Leonora Cohen - Death and Legacy

Death and Legacy

At the time of her death, the Times newspaper published Cohen’s passing in the obituary section. The short column attempts to reflect on Cohen’s life and highlight the extraordinary accomplishments in her 105 years spent on earth. The column mentions her award as an OBE, her job as a bodyguard for Mrs. Pankhurst, her imprisonment and hunger strike and her title as the “Tower Suffragette” for the damage she did with the iron bar in the Tower of London. From her short obituary, Cohen was clearly remembered for the actions she took to defend the rights of women. She was seen as a regional activist who was willing to die for the cause that she felt so passionately about.

When Cohen took the iron bar and smashed it through the glass showcase, she had attached a note to the bar. What she wrote on the note clearly states and summarizes why Cohen was willing to sacrifice her comfortable life to boldly defend the rights of women all over Britain: “Jewel House, Tower of London. My Protest to the Government for its refusal to Enfranchise Women, but continues to torture women prisoners – Deeds Not Words. Lenora Cohen”/ reverse “Votes for Women. 100 years of Constitutional Petition, Resolutions, Meetings & Processions have Failed.”