Three women living on the Isle of Wight signed the petition that Mill presented in 1866. Ellen Cantelo – 69 High Street Newport, Sarah James – St James Street Newport and Elizabeth Thompson of Carisbrooke. So how did these ladies come to sign this significant petition?
The Cantelo family were part of the Chartist movement and were politically knowledgeable, politically active and no stranger to a fight against the system. Ellen’s father (William) was a publican in Newport, holding the position of Landlord of the Eight Bells and the Castle Inn.
Ellen was an accomplished water colourist and during a period in the 1860’s whilst living in London she was catalogued and became amember of the Royal Society of Water Colourists. This was about the peak of your career, as women were not permitted to join the Royal Academy. Ellen buil her career as a landscape painter and a number of her works are in store at the Carisbrooke Castle Museum.
On her return to the Island her artistic and enquiring nature led to her experiment with photography. She went into business with Mr Brading and formed Brading and Cantelo who photographed Island scenes some of which became picture postcards.
Ellen never married and died in 1898 while living in Lake, after what appears to be a full and successful career. She left £253.00 to her sister Elizabeth Thompson (the other signee of the petition). As for Sarah James, no obvious specific connections but she could have links to the Cantelos too, perhaps a fiancé or cousin of this politically knowledgeable family.
To find out more about the 1866 petition and to look who signed it you can download the signatories here http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/electionsvoting/womenvote/parliamentary-collections/1866-suffrage-petition/