‘Nicholaa, not thinking about anything womanly, defended … [Lincoln] castle manfully’[1] Nicholaa de la Haye was a medieval noblewoman who defied the social expectations of her day. She held the office of castellan[2] of Lincoln Castle, successfully defending it during the Battle of Lincoln in 1217, and jointly held the office of sheriff of Lincoln … Read more
‘It would be a great saving of effort to work for one Blanket Bill remedying all the remaining injustices, designed to abolish sex discrimination in law and to establish and maintain equality before the law for all citizens without distinctions based on sex.’ [1] -Dorothy Evans Rather than slowly chipping away at individual pieces of … Read more
“Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans, no more merciful beheadings, and call off Christmas!” This was Alan Rickman famously portraying the Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The Sheriff of Nottingham is one of history’s best known baddies and, unlike the mythical Robin Hood, Rickman’s character was … Read more
When we think of women campaigning for the vote we tend to think of the Suffragettes, those organised by the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) led by the redoubtable Emmeline Pankhurst. We may also think of the Suffragists, women who campaigned for the vote within the bounds of the law. These women were principally … Read more
Since its opening in 1886, Royal Holloway College has had many student-led societies for sport, politics and other interests. In the 1920s, the College had an active Society for Equal Citizenship, which was a feminist group affiliated with the National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship (NUSEC). The organisation formerly known as the National Union … Read more
Following the 1918 Representation of the People Act the organisation formerly known as the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) transformed into the National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship (NUSEC). Despite their main object ‘to secure a real equality of liberties, status and opportunities between men and women’ there was tension and disagreement … Read more
The Charter of the Forest is among the first statutes in environmental law of any nation. Crafted to reform patently unjust governance of natural resources in thirteenth century England, the Charter of the forest became a framework through which to reconcile competing environmental claims, then and into the future.[1] On 6th November 1217 the Charter … Read more
‘Poll Taxes’ have become synonymous in the public consciousness with protest, but why is this? What is it about the Poll Tax and its use throughout history that has caused such anger amongst the British people? Firstly, what do we actually mean by ‘Poll Tax’, and how is it different to any other tax that … Read more
Following the passing of the Representation of the People Act in 1918, which enfranchised some women over 30, the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), the umbrella organisation for the law-abiding ‘suffragists’, evolved into the National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship (NUSEC). Like the NUWSS, the re-branded NUSEC drew together and represented smaller … Read more
In this post Abbie Evans interviews Kathy Atherton, a local historian and Exhibitions Team leader at Dorking Museum, and Royal Holloway PhD researcher, Katie Broomfield, about the Citizens project upcoming short film on the Pethick Lawrences and Women’s Suffrage. Abbie: Kathy, can you start by telling our readers about Dorking Museum? Kathy: Of course, Dorking … Read more
