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Here at The Archive we are delighted to welcome 204,443 brand new pages this week, as we mark 125 years since the passing of the Mines (Prohibition of Child Labour Underground) Act 1900, which banned children under the age of thirteen from working underground in mines. This act, following the raising of the school leaving age to twelve in 1899, represented an important milestone in the eradication of child labour.Meanwhile, we’ve added eight brand new titles this week, which span the length and…

Eighteenth century writer, philosopher and early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft faced censure in her lifetime, not just for her radical beliefs, but also for her rejection of societal norms. Long after her death, however, attitudes began to shift, as she gained recognition as a trailblazing fighter for women’s equality and became an inspirational figure in the women’s suffrage movement.Following on from our blog on the life of Mary Wollstonecraft, in this second and final blog we shall examine the writer’s…

In October 1823, the Public Ledger and Daily Advertiser asserted:The charge and duty of Government are not merely to increase the numbers of men, but to promote and increase their happiness. Industry is the most powerful engine of this happiness, because it is the spring of all their riches. Government, then, should encourage labour, and by due reward, endeavour to avail of, and augment its useful products…The article, entitled ‘Political Economy,’ goes on to recommend how ‘the power of…

Upon the advent of the First World War a new organisation was formed – the Women Police Volunteers. Later known as the Women’s Police Service, these women played a vital role in paving the way for the establishment and acceptance of women in the police.Members of the Women’s Police Service at a Buckingham Palace Garden party | The Sphere | 2 April 1919Although the inclusion of women in the police was discussed prior to the outbreak of the war, and a small number…

This past week we released 105,098 pages to The Archive.  In time for International Women’s Day we are thrilled to add nine new titles to our Suffragette Collection.  We have also  updated four existing titles including The Globe for which we now have editions spanning 1804 to 1921, and our recently added Scottish title The North Star and Farmer’s Chronicle for which we now have a run from 1893 to 1911.Our new titles represent the full spectrum of the feminist and suffrage movements, from…

This year, in recognition of the centenary of the Representation of the People Act 1918, we will showcase the lives and activities of women involved in the Suffrage movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.Despite making headlines for their activities many of these women are now forgotten.In this blog post we will revive the memory of Irish Suffragette, Anna Garvey Kelly, whose support of the cause of Suffrage saw her spend a month in Holloway prison in…

Annie Kenney gained attention in her work for the suffrage movement in 1905 following her arrest for assault and obstruction during a rally in Manchester. Kenney would become one of the leading figures in the Woman’s Social and Political Union and face imprisonment multiple times during her activist career fighting for the right to vote.Click on an image below to enlarge then use the arrows to move image by image throughout the collection. In the image viewer, you can also…

One name that you will doubtless encounter if you’ve spent any time researching the suffrage movement in England is Pankhurst. Emmeline and her daughters were actively engaged in the work, with Emmeline and, later, her eldest daughter, Christabel, leading the Women’s Social and Political Union.Click on the next arrow to scroll through eleven images featuring one of the most famous suffragettes in history.[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”44″ gal_title=”Emmeline Pankhurst”]Subscribe today and discover more stories on the suffrage movement…

This year, 2018, is the 100 year anniversary of the Representation of the People Act 1918.  The Act which gave propertied women over the age of thirty, and all men over the age of twenty-one, the right to vote.  Over the course of 2018 we aim to digitise several suffragette and women’s newspapers.  These papers will allow us to explore the suffrage movement, and the social sphere of the women who campaigned for the right to vote.We are delighted to be able to…

While we overwhelmingly mark 31 October as simply the celebration of Halloween, we wanted to highlight some other events that have occurred on this day over the years.On this dayOne event that had an overwhelming and lasting impact took place on this day in 1517: Martin Luther posted on the door of Castle Church, Wittenberg, his 95 Theses.The ever-expanding United States admitted its 36th state on 31 October 1864: Nevada.One of the earliest transcontinental highways in the United States was dedicated…