U3A – Citizens Project

Royal Holloway is proud to be partnered with the University of the Third Age

U3A members are welcome to join our rolling programme of Shared Learning projects.

What are Shared Learning Projects?

Shared Learning Projects started in the autumn of 2002 at the British Museum and, since then, they have flourished throughout the UK. SLPs involve a team of U3A members, usually from more than one U3A, carrying out research for an institution such as a museum, archive or gallery where there is a specific project to which volunteers can contribute. The emphasis is on partnership: the host organisation working with members of the U3A team who are contributing their learning to the project.

Citizens project Shared Learning Projects

For phase two of the Citizens project's Shared Learning Projects we are hosting a series of Research Retreats where members of the U3A can help us delve into the archives to help us examine key milestones in the history of liberty, protest, rebellion and reform. Most Research Retreats will be held at Royal Holloway's campus in London and more dates will be added, so please do check back from time to time for updates.

Research Retreat Example

On 7th November 2018 a small group of U3A volunteers joined us at Royal Holloway to delve into the British Newspaper Archive to plot reports in March 1913 of 'Suffragette Outrages'. The resulting Google My Map now features in our online course with the UK Parliament, Beyond the Ballot, and will later be added to our resources for schools. Click on the map to explore our research.

Here is a snippet from one of the reports featured:

Bomb discovered in Dublin Theatre: The bomb at the Empire Theatre was set to explode during a busy Saturday matinee performance when hundreds of people were in the building. The bomb was discovered moments before the lit fuse could reach the explosive material. Marcella M'Gurk (aged 25) was arrested in connection with the bomb. The bomb was made of a canister filled with 42 rounds of lead bullets, packed with paraffin-soaked cotton wads and with a cotton fuse. A note was discovered with the device saying 'Votes for Women, Life and Property not safe til we get it'.

Reported in the Irish Independent on Monday 12th May 1913.

30th January 2019

Suffragette Militancy

How extensive were Suffragette militant acts and what forms did they take? Join us as we delve into the online newspaper archives to discover how far some Suffragettes were willing to take the motto 'deeds not words'.

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10th April 2019

Chartism 180

What was the response to the first mass Chartist petition presented to Parliament in 1839? Join us as we delve into contemporary newspaper archives and biographies of key figures to find out more.

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27th February 2019

Peterloo Rediscovered

What was the popular reaction to the Peterloo Massacre in August 1819? Join us as we examine copies of testimonies held at The National Archives and review contemporary newspaper accounts of this seminal event in our democratic heritage.

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8th May 2019

The Great Unrest

The period 1910-1914 saw a wave of industrial action across Britain. In this Research Retreat we will look at one month in particular to map, using contemporary newspaper accounts, the scale of the challenge facing the government.

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24th July 2019

The Home Rule Crisis

On 11th April 1912 the Third Home Rule Bill was introduced, promising to create devolved government for Ireland. A crisis followed, with opposition from the Lords and unionists. Join us as we examine how the crisis unfolded. More details to follow soon.

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6th March 2019

Peterloo Rediscovered

What was the official reaction to the Peterloo Massacre in August 1819? Join us as we examine copies of testimonies held at The National Archives and review contemporary newspaper accounts of this seminal event in our democratic heritage.

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26th June 2019

Peers vs the People

What was the press coverage like of the constitutional crisis that followed the House of Lords' attempts to frustrate Lloyd George's 1909 budget, dubbed 'the People's Budget'? Join us as we explore the newspaper archives.

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Shared Learning Projects: Phase One

In Phase One of the Citizens project, U3A volunteers submitted articles exploring topics or introducing events or people special to their locality or area of interest. While this phase is now formally closed if you would still like to submit an article please contact us as citizens@rhul.ac.uk to discuss your ideas. In the meantime, here is a selection of some of the articles U3A members have contributed.

Harry William Hobart (1854-1941)

May 17, 2019

Harry William Hobart (1854-1941) was a lifelong social democrat. Heavily involved with trade unions, he took part in many of the attempts that took place at the end of the nineteenth century to gain better rights and protections for workers. Hobart was born in Walworth, south east London. His interest in radical politics seems to ... Read more

John Hampden 1595-1643: ‘Against my King I do not fight, But for my King and Kingdom’s right’

May 10, 2019

In the seventeenth century, Hampden emerged as a powerful influence in the struggle between Charles I and Parliament that culminated in the English Civil War. Background Born in 1594, John Hampden was the eldest son and heir of William Hampden of Buckinghamshire, and Oliver Cromwell’s cousin. Raised as a Protestant, he was educated at ... Read more

David Widgery: ‘The Good Doctor’

May 10, 2019

‘Dr David Widgery (1947 – 1992) practiced locally as a GP. As a Socialist and a writer, his life and work were an inspiration in the fight against injustice.’ – Memorial plaque – St Anne’s church, Limehouse, London. David Widgery’s activism spanned a period that included the revolutionary changes of the 1960s, through to the ... Read more

Unlocking Doors: Josephine Butler and the Repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts

Apr 5, 2019

Address to the Women of Portsmouth, July 1870 In the second half of the nineteenth century, British feminists expressed concern about the sexual double standard. One of their greatest victories was the repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts (CDAs) in 1886. The first Act was passed in 1864, followed by others in 1866 and 1869. ... Read more

Margaret and Norah O’Shea: Portsmouth Campaigners for Votes for Women

Mar 29, 2019

Margaret and Norah O’Shea were sisters and suffragist activists. They were the children of Rodney and Elizabeth O’Shea. Margaret, the third child, was born in 1860 and Norah, the sixth child, was born in 1865. From looking at the census returns it is clear that both sisters lived privileged lives before the First World War. ... Read more

The Home that Leila Built… The Caldecott Community

Mar 22, 2019

Leila Rendel (1882-1969) was a social worker and children’s campaigner. She co-founded the Caldecott Community, a pioneering boarding school, which cares for distressed and vulnerable children. Rendel came from a well-connected London family. Her father was William Rendel, a civil engineer, and her mother was the daughter of a well-known Victorian publisher, Kegan Paul. Rendel ... Read more

Suffragette Activity in and around Gravesend and North Kent

Mar 15, 2019

Although accounts of the suffrage campaign often focus on major cities, such as London and Manchester, it was a national movement. All three of the most prominent societies: the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), and the Women’s Freedom League (WFL) had branches across the country. Gravesend ... Read more

Human Rights in the British Armed Forces

Mar 8, 2019

Throughout British history, those fighting in the armed forces have often experienced violations of their human rights. Until the nineteenth century this was rarely considered an important issue. However, since the nineteenth century, the small area of Easthampstead in Berkshire has produced several people who have stood up and fought for these rights, including John ... Read more

The Campaign for Votes for Women in Portsmouth

Mar 1, 2019

At the beginning of the twentieth century, there were several organisations campaigning for women’s right to vote in Portsmouth. The most prominent one was the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), with the local branch established in 1909. Other local societies also involved in the suffrage movement included the Women’s Labour League, the Conservative ... Read more

U3A member? Contact us for more information.

Enquiries submitted using this form will be sent to Jennifer Simpson, the National Coordinator of Shared Learning Projects. For U3A members who have already signed up to the projects please contact us by emailing: citizens@rhul.ac.uk