I WOULD like to add to Stephen Lewis’s excellent article about York’s suffragettes (‘They say I don’t count, so I won’t be counted’, January 28).

As well as the redoubtable organiser Violet Key Jones, the campaign for votes for women was mainly won by the dedicated work of the women and men who organised packed public meetings, gave out thousands of leaflets, sold the WSPU newspaper ‘Votes for Women’ and raised funds.

The most important of these dedicated women was a senior teacher at Fishergate School, Annie Coultate. It was Annie who set up the York branch of the WSPU in 1911, and became its secretary.

She set an example to the other women by devoting much of her time to the campaign by canvassing and selling Votes for Women door to door, and doing much of the donkey work needed for a successful campaign to operate.

When the WSPU moved into their new Coney Street offices, Annie’s son and the Suffield sisters of Fulford helped prepare the rooms and organised a house-warming party.

If any readers know where the York WSPU banner may be, or have photographs of Annie Coultate or other York Suffragettes, please contact Fishergate Fulford and Heslington Local History Society at www.ffhyork.weebly.com, where we have more information on the York campaign for the vote.

Chris Rainger,

Grange Street, York