The Long, Riotous and Completely Disreputable Life of Mary M'Ginty

On 13th October 1905, Christabel Pankhurst was arrested for the first militant activity of the suffragette campaign, disrupting a political meeting and assaulting a police officer. She was sentenced to serve time in Strangeways Prison. It was Christabel's first arrest.

A week later, Mary M'Ginty was arrested for assaulting a police officer while drunk and disorderly. When she faced the magistrates, she told them she was 'putting on the Pankhurst' to explain why she spat at the arresting officers. She was also sent to Strangeways Prison. It was Mary's 148th arrest (and far from her last).

But who was Mary M'Ginty? Join us for a special talk for Heritage Open Days to find out.

Using a vast array of sources from Findmypast (including birth records, censuses, newspapers, workhouse records and prison admissions), Dr Hannah Priest (Heritage Manager at the Pankhurst Museum and author of Unburied: The True Story of Hannah Beswick, the Manchester Museum) tells the life of Mary M'Ginty in all its riotous, raucous and tragic detail. Covering the history of Irish migration to Manchester, as well as workhouse and prison history, Mary's story is a truly memorable Mancunian tale.

Timings

Thursday 17 September:

6.30-8.00pm

Location & directions

Pankhurst Centre, 60-62 Nelson Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M13 9WP

Contact on day:

Hannah Priest

Telephone number:

+441612735673

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking required

Booking conditions:

Please book a ticket via Eventbrite

Booking website:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-long-riotous-and-completely-disreputable-life-of-mary-mginty-rogue-tickets-1989541267488?aff=oddtdtcreator

Booking opens:

01 Jun 2026 12:00 AM

Booking closes:

17 Sep 2026 04:30 PM

Accessibility details

For full access information, please see our accessibility statement: https://www.pankhurstmuseum.com/accessibility-statement

Additional information

Max number of people:

25

Estimated duration:

1 hour(s) 28 minute(s)

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