In browsing the English State Papers in the National Archives at Kew or the State Papers Online database, one of the most common types of documents you will encounter are petitions to the crown. Within this subset of records, there…
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30th June: ‘Living as Man and Wife’: Women and Cohabitation in Scotland, 1560-1750
Wednesday, 30th June 2021, 4pm (UK) Dr Rebecca Mason, University of Glasgow Cohabitation, in very broad terms, can be defined as an arrangement in which an unmarried couple lives together in a long-term relationship that resembles a marriage. Throughout history,…
Herstories Student Conference – 8 March 2021
On 8th March 2021 the Women’s History Network held a student conference called Studying Herstories. Due to the Covid pandemic, this took place online enabling a wide range of speakers and attendees from different backgrounds, institutions, and career stages to…
The Miracle Workers Research Project at The Devil’s Porridge Museum by Laura Noakes
The Devil’s Porridge Museum in Eastriggs commemorates the story of H.M. Factory Gretna, a munitions factory which produced cordite in World War One. 30,000 people came from all over the UK and beyond to work at the factory, and a…
16th June 2021: Chinese women in medicine and music in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
Wednesday, 16th June 2021 at 4pm (UK) Join us for this exciting double-bill on Chinese women and their roles in medicine and music in the early twentieth century. ‘Space, Gender, and Medicine: Chinese Female Doctors in the Late Qing and…
The bizarre 1858 ‘Princes Park Crinoline Case’: 13-year-old girl is key witness in Liverpool’s highest-attendance trial by Tony Whittaker
Pleasant autumn weather on Monday 1 November 1858 prompted governess Jane Marsh (20) to give her two charges, Mary Hayes (13½) and sister Alice (12), a break from studies. After an early lunch, they bid farewell to two younger sisters…
The Decriminalisation of Abortion in The Maritime Provinces of Canada and Scotland by Amy Joyce
The Maritime Provinces of Canada and Scotland have strong historical ties that link the areas closely. In both places, the decriminalisation of abortion in the late 1960s was a milestone in women’s history but sparked fierce pro-choice and pro-life debates…
Fellowships for Independent Researchers
The Women’s History Network is offering a small grant of up to £750 to support the direct costs of those researching women’s history, for those who are not employed in higher education. The research should be intended to lead to…
Women’s History Network Early Career Fellowship 2021/22
The Women’s History Network is offering three WHN fellowships to support Early Career Researchers. Each fellowship is designed to provide financial support to those who have completed their doctorate but are yet to secure their first academic post. The fellowship includes:…



