In 1882, after a series of earlier reforms, the Married Women’s Property Act passed for England, Wales and Ireland, while Scotland had a less extensive Act in 1880 and another in 1881. The Act restored to married women the right…
Category: Women’s History
Nineteenth century humour
Like the modern tabloid, nineteenth century newspapers liked to carry jokes for their readers. And, like the modern tabloid, they often carried misogynist undertones. This selection is from the Anglo-Celt in 1871: A ferocious bachelor defines marriage as a crime…
Bastille Day
The French are celebrating the fall of the Bastille today: a symbol of oppression smashed by the force of the people. It might be worth remembering on this day a few examples of women’s strength exerted in good causes. On 14…
No person may credit…
Before the Married Women’s Property Acts of the nineteenth century, the marriage law in England, Wales and Ireland removed a wife’s right to her own property, putting it under the control of her husband. Yet, the other side of this…
Independence Day
The Americans are celebrating their independence from Britain today. Congratulations and good luck to them. But what about celebrating a couple of other, smaller victories from this date? On 4 July 1784 Hester Thrale composed a letter of measured, dignified…
Before there was Internet 3: Pornography
Pornography, now easily accessible through the internet but available on top-shelves or on backstreets for several centuries, continues to hold an ambiguous social role in the current world. For some, pornography is for harmless sexual release, to help spice up…
Coping with Miscarriage in the Nineteenth Century.
Miscarriage was a common event in the lives of women in the past as it is today. In an era where baptism was important for the salvation of babies, midwives and doctors were given instructions on how to respond to…
Remembering Scottish Women’s Aid in the 1970s and 1980s
As part of my research into marriage and marriage breakdown in late twentieth-century Scotland, I have been lucky enough to be able to examine a series of twelve oral history interviews that were conducted as part of the Scottish Women’s…
Cross-dressing in historical perspective.
In 1825, Harriet Moore, a native of Sligo, Ireland, found herself the subject of national publicity after it emerged that she had lived as a man for the last six or seven years. At age 14, Harriet’s parents died and…