Violet was the daughter of Canon Hay Aitken of Norwich Cathedral. She was imprisoned on a number of occasions, once in May 1912 for breaking 12 windows at 245 Regent Street, a premises owned by Jays Ltd, a department store selling fashionable women's clothing. The window breaking campaign was employed by the Women's Political and Social Union to bring attention to the Women's rights movement. In total 220 men and women were arrested, of whom 150 were sentenced to time in prison.
