Key learning points

1. Emily Davison was born in South East London in 1872.
2. When she was eight years old, one of her sisters died from a deadly disease, diphtheria.
3. Emily loved reading so much that she went on to study literature at university.
4. She did well in her studies and got such high marks that she should have received a degree.
5. However, as a woman, Emily was not allowed to get a degree.

Keywords

• Diphtheria - diphtheria was a common childhood disease in Victorian England which affected the throat or skin

• Literature - literature is written work such as stories, poems and plays

• Degree - a degree is a certificate to show someone has completed studying a subject at university

Common misconception