Anne Clay Crenshaw

By Cinthia Haros.

Anne was born in 1859 in Richmond, KY to Cassius Marcellus Clay, an advisor to President Lincoln and to Mary Jane Warfield Clay, a homemaker. Anne was part of a big family, she had five sisters and four brothers. Her father was absent quite a bit due to his work, therefore Anne and her siblings did not have a very good relationship with him. Anne's parents, Cassius and Mary Jane, divorced when Anne was 19 years old. It did not matter that while they were married Mary managed and took good care of their large state, after the divorce she was left with nothing. Back then there were no laws to help Mary in obtaining a fair division of the property the couple obtained while they were married or any laws requiring ex husbands to provide monetary support for the former wives or children. This unfortunate situation was a wake up call for Anne and her sisters, it opened their eyes to the unfair treatment of women. After seeing the suffering of her mother, all five sisters became very involved in the Kentucky suffrage movement.
In 1886, Anne at the age of 27, married a wealthy man named Spottswood Dabney Crenshaw. After their marriage they moved to Richmond, Va. Even though she was not as active as before, Anne continued to be a part of the movement for women’s rights throughout her marriage. She had four children and the Crenshaws moved at least three times until finally in 1899 the Crenshaw family moved to a beautiful home in 919 West Franklin Street. A very trendy neighborhood known for its wealthy inhabitants. It was in this home were the first two meetings of the Equal Suffrage League of Virginia (ESL) were held. The first meeting was held in on November 20, 1909. After a few meetings Anne’s involvement with the ESL was limited but she took every chance she had to help them. She registered to vote as soon as it was possible and she also insisted in raising her children in an "atmosphere of freedom and distinct individuality."

Ray Bonnis in a document from the Virginia Commonwealth University writes about Anne Crenshaw and he states that “Anne Clay Crenshaw is symbolic of the many quiet yet determined Virginia women who for at least two centuries have fought to advance the opportunities for themselves and their children.”


The house at 919 West Franklin St now houses the Virginia Commonwealth University ,VCU's, Center for Public Policy. It was renamed the "Crenshaw House" on November 20, 2009, 100 years to the day that the first ESL meeting took place.




References:
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0886827.html
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0886827.html
http://www.library.vcu.edu/jbc/speccoll/exhibit/crenshaw.html