Peterborough Women's History Group

Local talk. Life and death on the Victorian railway. 6th November 2025. Werrington Village Centre. 7:30pm. £5 on the door.

Our member @sophiemhistory.bsky.social is speaking at Werrington NEXT WEEK on the development and impact of the railway on Victorian Peterborough.

Come along if you can!

Should you find yourself in the general Peterborough area, I'm giving a talk in aid of the John Clare Cottage appeal on Sat 15 Nov, 3pm
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inconvenie...

Site of first purpose-built prisoner of war camp saved by Historic England funding Norman Cross prison in Cambridgeshire was home to up to 7,000 inmates during French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars

Wonderful news for the area!
Our member @clairehistory.bsky.social is working on a PhD around the material culture and economy of Norman Cross, including how the people of Peterborough interacted with the camp.

www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...

Next weekend there’s going to be a celebration of Patty Clare, the wife of poet John Clare, in Northborough near Peterborough. We’ve got some cracking speakers, food and music at the Packhorse, poetry, flowers and cake! Tickets are available on the door

A local (ish) murder!

I’ve been busy! An embroidered interpretation of Peterborough in 1721 (and there are pigs 🐖)

An embroidery ring holding an embroidered map. The waterways are picked out in blue, the buildings in grey and trees in green. Churches are in gold. It is very detailed.

I am completely gobsmacked by this beautiful gift from @clairehistory.bsky.social. It is so unexpected and detailed and amazing

Today, I’ve had a snout at the medical book of Dr Thomas James Walker which is usually on display at Peterborough Museum.

Chronic fatigue was a major issue in 1920

I spent quite a long time denigrating Peterborough at the conference so to balance that out… in the 1060s, it was known as the Golden Borough as it ‘waxed in gold, silver and land’

As recently noted @pborowomenshist.bsky.social

This blog has been slightly reworked to include some additional info!

‘Notorious’ Dinah Scotney Dinah Scotney was very well-known in Peterborough during her lifetime and often labelled as ‘notorious’, but she wasn’t a celebrity, or a wealthy member of Peterborough’s elite, as you might assume…

We have a groundbreaking story for you this week. Our member @clairehistory.bsky.social has been researching one of Peterborough's first known openly transgender residents.

peterboroughwomenshistory.wordpress.com/2025/02/13/n...

Pamphlet from 1971 - men who matter (and a lady or two as well)

I visited Hazel's exhibition at the Museum yesterday about Trades Unions and coordination and representation in and around Peterborough. Very interesting! Especially the final illustration....

Our member Sophie has found another interesting story associated with the city, and solved a mystery in the process.

Q: Whose shoulders are today’s sociologists standing upon? 📚 🪜
A: Some of them are sociologists’ wives👩🏻‍💼✍️
Read about role of social researchers’ wives in post-war British studies, inc. Phyllis Willmott, Pat Marsden, Sheila Jackson/Abrams, Ruth Townsend, Kay Titmuss #openaccess

The coronation of Charles VII, featuring Joan of Arc holding an unfurled banner.

A composite image showing portraits of Shajar al-Durr, Joan of Arc, Margery Kempe, Empress Matilda and Christine de Pizan.

So pleased to reveal a project I've been working on the last few months: an animation inspired by our Medieval Women exhibition, telling the story of five of its key figures.

The full animation can be seen in today's post on the Medieval MSS blog!

blogs.bl.uk/digitisedman...

Christmas Entertainment and Feasts We like to think that many of our current Christmas traditions have changed little since the Victorian period; Christmas pudding, Santa Claus, decorated trees and the giving of sweets all appear to…

Merry Christmas from the Peterborough Women's History Group!

Our gift to you, a roundup of Victorian festive treats in the city...

peterboroughwomenshistory.wordpress.com/2024/12/19/c...

Over Her Dead Body: Mary Gale Mary Gale DATE: Christmas 1891 AGE: 72 It’s Christmas in Peterborough. The lights are on, the streets are busy, the pubs are full. An eccentric old woman lives in a tiny lodging on Gray’s Yard, beh…

It's been a while since we posted one of these, but we have a Horrid Christmas Death for you! This is the story of Mary Gale who died mysteriously in Peterborough at Christmas 1891

peterboroughwomenshistory.wordpress.com/2024/12/13/o...

Why women's history?
Well, this is why.

We are EXTREMELY PLEASED AND PROUD to announce the publication of our member @clairehistory.bsky.social's new book "Exploring the Lives of Victorian Prostitutes" with Pen&Sword. This book, based on Claire's MRes work, is an absolute must for anyone researching 19thC working class women in England.

The Strange Tale of the Drowned Woman of Werrington by Sophie Michell This is a story I told to the Werrington Local History Society in early 2023, but it’s a story that passed into local legend long before my time. I’m going to offer a couple of diffe...

NEW ON THE BLOG: The Strange Tale of the Drowned Woman of Werrington

A murder? Maybe...

peterboroughwomenshistory.wordpress.com/2024/09/16/t...

A Spectacular Life: Part One In the first of this two-parter delving into the extraordinary life of Mary, Queen of Scots, we look at her earlier life and how she ended up living in a castle near Peterborough. Keep your eyes peele...

NEW ON THE BLOG: Mary Queen of Scots was executed near Peterborough and her initial burial site was Peterborough cathedral. This is the first part of a blog exploring why and how:

peterboroughwomenshistory.wordpress.com/2024/06/07/a...

HELLO NEW FOLLOWERS!

We are a small group of historians based in Peterborough (UK). We research WOMEN'S HISTORY, and regularly publish stories on our blog.

Sadie is a member of @pborowomenshist.bsky.social and I can confirm that her website is a really interesting read!

The Strange Tale of the Drowned Woman of Werrington by Sophie Michell This is a story I told to the Werrington Local History Society in early 2023, but it’s a story that passed into local legend long before my time. I’m going to offer a couple of diffe...

NEW ON THE BLOG: The Strange Tale of the Drowned Woman of Werrington

A murder? Maybe...

peterboroughwomenshistory.wordpress.com/2024/09/16/t...

We are EXTREMELY PLEASED AND PROUD to announce the publication of our member @clairehistory.bsky.social's new book "Exploring the Lives of Victorian Prostitutes" with Pen&Sword. This book, based on Claire's MRes work, is an absolute must for anyone researching 19thC working class women in England.

A Spectacular Life: Part Two Following on from last week's fascinating introduction to the life of Mary, Queen of Scots and her link to the Peterborough area, we continue it today with the second part, where Fotheringhay and Pete...

NEW ON THE BLOG: The story of Mary Queen of Scots' execution and (initial) burial at Peterborough: peterboroughwomenshistory.wordpress.com/2024/06/14/a...

A Spectacular Life: Part One In the first of this two-parter delving into the extraordinary life of Mary, Queen of Scots, we look at her earlier life and how she ended up living in a castle near Peterborough. Keep your eyes peele...

NEW ON THE BLOG: Mary Queen of Scots was executed near Peterborough and her initial burial site was Peterborough cathedral. This is the first part of a blog exploring why and how:

peterboroughwomenshistory.wordpress.com/2024/06/07/a...

A Visit to The Cromwell Museum Continuing in our series of blogposts inspired by or connected to people involved in heritage and history in the area, one of our members popped over to The Cromwell Museum, in nearby Huntingdon. She ...

NEW ON THE BLOG: Looking for something to do over Easter? The Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon has an exhibition on the Cromwell women running until 7th April. It's free!

peterboroughwomenshistory.wordpress.com/2024/03/19/a...

Over Her Dead Body: Bertha May Green Bertha May Green DATE: 17 Nov 1901 AGE: 17 Bertha Green was born in March in 1884. Her father, Joseph, was a policeman and they lived in various fenland villages before settling in Thorney in the 1890...

NEW ON THE BLOG:

The tragic death of Bertha Green who, unusually for Peterborough, died following an accident at work

peterboroughwomenshistory.wordpress.com/2024/03/08/o...