Papers of Eva Stephenson and Maurice Wilkins

The archive consists of correspondence between Eva Stephenson and her fiance Maurice Wilkins, covering the period 1910-1914. The letters describe Stephenson's experiences in Holloway prison for suffrage activism in 1910 (some letters are written on prison regulation notepaper), her life as an office worker and her family relationships. Subjects covered include: relationships with other suffragettes in prison; trials of the prison regime; Christmas in Holloway; her relationship with her mother who disapproved of her suffrage campaigning; reflections on her upbringing; employment in an office and enjoyment of her independence; her relationship with her future husband.

With typescript transcriptions of the letters by William Paul Wilkins, son of Eva and Maurice Wilkins (produced in 1998). The transcriptions include a name and place index.

Eva Stephenson was an Irish suffragette, who was imprisoned in Holloway. After her prison sentence she lived in a small village, Delgany, in County Wicklow. She was employed in an office doing secretarial work. She married Maurice Wilkins, a teacher from Dublin, c.1913.

This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

WP Wilkins, deposited the archive with the Fawcett Library in Dec 1988.

Fonds Description (1 folder only)

The letters were discovered under the stairs of the family home after the death of Maurice Wilkins.