All articles in Women in History
16th December, 2016 in Biography & Memoir, Women in History
Alison Plowden: Historian and biographer
Born on 18 December 1931 at Quetta, then in British India, Alison Plowden was a descendant of the great Elizabethan jurist Edmund Plowden and was also ‘Founder’s Kin’ of All Souls, Oxford through her ancestor Henry Chichele, Archbishop of Canterbury and co-founder of the college…
2nd December, 2016 in Maritime, Women in History
Dorothy Gibson: The woman who survived the sinking of the Titanic and a Nazi prison
Dorothy Winifred Gibson (1889-1946) is arguably one of the most fascinating women of the twentieth century. Her story is more than deserving of its own film or TV show and yet, if it was to ever appear on the screen, it would be in serious danger of being criticised…
30th November, 2016 in Fiction, Women in History
Queen of Crime: Agatha’s influence
When her car was found abandoned at a beauty spot close to her home in Surrey on 3 December 1926, Agatha Christie’s disappearance prompted a nationwide search involving over 1,000 people – including fellow crime writers Dorothy L. Sayers and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. With newspaper…
28th November, 2016 in Women in History
Edith Cavell and her furry four-legged friends
The story of Nurse Edith Cavell is one that many people are familiar with from the First World War, especially as 2015 was the centenary of her execution. Her defiance of the German authorities, even after being sentenced to death, still stands as a testament to her courage and w…
28th November, 2016 in Women in History
Nancy Astor: The first lady of British politics
When American-born English socialite Nancy Astor entered the House of Commons on 1 December 1919, she became the first female MP in British history to take a seat in parliament. She was elected to Parliament for Plymouth Sutton in November 1919, replacing her husband who had prev…
9th November, 2016 in Military, Women in History
Seven of the bravest female secret agents
Forget the abundant spy fiction, espionage is not just a boys’ game. In occupied Belgium and northern France 1914-18 there were several thousand women actively working against the Kaiser’s troops. In the Second World War, women of many nations fought the Nazis, risking the firing…
28th October, 2016 in Military, Women in History
Nursing during the last days of the Somme
The Somme offensive ended on November 18, 1916. However, the staff at the Order of St. John field hospital in Etaples, France, had much to contend with, from communicable diseases to aerial bombardments, before the war would finally be won. By November 1916 snow and freezing…
27th October, 2016 in History, Women in History
King Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson
Edward, Prince of Wales, eldest son of George V and Queen Mary and heir apparent, was known to the family as ‘David’. Charming and informal, he was a popular prince touring Britain and the empire, fond of golf, tennis, parties and dancing. Wanting to serve in the First World War,…
19th October, 2016 in History, Women in History
12 little-known facts about Catherine of Aragon
What do you really know about Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon? Here are 12 facts which profile this tenacious, single-minded and principled Tudor queen. 1. Betrothal to Arthur Catherine was betrothed to Henry VII’s infant son Arthur, at the age of three. Th…
10th October, 2016 in Local & Family History, Women in History
Tracing Emily Wilding Davison’s family history
Author Maureen Howes has been researching the family and life of suffragette Emily Wilding Davison for many years and yet she is still surprised by discovering new genealogical connections and pieces of evidence. Here she outlines some key points that have helped to rewrite…
10th October, 2016 in Women in History
10 things you didn’t know about Edith Cavell, nurses & Mary Lindell
English nurse Edith Cavell has gone down in history for saving soldiers on both sides of the fence and helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium during World War I. On 12 October 1915, Edith was murdered by firing squad after being a…
29th September, 2016 in Biography & Memoir, Entertainment, Women in History
How Carole Lombard’s career was almost over before it began
In 1926, budding actress Carole Lombard was still a teenager, trying to work her way through the Hollywood minefield. She had already been employed by Fox, and hoped it would lead to big things. However, she soon learned that in order to become a star, she would have to do more t…