All articles in Women in History
28th September, 2016 in Women in History
11 little-known things about Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
A pioneering physician, political campaigner and suffragette, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was the first woman to gain a medical qualification in Britain. Amongst her many achievements she was also the co-founder of the first hospital to be staffed by women, the first dean of a Bri…
21st September, 2016 in Society & Culture, Women in History
The Pankhursts: Politics, protest and passion
More than any other name, Pankhurst is associated with the struggle for women’s right to vote. The Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), the leading militant organisation campaigning for Women’s suffrage in the United Kingdom, was founded at the Pankhurst family home in…
16th September, 2016 in Biography & Memoir, Military, Women in History
Ask the author: Peter Hore on forgotten WWII hero Mary Lindell
Peter Hore is the author of Lindell’s List, which tells the moving story of Mary Lindell’s heroic leadership and the endurance of a group of women who defied the Nazis in the Second World War. We asked him about the inspiration behind the book, conducting research and w…
12th August, 2016 in History, Women in History
Eight little-known facts about Florence Nightingale
Celebrated social reformer Florence Nightingale is remembered as ‘The Lady with the Lamp’ who came to prominence while managing nurses she had trained, and tenderly nursing wounded soldiers, during the Crimean War. In 1860 she laid the foundation of modern, professional nursing w…
19th July, 2016 in Society & Culture, Women in History
Non-militant suffragettes and their peaceful march for votes
The Women’s Suffrage Pilgrimage of July 1913 was a peaceful march designed to show the British government the sheer number of women from across the country who demanded the right to vote. Members of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) set off on foot, or some…
18th July, 2016 in Local & Family History, Women in History
The Beatrix Potter pilgrimage
July 2016 marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter: well-loved British author, illustrator, entrepreneur, farmer and respected conservationist. To celebrate, we have chosen some lovely spots in her beloved Lakeland that you can visit. Why not walk in her footst…
7th July, 2016 in History, Women in History
Lady Jane Grey in six places
Lady Jane Grey is primarily known as the ‘Nine Days Queen’, the great-niece of Henry VII and the Tudor usurper who took the crown from Queen Mary I. A tragic figure used as a pawn in a political game, she was only 17 when she was beheaded. Though her life was brief, she rem…
16th June, 2016 in History, Women in History
Seven little-known facts about Queen Victoria
Seven things you (probably) didn’t know about the ‘Grandmother of Europe’. Full name: Alexandrina Victoria Birth: 24 May 1819 Death: 22 January 1901 Reign: Ascended to the throne on 20 June 1837, and was crowned in Westminster Abbey on 28 June 1838 Marriage: 10 February 184…
22nd May, 2016 in Biography & Memoir, Military, Women in History
Joan of Arc: Three ways the ‘Maid of Orléans’ made history
Joan of Arc’s short yet extraordinary life has inspired writers, artists, activists, and politicians throughout time. Her story is featured everywhere from First World War song lyrics to a new musical by David Byrne. She rose to fame with her notable military victory on the battl…
17th May, 2016 in Local & Family History, Military, Women in History
How the well-organised women of Cheltenham contributed to the war effort
In the early years of the twentieth century there were large numbers of ex-colonial, retired military personnel in Cheltenham – a leisured class with time on their hands and a culture of looking after their ‘troops’. As the young men left for war, groups of women came forwar…
29th April, 2016 in History, Women in History
Mary, Queen of Scots’ great escape
On the 2 May 1568 Mary, Queen of Scots escaped Lochleven castle, where she had been kept prisoner for almost eleven months, in a highly daring escapade. The background Despite acceding to the Scottish throne at just six days old, Mary spent the majority of her childhood in…
14th April, 2016 in Biography & Memoir, Women in History
20 things you (probably) didn’t know about Charlotte Brontë
Whether we’ve read it at school or in later life, or seen one of the many film and television adaptations, we all know the story of the plain governess who falls in love with the stern rich master hiding a big secret in his attic. Yet, work of genius though it undoubtedly is, the…