 Annie Kenney , born in nearby Springhead , and who worked in Oldham 's cotton mills , was a notable member of the Suffragette movement credited with sparking off suffragette militancy when she heckled Winston Churchill , and later ( with Emmeline Pankhurst ) the first Suffragist to be imprisoned . Oldham Women 's Suffrage Society was established in 1910 with Margery Lees as president and quickly joined the Manchester and District Federation of the National Union of Women 's Suffrage Societies . The Chartist and Co @-@ operative movements had strong support in the town , whilst many Oldhamers protested against the emancipation of slaves . The Riot Act was read in 1852 on election day following a mass public brawl over the Reform Act , and irregularities with parliamentary candidate nominations . 
