 someone or some group placed a pipe bomb
at the back entrance of the building which when detonated “a considerable portion of the Cactus-house .... was blown away and much damage was done.”*
The Cactus House had been opened in 1906 and contained the collection of Mr Charles Darrah which had been left to the Park by his widow.
Despite the absence of any evidence the police suspected it was the work of the suffragettes and part of the campaign to damage property in support of the demand of the extension of the vote to women which had been going on throughout the year.
According to the Manchester Guardian, “though there was nothing to indicate that the outrage was the work of militant suffragists the police entertain the belief that they are responsible for it.
The Chief Constable, Mr R Peacock, who lives on the other side of the park, was early on the scene.
He stated that although none of the literature usually found where outrages are perpetrated by violent women was discovered, he had no doubt on the subject.”*
All of which may have fed the prejudices of certain parts of the community but I doubt was enough on its own to point the finger.
Although just over twenty years later the Manchester Guardian returned to the story on the retirement of Mr Cobbold who had been Curator of the Cactus House since it was built, reporting that “in the days of the militant suffragettes [he] had to guard the cactus house from violence, and one occasion an attempt was actually made to blow it up.”**
That said I am off to trawl the records for any reports of arrests or convictions but may be pipped at the post by someone who can quote chapter and verse.
And with the confidence that my work might be done for me I went looking instead for the Cactus House but alas it is no more.
Despite being repaired and being a visitor draw, the collection the Coporation planned moving it to a new Cactus House in Wythenshawe Park in 1936.
Location, Alexandra Park, Manchester
Picture; Cactus House, Alexandra Park, Moss Side, Chief Constable and some of his staff early on the spot after attack by Suffragettes Date 1913, m57683 , and extract from the Manchester Guardian, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass
*Early Morning Outrage, Explosion at Manchester cactus House, Senseless Piece of Work, Manchester Guardian November 12 1913
**In Manchester, Keeper of the Cacti, Manchester Guardian, January 31, 1934
 |
| Viewing the damage, November 11 1913 |
at the back entrance of the building which when detonated “a considerable portion of the Cactus-house .... was blown away and much damage was done.”*
The Cactus House had been opened in 1906 and contained the collection of Mr Charles Darrah which had been left to the Park by his widow.
Despite the absence of any evidence the police suspected it was the work of the suffragettes and part of the campaign to damage property in support of the demand of the extension of the vote to women which had been going on throughout the year.
According to the Manchester Guardian, “though there was nothing to indicate that the outrage was the work of militant suffragists the police entertain the belief that they are responsible for it.
The Chief Constable, Mr R Peacock, who lives on the other side of the park, was early on the scene.
He stated that although none of the literature usually found where outrages are perpetrated by violent women was discovered, he had no doubt on the subject.”*
 |
| Broken windows |
Although just over twenty years later the Manchester Guardian returned to the story on the retirement of Mr Cobbold who had been Curator of the Cactus House since it was built, reporting that “in the days of the militant suffragettes [he] had to guard the cactus house from violence, and one occasion an attempt was actually made to blow it up.”**
That said I am off to trawl the records for any reports of arrests or convictions but may be pipped at the post by someone who can quote chapter and verse.
And with the confidence that my work might be done for me I went looking instead for the Cactus House but alas it is no more.
Despite being repaired and being a visitor draw, the collection the Coporation planned moving it to a new Cactus House in Wythenshawe Park in 1936.
 |
| The Manchester Guardian, 1913 |
Location, Alexandra Park, Manchester
Picture; Cactus House, Alexandra Park, Moss Side, Chief Constable and some of his staff early on the spot after attack by Suffragettes Date 1913, m57683 , and extract from the Manchester Guardian, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass
*Early Morning Outrage, Explosion at Manchester cactus House, Senseless Piece of Work, Manchester Guardian November 12 1913
**In Manchester, Keeper of the Cacti, Manchester Guardian, January 31, 1934
I thought you were about to identify the true culprit!
ReplyDelete