Posted on Monday 6th March 2023
Victoria Wilson
A duchess turned nurse, a key member of the suffragette movement and an early innovator in the world of education are amongst the Staffordshire women being celebrated as part of International Women’s Day.
Their stories are being retold ahead of the global day on Wednesday 8 March and as part of the new Staffordshire History Centre project to get more people interested in the county’s past.
When the First World War broke out in 1914, Millicent Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland left her stately home in Trentham for the Western Front. The Duchess was amongst the first to establish a Red Cross Ambulance Unit in Belgium. Her unit developed into a British Red Cross Hospital Unit in France. She was awarded the Belgian Royal Red Cross, the French Croix de Guerre and the British Red Cross for her efforts during the conflict.
The Duchess’s written account of her time abroad, the field hospital’s visitors book, are amongst the documents held by the county’s archives service.
Suffragette, Alice Hawkins worked in the Stafford shoe industry before moving to Leicester where she is recognised as a key individual in the suffragette movement. Alice can be seen on the census records for 1871 & 1881 living in Red Lion Street, Stafford (now the car park opposite the prison).
Educational philanthropist Charlotte Sparrow dedicated her life to education and founded Colwich school in 1827. It’s thought she never married to ensure Bishton remained in her family at a time when, upon taking wedding vows, a wife’s inheritance immediately passed to her husband. Instead, Charlotte avoided matrimony and devoted her energies to helping others. Information on her educational philanthropy is available from the Bishton Hall website. Her portrait is on display in county buildings in Stafford.
Victoria Wilson, Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture at Staffordshire County Council said:
We are incredibly proud of our rich heritage and have some great archives relating to some very influential women in our county.
For example, The story of the Duchess of Sutherland and her relentless work at the field hospital during the Great War told through her own personal letters and archives is a truly fascinating read. It was quite unusual for a Duchess to get this ‘hands on’ in the war effort and for us the story is made even more special as the family were from Staffordshire.
Our new Staffordshire History Centre project which will help preserve our archives and get more people interested in our past is giving us a great opportunity to highlight some of these amazing collections and records. I would encourage people to trace back the women in their own family tree too and find out about their lives. You never know who you could be connected to!
The Staffordshire History Centre project will see an extension to the existing Staffordshire Record Office building on Eastgate Street in Stafford, incorporating the renovated and redisplayed William Salt Library building. A modern glazed entrance will link both buildings, creating a bright exhibition space to showcase museum, archive, and William Salt library collections.
Additional strong rooms will provide space for a further 55 years of collections and an ambitious programme of activities allowing people to discover more about their family or local history. People can keep up to date with the project at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Heritage-and-archives/Staffordshire-History-Centre
The Staffordshire Past Track website at www.staffspasttrack.org.uk is a rich resource of photos, images, maps and documents relating to Staffordshire’s history, including many of its influential women.