Sheffield has many claims to fame, but perhaps one of the least well known is that the first ever petition for women’s suffrage was sent to Parliament by a group of Sheffield women in 1851. This was organised by the Women’s Rights Association (WRA). Although occasionally mentioned in histories, the group and the women who led it have been largely overlooked. The WRA was set up by a group of Sheffield working class women under the umbrella of Chartism – the mass movement for democratic and social rights that swept Britain from the late 1830s to the 1850s.
About the speakers:
Matthew Roberts is Associate Professor in Modern British History at Sheffield Hallam University. He works mainly on Victorian history, specialising in the history of popular protest and politics, especially radical history. He has published widely in this area, but in recent years has become more interested in reaching and working with individuals and groups beyond academia, and collaborating with them in telling the stories of groups often marginalised in the past and present.
Denise Annett is an independent researcher with a focus on grassroots political activism. This began with a PhD from Manchester University looking at the social links between people as a factor in political activism. This expanded into researching and bringing to light the stories of people who have been overlooked by history but have a great deal to contribute.