women’s history – The British Newspaper Archive Blog

Blog

Lottie Dod – the Youngest Winner of the Ladies’ Singles at Wimbledon

Merseyside-born, Charlotte ‘Lottie’ Dod, is the youngest ever winner of the Wimbledon Ladies Singles Championship, achieving her triumph in 1887 at the tender age of 15 years and 285 days. She won the singles title a remarkable five times in total, between the years 1887 and 1893. An article in the Sheffield Independent chronicles Lottie’s first ever Wimbledon victory in 1887. About the ladies’ singles there is little to be said – only five entered as against eight last year. Miss

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , ,

The First Suffragette – Celebrating The Legacy of Mary Wollstonecraft

Eighteenth century writer, philosopher and early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft faced censure in her lifetime, not just for her radical beliefs, but also for her rejection of societal norms. Long after her death, however, attitudes began to shift, as she gained recognition as a trailblazing fighter for women’s equality and became an inspirational figure in the women’s suffrage movement. Following on from our blog on the life of Mary Wollstonecraft, in this second and final blog we shall examine the writer’s

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

The Radical Life and Rare Philosophy of Mary Wollstonecraft

Eighteenth century writer and philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft was an early advocate of women’s rights. Lambasted during her lifetime for her refusal to conform to societal norms, she is seen today as one of the first feminist philosophers. In part one of our special blog series, we will examine the life of Mary Wollstonecraft, using newspapers found in our Archive. We will trace her life from its early difficulties, through to the publication of her trailblazing novels and pamphlets, learning how

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hot Off The Press – New Titles This Week

This week we are visiting the seaside town of Morecambe with the addition of brand new title the Morecambe Visitor. Meanwhile, in all, we’ve added 102,467 brand new pages over the last seven days, with updates to 24 of our existing newspaper titles from Banbury to Batley, from Chorley to Crawley, from Market Harborough to Motherwell. So read on to discover more about this week’s new title the Morecambe Visitor, and also to learn more about one of the town

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Porthole Mystery – The Murder of Gay Gibson (Part One)

The murder of 21-year-old actress Eileen Isabella Ronnie Gibson, who went by the name stage name of Gay Gibson, whilst she was travelling home from South Africa aboard the Durban Castle, in October 1947, made headlines across Britain and the world. Also known as the ‘Porthole Murder,’ thanks to the method in which Gay’s body was disposed, the case gained notoriety due to its parallels with film noir and popular fiction penned by Agatha Christie. In part one of a

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hot Off The Press – New Titles This Week

This week at The Archive we have added an impressive 70,552 brand new pages, as we mark the launch of International Women’s Year in January 1975 by the United Nations, which would form the basis of International Women’s Day. Meanwhile, we’ve added one brand new title from Scotland, the Cumbernauld News, whilst we also see updates to six of our existing titles from across the United Kingdom. So read on to discover more about our brand new title of the

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hot Off The Press – New Titles This Week

This week at The Archive we are delighted to welcome two brand new Wiltshire newspapers to our regional holdings, as we have added 112,971 brand new pages to our collection in all, with updates to our newspapers from across England, Wales and Scotland. So read on to discover more about our duo of new Wiltshire newspapers, and also to learn which of our existing titles have been updated. Meanwhile, this week also marks 110 years since the National Union of

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Unravelling the remarkable stories of the Mitford sisters

The aristocratic Mitford sisters – Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica and Deborah – hit the headlines throughout their lifetimes, with tales of scandal and intrigue filling the pages of the press from the 1920s and beyond. Born to David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, and his wife Sydney, alongside brother Thomas, the Mitford sisters often shocked society, whether it be through their political views, or their private lives. In this special blog, we shall unravel the remarkable stories of the six

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hot Off The Press – New Titles This Week

This week at The Archive we have added 5 brand new Irish titles to our collection, including the Constabulary Gazette, which was the ‘accredited organ of the Royal Irish Constabulary.’ Meanwhile, our other Irish titles cover the counties of Kerry and Wexford, whilst we have added 52,710 brand new pages in all to The Archive over the past seven days. So read on to discover more about our new Irish titles of the week, and also to learn about the

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Celebrating the Amazing Swimming Career of Mercedes Gleitze

Mercedes Gleitze (1900-1981) was the first British woman to swim the English Channel, and the first person to swim the Straits of Gibraltar. In an amazing career that spanned the 1920s and 1930s, Mercedes captured the imagination of the British public and became a household name. Born to German parents in Brighton, Mercedes was one of three sisters. Skilled in languages, she moved to London where she worked as a secretary and stenographer. Whilst living in London she began swimming

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,