On Saturday 18 July, we launched our project by revisiting a section of the walk produced in the 1980s by Catherine Hall for the Feminist Review journal. The purpose of the trail was to reflect on the history detailed in the original walk and think about further research possibilities for women’s history in the city, hopefully using the knowledge and experience of the group as women working, studying and living in Birmingham.
Sian Roberts led the walk and we were joined by 24 participants, including teachers from Perry Beeches II and Waverley School, whose Year 10 pupils will be working with us on the project when they return from summer break. The walk began at Birmingham Cathedral. Nearby Anne Street (the former name of Colmore Row) was the location of the 19th century Birmingham Maiden’s Club. We also spoke about the attack on the cathedral by militant suffragettes that took place in March 1914, not part of the Feminist Review trail but an aspect of women’s history that we’re keen to continue exploring (some of us have been researching the suffrage campaign for some time now).
At each stop, Sian read sections from the original trail and added her own (extensive!) knowledge about women’s history and invited people to contribute their own thoughts and knowledge. As we were walking through the Jewellery Quarter, we talked a lot about working-class women and the hidden lives of women who appear fleetingly in official records such as census or parish records, and how we might piece together those lives from a range a sources. The gravestones in St Paul’s churchyard tell a depressing tale of near continual pregnancy for poor women, and infant mortality. Here we heard about Sarah Pitt, a local Jewellery Quarter resident buried in the graveyard along with her husband and her five children, all of whom had died before Sarah and at very young ages. We also heard that the grounds around the church had been known as ‘titty bottle park’ because it was where local mothers sent their daughters to look after the younger children, described by Kathleen Dayus in her book The Girl from Hockley.
From there, we walked to the junction of Newhall Street and Graham Street and heard about the charity school for girls that was located there during the 19th century. We also talked about the role of middle class philanthropic women in the city at the turn of the century, women like Beatrice and Geraldine Cadbury who had a commitment to social justice in Birmingham, looking at the judicial system in relation to women, housing and the education and training of girls by religious institutions like the Unitarians. Newhall Street was, of course, the site of many political protests in the city during the 19th century, particularly the reform protests of the early part of the century. And, contemporary illustrations show that many women were present during these demonstrations. The Science Museum was formerly located in Newhall Street, the displays celebrating the achievements of men in the industrial revolution as women’s lack of scientific education and exclusion from skilled trades prevented a role in technical innovation, however we are keen as we proceed in this project to uncover women who were involved in the sciences and industry.
Our final stop was the Coffin Works, for a much needed cup of tea and a fantastic whistle-stop tour of the premises, with an emphasis on two very influential women who worked there: Dolly Dunsby, the warehouse manager who had worked there since she was 14, and; Miss Joyce Green, who began work as a secretary for Newman Brothers aged 18 and ended up as the final director of the company who finally wound it up in 1999.
We are also excited to announce that our next event will be a talk by Catherine Hall, who is going to tell us about putting the original trail together. During the second half of the event, there will an opportunity to explore women’s history in the city from people’s personal experiences and to find out how to get involved in the project. More info on this event and how to book, to follow soon…