Downing Gallery

The General Strike - Government leaders

Government leaders during the General Strike: Ministers and Commissioners. 1. Chief Civil Commissioner: Sir W. Mitchell-Thomson, 2. Principal Chief Assistant Commissioner, Mr. A. B. Lowry, 3. Civil Commissioner, London and Home Counties Division: Major W. Cope, 4. Civil Commissioner, Eastern Division: Major Sir Philip Sassoon, 5. Coal-owner's representatives leaving Downing Street: (Left to right) Messrs. W. A. Lee, Evan Williams, Edward Mann, and Guthrie. 6. Civil Commissioner for the North Midland Division: Captain H. Douglas King, 7. The Members of the Coal Commission: (Left to right) Mr. Kenneth Lee, Sir William Beveridge, Sir Herbert Samuel, (Chairman) and Sir Herbert Lawrence. 8. Minister of Labour: Sir Arthur Steel Maitland. 9. Civil Commissioner, Midland Division: Lt. Col. the Hon. G.F. Stanley. 11. Civil Commissioner, North Eastern Division: Captain D. H. Hacking. 12. Parliamentary Secretary to the Department of Mines: Col. G.R. Lane-Fox, 13. Civil Commissioner, South Midland Division: Major Earl Winterton, 14. The Home Secretary: Sir William Joynson-Hicks. In support of a strike by coal miners over the issue of threatened wage cuts, the Trades Union Congress called a General Strike in early May 1926. The strike only involved certain key industrial sectors (docks, electricity, gas, railways) but, in the face of well-organised government emergency measures and lack of real public support, it collapsed after nine days

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

Police removing suffragettes chained to railings 1908

Police officers removing Edith New and Olivia Smith from the railings of 10. Downing Street. The image is interestingly captioned, describing the actions of the suffragettes as a raid and clarifying that it was with very little trouble that the police were able to break the chains and arrest the two women. Ms New and Ms Smith chained themselves and shouted votes for women as a distraction while fellow suffragettes Flora Drummond and Mary Macarthur attempted to enter the cabinet meeting taking place at the time. Date: 1908

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

Receipt, Asylum for Idiots, Earlswood, Redhill, Surrey

Receipt from the Asylum for Idiots, Earlswood, Redhill, Surrey, dated 6 June 1889, confirming one year's subscription of one guinea from Mrs R Blake Byass, signed by James Downing, Secretary, 36 King Willam Street, London Bridge, London. The Royal Earlswood Hospital (or The Royal Earlswood Asylum for Idiots) was the first establishment to cater specifically for people with learning disabilities. Date: 1889

© The David Pearson Collection/Mary Evans Picture Library