Women’s suffrage regional historians’ conference, Monday 4 April 2016

This conference is aimed at independent local and regional historians and may also be of interest to local/regional heritage professionals.

In advance of the 2018 centenary this is an opportunity to join with others working on local and family history research relating to the campaign for votes for women. Well known suffrage historians and specialists will talk about their own research, research sources and their use. Delegates will be able to share their own research in the poster session and talk to others undertaking similar projects.

The day will include:

• A programme of specialist speakers talking about finding and using resources to research women’s suffrage histories
• Poster session, open to all delegates
• Networking opportunities
• Plans for marking 2018
• Opportunities to meet Parliament’s education and outreach teams and learn about available resources and engagement opportunities.
• Learn how to access Parliament’s own suffrage archives

Programme:

10.30-11.30am Registration, viewing of poster session and displays, coffee

11.30 Conference start

11.30 Northern Stories: radical suffragists and census evaders.

Dr Jill Liddington Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Leeds will talk about her suffrage research and writing dating from the BBC’s Shoulder to Shoulder (1974) to her latest work on the 1911 census boycotted, on the 1911 census boycott, looking particularly at working-class campaigners.

12.15 Badges, banners, bread & bombs – The material legacy of the Suffragettes

Beverley Cook Curator of Social & Working History at the Museum of London will talk about how to interpret the material and visual culture of the suffrage movement.

1pm Lunch

1.45 Hidden from History?: using genealogical data to recover the lives of suffragettes

Elizabeth Crawford, author of The Women's Suffrage Movement: A Reference Guide 1866-1928 will talk about how she has used wills and census forms and other sources in her extensive research on the women’s suffrage movement.

2.30 Fight for the Right Votes for Women, the Birmingham Story

Nicola Gauld and Richard Albutt will talk about this Heritage Lottery funded project with pupils from Kings Norton Girls’ School and Waverley School to research and make a re-enactment drama about the Birmingham Suffragette Movement, including showing the film.

3.15 Break – refreshments served

3.30 Discovering suffrage at the National Archives

Victoria Iglikowski, a diverse histories records specialist at The National Archives in Kew, will talk about how to find ‘your suffragist/gette’ in the holdings at the TNA highlighting the less well known TNA holdings.

4.15 Hearts, Minds, Deeds and Words: the Great Suffragist Pilgrimage of 1913

Jane Robinson will talk about the research for her books on women’s history, particularly her current nationwide research on the Great Suffragist Pilgrimage for publication in 2018. She will also give an insight on her experience of getting published.

5.00 Round table and Q&A

5.30 Finish of formal programme, the room and poster session will be open to delegates until 6pm

Poster session

Attendees are encouraged to share their own research as a poster, further details available from vote100@parliament.uk - poster spaces will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.

Attendance is free, subject to booking, and lunch and refreshments are included.

FAQs

When will the conference programme be issued?

The full progamme is given above. Delegates can arrive from 10.30am, and the presentations will start at 11.30am. The conference programme will finish at 5.30, the poster display will be open until 6pm.

Where is Portcullis House?

Portcullis House is part of the House of Commons and is across the road from the Houses of Parliament. The main entrance is on Victoria Embankment a map is available here http://www.parliament.uk/visiting/access/directions/

Security and ID requirements?

Airport style searches are in place at Portcullis House. Please leave plenty of time to pass through security. You should expect this to take at least 15 minutes. Please bring a photo ID (eg driving licence/passport).

What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?

Westminster is the nearest tube station, for further information and directions:http://www.parliament.uk/visiting/access/directions/

Where can I contact the organiser with any questions?

vote100@parliament.uk

Is my registration/ticket transferrable?

No - for security reasons the ticket must be in the ticket holder's name.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

Yes please.

The name on the registration/ticket doesn't match the attendee. Is that okay?

No sorry, the name on the ticket must be the attendees.

Picture credit: The Belle-Alliance or the Female Reformers of Blackburn!!! by George Cruikshank, 1819, Parliamentary Art Collection (WOA 1819).

At a reform meeting on the 5 July 1819 the Female Reform Society asked the Chairmen to read an address which called for resistance to oppressors, annual parliaments, universal suffrage and election by ballot. Cruikshank, like those who would later satirise suffragists and suffragettes, visually converted 'very neatly dressed' women into derogatory caricatures.