Born in 1856, Lady Catherine spent much of her life supporting the health, education and wellbeing of Wakefield’s poorest communities. Shortly after arriving in Yorkshire as a new bride from her home in Shropshire in the 1880s, she set about supporting women and children less fortunate than herself. Lady CatherineRead More →
Louisa Fennell was born September 30, 1847, to William Fennell and Mary Fennell nee White. Louisa showed an early talent for art and in 1865, when she was just 18, received a First Class Medal at the Wakefield Industrial and Fine Art Exhibition. She entered art school not long afterRead More →
A woman who lived through two world wars, constrained by social convention and the church, but at the forefront of social change, chose to spend her time, energy and skill working both within the Church of England as a lynchpin of the Mother’s Union and within her community as aRead More →
Margaret & Ellen Gissing Margaret “Madge” Emily Gissing was born in 1863, followed by her sister Ellen “Nellie” Sophia Gissing in 1867 at the chemist shop at 60 Westgate, Wakefield.While their brother George has earned standing as an author, the sisters were constrained by the time and had far fewerRead More →
In 1837, aged in her 30s, Doncaster-born Mary was committed to an asylum. She had caused a disturbance during a church service by demanding to be paid for music lessons she had delivered to the local preacher’s daughter. According to the Forgotten Women researchers, in one of the surviving samplers,Read More →
“Her great courage and devotion knew no bounds” 1883-1962 Image Credit: National Portrait Gallery, London (Creative Commons License) Phyllis Lett is Blue Plaque Number 6 in our quest for #BluePlaqueParity. We unveiled Phyllis’ blue plaque in a ceremony after a ‘back by popular demand’ theatre production of “Difficult Women?” atRead More →
The Staynes sisters with their involvement in protecting lives during the Siege of Quebec Street and their continued contributions to their local communities left a mark on Wakefield even if their former home is not there to honour it. Their blue plaque reminds us that peace, equality and justice areRead More →