At the outbreak of the First World War, German immigrants, who for decades had been respected members of their community, became enemies almost overnight. Their livelihoods, shops and houses were destroyed by violent crowds. Yet German people had settled in Britain over many centuries. They were courtiers, merchants, engineers, and skilled workers such as the … Read more
Born in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, Octavia Hill was the eighth daughter of James Hill, a corn merchant, and his third wife, Caroline. Hill was born into a progressive family; her grandfather was a campaigner on public health, while her father was a follower of the social reformer Robert Owen, and founded the radical newspaper the Star … Read more
During the nineteenth century, Jewish communities had limited rights and often had to endure anti-Semitism. This inspired campaigns for ‘Emancipation’, as Jews pushed for religious and social equality. One of the most important figures in this battle for reform was Moses Montefiore (1784-1885). Montefiore immigrated to London from Italy and quickly became one of the … Read more
Although the writer Mary Hays is unknown to many today, she was an important early feminist, whose ideas were well ahead of her time. She lived in an era when women had few legal and social rights and their options were restricted by social convention. Born in 1759, Hay came from a family of religious … Read more
While Charlotte Despard is well known for her work as a suffragist, her work with the poor is less recognised. Despard left her upper middle-class life and home in Esher, Surrey to move to one of the most deprived areas of London and improve the lives of the people that lived there. She helped make … Read more
We’re clearly soldiers in petticoats And dauntless crusaders for woman’s votes Though we adore men individually We agree that as a group they’re rather stupid! In 1903 Emmeline Pankhurst, her daughters, Christabel and Sylvia, and a small group of other supporters founded the Women’s Social and Political Union (WPSU). The group adopted the slogan … Read more
The call for votes for women did not emerge out of a vacuum. In 1792 Mary Wollstonecraft, in A Vindication of the Rights of Women, called for women to have a voice in Parliament; the great radical orator, Henry Hunt, wanted the Great Reform Act of 1832 to be amended to include women; and Susanna … Read more
In 2013 the Supreme Court ruled that soldiers’ right to life did indeed extend to cover them when they were away from British bases in warzones.[1] The ruling came after a number of families claimed that the Ministry of Defence had breached their relatives right to life by failing to provide adequate equipment, which had … Read more
The story of William Cobbett is important both to Farnham, who celebrate him as their most famous son, and on a national and international level for his roles as a journalist, radical and political reformist. Born in Farnham in 1763, he was the son of a farmer and innkeeper. He was in the army between … Read more
