Think national, act local

Posted by Barbara on March 29, 2022 in Blog, Dame designate, feminism, women scientists, Women's equality issues | 4 comments

You may remember Dame Verity’s blog about the guided walk she attended in Battersea a couple of years ago, led by Jeanne Rathbone, a local resident who has spent many hours ensuring the pioneering women of Battersea get the recognition they deserve with commemorative plaques. Do read it here: https://damesnet.com/?p=6646

Jeanne has recently provided us with an update on her endeavours, and we wanted to pass it on as she is a mine of information.

There are seventeen English Heritage/LCC blue plaques in Battersea but none celebrating women. The last one to go up in 2020 was to Sir Robert Hunter, one of the three co-founders of the National Trust along with Octavia Hill and Reverend Rawnsley on Louvaine Road SW11.

Jeanne points out that English Heritage will never catch up even if half of their plaques are to women; the process is a lottery as it depends on only three out of twelve being accepted at each panel meeting.  

Jeanne has submitted nominations in the last few years for Deaconess Isabella Gilmore on Gilmore House, Clapham Common, and for the prolific author and political activist Ethel Mannion at her home in Wimbledon. Neither has been successful.

Jeanne suspects that it is possible that only one from each borough per year will succeed. Although English Heritage claim they are keen to redress the gender imbalance, in practice they probably have had a lot more submissions because of the publicity and push from the Mayor of London, so that applications for some some very worthy women will be turned down. She also suspects that English Heritage are hoping that local amenity societies and councils will have their own scheme to take on the unsuccessful applications, which is certainly the case with the Battersea Society. She was told recently by someone who worked for English Heritage that the reason the numbers per annum are limited is that the people who make the plaques can’t do any more than twelve a year! 

Since Jeanne and colleagues began their own plaque scheme in Battersea they have unveiled four to women, who are described in Verity’s blog above. 

Jeanne has also organised the unveiling of one to Hilda Hewlett on Vardens Road, SW11. Hewlett was the first British woman to get her pilot’s licence and run an aircraft factory.

They have now set up a Heritage Committee with responsibility for organising plaques and the next one, to Wilhelmina Stirling, author and founder of the De Morgan Centre on Old Battersea House in Vicarage Crescent, will be unveiled in September 2022 

There is now a waiting list! Jeanie Nassau Senior was the first woman to serve as inspector of workhouses. She lived in Elm House, which is now the site of Battersea Arts Centre. Penelope Fitzgerald and the Duval Suffrage family of Lavender Sweep are on the list.  Jeanne is pursuing The Music Hall Guild for a plaque to Elsa Lanchester, and the Southwark Diocese for one to Deaconess Gilmore, the sister of William Morris.

Jeanne has written a booklet Inspiring Women of Battersea, which will be launched at Battersea Arts Centre on Tuesday 7th June as part of the Wandsworth Heritage Festival. 

So to all dames out there: if you don’t want to wait for English Heritage, you can always follow Jeanne’s example and set up your own Women’s Heritage Committee in your locality. Just saying…