Women of Worcestershire

11th March 2026

We are excited to introduce some of the women we will represent in an April 2026 display about women’s history. In this blog we would like to take a closer look at these Women of Worcestershire and share some of the stories we have discovered about them.

Some of these local women are lesser known, or we have few items about them. For instance, for Hannah Snell, the soldier, we hold very little other than copies of her image, whilst for the Porter sisters we hold a large collection of account books and journals. Meanwhile, some of the women we are highlighting were quite famous in their day and we have written blogs about them before: including Vesta Tilley the music hall star and the McDonald Sisters.

Hannah Snell (1723-1792)

Hannah Snell from Worcester dressed as a man to follow her husband into the army. Once Hannah returned home her story spread and she was even asked to appear on the stage dressed in military uniform. Her family lived in New Street in Worcester where there is now a plaque to commemorate her life. There is a small book about her in the level 2 local reference library and we hold a number of images of her, in the Worcestershire Photographic Survey.

Ethel Narcisse Sladden (1882-1961)

Ethel Sladden alongside the rest of her family was very involved in her local community. Ethel’s father Julius, later Sir Julius Sladden, became a local brewer with brewery and retail premises in Evesham. We hold a lovely collection of letters written between his 8 children, and wider relations and friendship groups.

Black and white photograph of Abbey Manor where Ethel nursed in WWI.

Souvenir of Abbey Manor ref 705:1037 BA9520/9/ii/282

During WWI Ethel Narcisse Sladden, one of those children, joined the Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment at Abbey Manor in Evesham. She also set up the Badsey branch of the Girls’ Friendly Society and ran it from the family house in Badsey.

Vesta Tilley (1864-1952)

Matilda Alice Powles off Commandery Street in Worcester became a music hall star performing as male characters, and was especially popular during WWI when she helped to recruit soldiers. We hold several items in the Archives including the Vesta Tilley collection of scrapbooks, a digitised version of which can be seen in the self service area any time the building is open, as well as some additional articles about her in the archives. We have written several blogs aout Vesta.

A black and white portrait of Vesta Tilley.

Vesta Tilley ref BA13801

Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)

Frances Ridley Havergal was born to Reverend William Henry Havergal (1793-1870) at Astley Rectory. She later lived in Worcester St Nicholas and in Henwick House in Hallow. Frances was a talented singer, piano player and became a well respected and popular hymn writer of the early nineteenth century. She often addressed religious meetings and services. Frances enjoyed travel and attended foreign missions, but she also taught at St Nicholas Sunday School in Worcester. We hold a couple of collections of her writings and papers, including family sketchbooks, music, testimonials, presentation volumes and biographical texts. There are two blogs on our website about Frances.

Sheila Scott (1922-1988)

Born in Worcester, Sheila Scott became a female aviator, breaking over 100 records, including the first solo around-the-world flight by a British subject, the longest-distance solo flight, and only the third around the world flight by a woman. Sheila lived in Worcester until around 1939 and attended Alice Ottley School. She worked as a nurse, an actress and a model before she learnt to fly in 1959. Her father worked at Hopkins confectioners in Broad Street and was an Alderman of the city of Worcester.

The shop Sheila Scott’s father ran WPS26573

Sheila had her first taste of flying aged 6 at Sir Alan Cobham’s Flying Circus at Worcester Racecourse. After her round the world flight in 1966 Sheila was invited back to Worcester by the mayor and received the OBE from the Queen in 1968.

McDonald Sisters (c.1840s-1920s)

Part of our Baldwin Family Collection includes some items from the amazingly well-connected McDonald sisters. These were the 5 daughters of Rev George and Hannah MacDonald, four of whom, married men in important political and cultural roles. Alice gave birth to Rudyard Kipling. Georgiana married the Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones. Agnes was partner to Edward Poynter, who became Director of the National Gallery. Louisa was the mother of Worcestershire’s 3-time Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin.

Front cover of a story written by Louisa MacDonald and illisutrated by her sister Georgiana.

Illustrations by Georgiana MacDonald from History of the Piebald Family by Louisa MacDonald ref 705: 775 BA8229/9

Alice became an accomplished poet. Georgiana was an engraver and created literary translations in French and German with her friend George Eliot, and she attended political lectures and became an active participant in local government. Agnes was a talented pianist and helped her husband in his career, whilst Louisa worked hard on her writing and her skills as an illustrator.

Ann and Lola Taplin (1840-? and 1894-1977)

The Fleece Inn at Bretforton, now owned by the National Trust, was ran Ann Taplin and then her daughter Lola for very many years. A deposit of their records (BA8238) give a fascinating insight into the lives of women in a small Worcestershire village in the 19th to 20th centuries.

A collection of items from the Taplin deposit.

Items from the deposit made by Lola Taplin ref BA8238

Porter sisters (c1801-1877)

Anne and Phoebe Porter were from a middle class family at The Manor in Birlingham. They were wonderful artists and their archive includes letters, diaries, estate records, deeds scrapbooks and photographs. Unusually for Victorian ladies they travelled the rivers of Europe, detailing all that they saw in their journals. From an early age they were taught how to keep accounts, not just for their own fancies but for moneys spent on estate repairs and wages. A letter in the collection gives an example of a Victorian ladies anger at being jilted by her fiancee.

Mary Gwilliam (nee James) (1803-1869)

The records that we hold do not only chart the lives of the great and the good.

The 1851 Lascelles & Co. Trade Directory of Worcester gives insight into the life of Mary Gwillam. She married blacksmith Stephen Gwilliam at St Albans in Worcester and when he died, she took over the business.

Mary Gwilliam’s blacksmith shop marked on Claines Tithe Map ref BA1572/184

If you were unable to book onto the sold-out tour, and miss the limited exhibition, don’t worry. The documents we hold about these women can be viewed any time the archives are open, you just need to sign up for an archives card, check our blogs or catalogue for references and come along to take a look.