New Stories
The most recent additions to our site and newly updated stories can be found on this page. Please click on the images below to learn more about these forgotten women. We know that some visitors to this site will have an interest in a particular aspect of women's lives, or may wish to avoid certain topics. For this reason, the stories have been categorised under a variety of headings. The stories page lists the categories for each story. When you go the the page for a particular category, you will find a list of the stories that touch on that theme. You can also access the stories that form part of a series that has been created during collaborative A Few Forgotten Women Friday research.
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The nature of this site means that many of the stories we tell do not make easy reading. Please be aware that some of the biographies will contain material that some readers might find distressing. If you have further information about any of the women whose stories are told here, please do get in touch.
The information in these stories is accurate to the best of our knowledge, given the sources that were available to us at the time of writing. We cannot be held responsible for any errors of fact that may have inadvertently included. Please inform us if you believe that any errors have been made. Where the women have descendants, we have tried to contact them to get permission to tell their ancestor's stories. This has not always been possible. If we have told a story of your ancestors and you would rather we removed it, please do contact us.
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For stories that have been generated as a result of collaborative research on A Few Forgotten Women Fridays, you can either go to the stories page or to the dedicated page and choose the institution that interests you.
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More stories will be added regularly. Check back for updates or follow us on social media for the latest news.
VAD Personnel
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The stories of those women who were involved with the Voluntary Aid
Detachment and were investigated as part of the ‘Perpetual A Few Forgotten Women Friday’ collaborative research project.
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Ellen Richmond
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A story of survival and Ellen's traumatic relationship with her husband, George Wellock, which led to divorce. This story contains an account of domestic abuse that some readers may find distressing.
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St Joseph's and Farmfireld Inebriate Reformatories
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Eventually, here will be the stories of all of the eighty six women who were enumerated as inmates in St. Joseph’s Inebriate Reformatory, Ashford, Middlesex and Farmfield Reformatory for Inebriate Women, Horley, Surrey in the 1901 census. They were investigated as part of the ‘A Few Forgotten Women Friday’ collaborative research project. More stories will be added over the next few weeks.
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The Mount School, York
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Accounts of the lives of women and girls associated with The Mount School, York as pupils, teachers or non-teaching staff. These stories are part of our ‘Perpetual A Few Forgotten Women Friday’ collaborative research project.
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Dinah Townend
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A story from Yorkshire of domestic abuse, Illegitimacy, lawbreaking and overcoming adversity. There are elements to this story that some readers might find distressing.
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Betty Kershaw
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Betty Kershaw, a disabled woman, was mistreated by her family. The account also tells the story of Betty's mother and sister-in-law. This story contains details of abuse that some readers may find distressing.
Agnes Bonham
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Agnes was a little-known but very talented sculptor. She grew up in a middle-class family, her father was a vicar and enrolled in the Royal Academy of Arts.
Elizabeth Chiddicks
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Elizabeth Chiddicks aka Chitticks died at the age of sixteen. Guest author Paul Chiddicks, asks 'Did she Fall or was she Pushed?'
This story originally appeared on The Chiddicks Family Tree website. It contains a detailed description of death by injury, that some readers may find distressing.
Florence Greaves
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Florence was a well-respected school teacher who sadly lost two children, one to infantile cholera and the other to gastritis. Could these tragedies have been prevented?
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Letitia Gilbert
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Letitia Gilbert gave birth to four illegitimate children before marrying Thomas Cook.
Elsie May Simon
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The story of a woman, whose life was touched by alcoholism and criminality. Elsie overcame this and disability to achieve the independence and happiness she craved.
Beatrice Amy Shepherd
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Beatrice Amy Shepherd had a privileged life but leaves no descendants to tell her story. She served with the Voluntary Aid Detachment in World War 1