“Hortense Mary Lane is my maternal great great grandmother . Thanks to my mum’s interest in family history, I already had an awareness of her suffrage actions and had wanted to explore her involvement for some time. Therefore, when given the opportunity to present the actions and life of a rebel girl within the module I felt there was no one more fitting for me to research. It was particularly rewarding seeing her name in both copies of the vote and regional newspapers (including The Daily Mail !) alongside prominent suffrage figures such as Dr Elizabeth Knight. I was also particularly proud to learn about how ,working together, they helped with funding the Ipswich Branch of the Women’s Freedom League’s clubhouse and were consistent undertakers of tax resistance in this area.”

“I chose Edith Morley as my Rebel Girl because she is named after one of the main buildings on the Reading University campus, yet I did not know much about her. It was very interesting to research a pioneer in the education of women as she was the first female professor in an English university. I enjoyed researching her life and her struggles in achieving this title and reading about her other achievements within her lifetime. Within the Rebel Girls module, it is interesting to see how feminism evolved and how women took power amongst themselves to improve a lot of aspects of their lives for the better and break down the barriers of the spheres they were placed into.”

“The reason I decided to choose Clara Mary Lambert was mainly down to her militancy. During my initial research, her militant actions stood out the most to me. Being found with a whip while dressed as a boy in the House of Commons, throwing a tomato at a public prosecutor, even tracking down the Prime Minister at the time with a whip and setting a haystack on fire after failing to hit him. Now that was a woman I wanted to research! Absolutely could not forget the incident getting her into the newspapers, including broadsheets like the Times. Smashing up a display case with a hatchet in the British Museum’s Asiatic Saloon! She ensured her actions were seen, as any attention would allow more people to hear her message – even if it meant causing disruptions in court cases. Rebel Girls so far has been very enjoyable, and I can tell I will continue to enjoy it. Jacqui is an amazing lecturer, and while the reading can sometimes be difficult, it is enriching and enlightening. This module is definitely for those who are interested in the Suffragette movement, the history of Feminism and Women’s History in general – even if the interest is miniscule at first. Even I was wondering how far the module could go regarding time and topics, but knowing what I know now, no wonder all I want to do is learn more about first wave feminism!”

“I finally settled on doing my scrapbook on Amelia Opie after deciding to try and find a local to me Norfolk rebel girl. I’d heard of the famous Elizabeth Fry but otherwise my knowledge of famous female figures in Norfolk was slim, so I wanted to take the opportunity to learn and simultaneously showcase a lesser known but deserving local figure. Opie stood out to me due to her fierce abolitionist beliefs and her connections to influential individuals such as Mary Wollstonecraft, William Godwin, Elizabeth fry and Joseph Gurney. While most of her incendiary letters have been destroyed or vandalised in an attempt to protect her reputation, we can find her voice through her numerous writings. She wrote on women’s education, sexuality, slavery, and madness and was an active member of the abolitionist movement. As well as being a leader of the Norwich branch of the anti-slavery female society she was the first signature on the women’s anti-slavery petition to parliament and one of the only women attending the anti-slavery convention of 1840. What I found most interesting when researching about her was her ability to maintain these radical views and connections alongside her respectable reputation as a woman of religion and the arts.

Rebel Girls has been one of my favourite modules this year as it has been fascinating to explore in detail the social constraints placed on women of the period and has allowed for plenty of lively class discussion! The recent scrapbook project was no different and I have enjoyed being able to connect with my hometowns history and educate friends and family back home on the remarkable life of my scrapbook rebel girl, Amelia Opie.“

“I decided to work on Barbara Leigh-Smith Bodichon because she is one of the most prominent figures of first-wave feminism in the 19th century. Although she was not progressive on every subject, she made the most of her fortune and her rank, putting it to good use and paving the way for many future feminists. Among her greatest achievements were the foundation of the first women’s college (Girton College) with Emily Davies and the creation of the English Women’s Journal; both of which helped to give a voice to future women campaigners for a fairer world.
It is important today to remember that women’s rights have been won thanks to many difficult battles, but it is even more important to fight against the inequalities that persist and continue to exist in our society today. Even if progress has been made, there is still a long way to go, and we owe it to ourselves to push things forward!”