WomenstatuesUK

Starting statues

It started with an article in The Week Junior magazine heralding the unveiling of Dorset’s Mary Anning Statue. https://www.maryanningrocks.co.uk/press. A sidebar stated, ‘In the UK, there are 82 statues of men named John and just 128 of named women’.

Only 128?? I could visit all of them! But initial enthusiasm for a new project soon turned to dissatisfaction. There were so few women statues that it was, in actual fact, feasible to visit them all.
So who are the 128 immortalised women? What does it take for a woman to get a statue of herself? Money? Influence? Passion for a cause?
I’m ashamed to say I was struggling to recognise some of the names when I started the research, but that was all part of the journey – learning more about women that have played a special part in our history.

So I have given myself a year to visit all of them to give them the recognition they deserve and to learn more about these special women.
The start date is 29th July 2022. Please join me on this journey! Who knows, hopefully by the end of July 2023, the number of named women statues may be more than 128…..

The keen eyed amongst you will know that the above picture is nothing to do with Mary Anning. It is pilot Amy Johnson who I visited in Hull. I love her gaze and besides, I’ve yet to meet Mary Anning…

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Elizabeth Chrichton

(1779 – 1862)

A statue of a person in a park

AI-generated content may be incorrect. In 1810, Elizabeth married Dr James Crichton, a doctor who was said to have made his fortune both as a physician and as a trader in the East India Company, with the odd speculation about his dealings in the opium trade. Naturally Elizabeth has always denied this, insisting his riches originated from an honest trade. Regardless, upon his death in 1823, he left £100,000 to her for charitable purposes, and, once the courts deemed her the rightful benefactor after the will was contested by her brother in law, she set about trying to establish a college in Dumfries. This too ran into opposition, largely from the four established Scottish universities, but, with a change of government also not keen, the plan was thwarted and she turned all her efforts in establishing a ‘lunatic asylum’ a term in those days being perfectly acceptable.

Elizabeth didn’t do things by halves. Once the education plan was dead in the water she threw all her weight to making the hospital a reality and despite opposition from local newspaper the Dumfries Times in 1834 (who knows what the Daily Mail would have made of it) she head hunted Dr William Browne to run the place. Browne came from a stance of ‘moral treatment’ for patients, advocating kindness and care. His aim for patients to have extensive hospital grounds and rooms for music, arts and activities was at the time pioneering and probably absurd when normal mental health institutions of the day ran a prison like system.

The Crichton Hospital opened its doors in 1839 and ran for some 150 years, renowned for its enlightened treatment and upmost care of its patients. Elizabeth remained closely involved with the running of the hospital throughout her life.

By the 1980’s, the ‘value’ of the institution was questioned (let’s not get too political here) and in 1995 the local authority bought the site from the Health Board to protect the buildings and grounds as an important public asset to be protected. From there, the proposal for a University Campus was devised and in 1999 the first cohort of students started their courses as part of the University of the West of Scotland, thus fulfilling Elizabeth’s dream, some 170 years later. Careful what you wish for. The following year Elizabeth had her statue unveiled on the campus.

Jean Armour

(1765-1834)

Affectionately known as the, ‘Belle of Mauchline’, or simply, ‘Bonnie Jean’, she was the wife of the poet Robert Burns and believed to be the inspiration of many of his poems (although ultimately not his only female inspiration). She was said to have a beautiful voice which helped shape Burns’s verses and to be a ‘lightfooted’ dancer. Meeting Burns in her hometown of Mauchline in 1784, Burns was already an expectant father when Jean became pregnant with their first child. Born out of wedlock, Jean’s enraged father did not agree to a marriage, and it was only after her second set of twins to Burns in 1788 that they wedded. Jean went on to birth 9 of his children, three of which survived into adulthood. Jean also raised Betty, a daughter of Burns from a mistress. Betty stayed with Jean even after his death until Betty married 1808. Burns died in 1796 and was buried on the day that Jean gave birth to their final child. Widowed at thirty-one years old and with 5 existing children of her own, and now looking after two of Burn’s ‘other’ children, Jean was not left with much to live on. Through public donation, the family survived, and Jean herself outlived Burns by 38 years. She continued to live in the house in which he died and although young enough to re-marry and rejecting several marriage offers, she remained single for the rest of her life. Over the years, the house was visited by thousands of strangers wanting to see where the poet had lived and she never refused access, somehow believing that her house and memories were in some way public property. It is believed that in order to satisfy visitors, she had the bed he died in broken up into pieces as souvenirs for the poet’s admirers.

The statue in Dumfries stands opposite St Michael’s Church, where the Burns’ Mausoleum is situated and was raised by public donations, including a certain Mr Thomas Tunnock. Yep, the famous biscuit manufacturer and Tunnock’s Tea Cakes/Caramel Wafer celebrity himself. The Mauchline statue is of an even younger Jean and stands on Kilmarnock Road near the Burns House Museum.

Helen Crummy

(1920-2011)

On the outskirts of Edinburgh I take a bus ride out to the suburbs to visit Helen’s commemoration. Unveiled by Helen’s grandson in 2014, it captures the moment when Helen gave her son a violin after being refused lessons at school, as him, like so many local children, were essentially written off. Helen was the driving force behind the Craigmillar Festival, an event set up in 1962 to showcase local talent and the arts in an area that was generally poorly served. From there, the festival ran for 40 years. Articles point to it being an inspiration for the Notting Hill Carnival.

For such a renowned city, Edinburgh lacks, like many cities, female reps amongst its sculptures. Naturally, Queen Victoria gets a look in, but Helen has the only other named woman statue in Edinburgh. More recently, a set of poet busts unveiled along Lochside Walkway has gone a little way to address this…..

Alice Hawkins

(1863-1946)

In a nod to her prison days, the day I visit Alice she is ‘behind bars’; albeit Heras fencing as some renovation work is being done in the square. At least that’s my substandard excuse for dodgy photo angles….

Born in 1863, Alice left school at thirteen and began working life as a shoe machinist.

From a young age, Alice saw the inequality of pay in factories drawn on gender lines. She became involved in the trade union movement becoming president of the Leicester Independent Women’s Boot and Shoe Trade Union, fighting for fairer pay and working conditions but later became disillusioned as male rights as a family’s ‘breadwinner’ often overlooked that of women workers.

In 1907 Alice attended her first Women’s Social and Political Union meeting in London. The Votes for Women march that followed led to Alice’s arrest and subsequent imprisonment. In the following years she was to be arrested and jailed five times for her actions. Shortly after Alice formed the Leicester branch speak at factory gates and in the city centre urging women of all classes and social backgrounds to support the cause.

The statue of Alice sits in Leicester Market Square at the site where she often gave her speeches The 2018 unveiling coincided with the centenary of initial voting rights for some women.

Barbara Castle

(1910 – 2002)

Like buses, there’s none for ages then two Labour party MP’s arrive at once. And so, to number 2 of 2. Barbara served as a Member of Parliament for Blackburn from 1945-1979 making her one of the longest serving female MP’s in British history, keeping her seat for 34 years. Over that time she held five high-profile government posts.

Appointed Minister of Transport in 1965, she was responsible for the introduction of breathalysers, compulsory seat belts and 70mph national speed limits which remain to this day.

In 1968 she became Secretary of State for Employment, working on equal pay legislation. Barbara was celebrated for her successful intervention over the strike by Ford sewing machinists in Dagenham against gender pay discrimination, speaking out in support of the strikers.

As Secretary of State for Health and Social Services she introduced the Carer’s Allowance and oversaw the passing of the Child Benefit Act.

After her House of Commons career, she became a Euro-MP and later a member of the House of Lords, having been granted a life peerage in 1990. She remained active in politics until her death in 2002 at the age of 91.

The statue depicts her carrying the Equal Pay Act documentation, a tribute to the fact that she oversaw the passage of its implantation in 1970. Quite a hefty load to be carrying.

Bessie Braddock

(1899 – 1970)

Hailed as one of the most distinctive political personalities of the century and earning the name of ‘Battling Bessie’, she was believed to have inherited much of her campaigning spirit from her mother Mary Bamber; an early socialist and trade union activist.

A member of the Liverpool County Borough Council from 1930 to 1961 and a Labour Party Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1970 Bessie was described as being frequently at odds with her party while pursing social reform. She won a national reputation for her forthright campaigns in housing, public health and other social issues such as child welfare, maternity care and youth crime. She was a staunch supporter of the establishment of the National Health Service in 1948 and served on the Royal Commission for Mental Health, leading the way for the 1959 Mental Health Act. By the time of Labour’s victory at the 1964 general election her health was deteriorating, and her work took a back seat. Towards the end of her life she became Liverpool’s first woman freeman.

She is placed next to fellow Liverpudlian and comedian Ken Dodd. The statue depicts Bessie clutching an egg, as she was the politician responsible for the implementation of the Lion Quality Mark on British products. I’ll leave you to ponder if you would like to be immortalised holding an egg.

Cathernine ‘Kitty’ Wilkinson

(1788 – 1860)

It’s a habit of mine to just rock up at a venue and expect direct passage to the statue I need to see. I’m finding this often causes problems but I’m somehow unable to plan ahead for such eventualities. This is the case when I go to visit Kitty and the venue is closed to the public. Fortunately, the receptionist and volunteer takes pity on me and the volunteer allows my sons and I access to the hall where Kitty stands, giving me a fantastic insight to the venue and to Kitty. None of which I write down at the time.

Commissioned to be the first statue to be placed in the Hall for more than 100 years, and the first woman to be represented, Kitty certainly earns pride of place.

Kitty’s life – as we may expect for the time – was a hard one. Born in 1786 in Londonderry, her family set sail for Liverpool to start a new life in 1795. Tragically, her father and sister were swept away at sea on the journey. From around aged 11-18 she worked in a Lancashire mill before returning home to her mother in Liverpool and taking up domestic service work. She married a sailor in 1812 and had two children before her husband was lost at sea. You may be sensing a difficult trajectory by now.

By 1832 a cholera epidemic was sweeping through Liverpool. Kitty worked by taking in washing to earn money, owning the only boiler in the neighbourhood. To help combat the disease she turned her home into a washhouse, allowing neighbours to boil wash clothes and bedding as the only way to fight the spread. Her benevolence did not end there, and she was renowned for taking in orphans and widows off the street and making sure they were cared for at a time of abject poverty.

Convinced of the importance of cleanliness in combating cholera, Kitty pushed for the introduction of public baths so the poor could keep themselves clean and in 1842 she opened Britain’s first public washhouse, earning her title, ‘the Saint of the Slums’.

St George’s Hall opened its doors in Kitty’s lifetime in 1854. Imagine what Kitty would have made of it knowing she would have her own statue inside it. It was unveiled by Kitty’s great great great niece. I love her stance of rolling up her sleeves and the gaze of determination. The statue, as does the venue, has Grade 1 listed status, so no touching when you visit.

Cilla Black

(1943 – 2015)

Born as Priscilla White in Liverpool, Cilla Black was a singer, actress and television presenter.

Determined to become an entertainer, Black gained a part-time job as a cloakroom attendant at Liverpool’s Cavern Club, best known for its connection with The Beatles. Her impromptu performances impressed The Beatles and John Lennon suggested a try-out with their manager Brian Epstein. The audition did not go well, but, seeing her perform later, Epstein recognised her talent and she was signed to his management as his only female vocalist.

Her career in music spanned 19 UK ‘Top 40’ singles (including two number one hits), and 15 studio albums. Before his death, Epstein had already paved the way for a TV career for Cilla. She then ran her own variety series, ‘Cilla’ until 1976. In the 1980’s Cilla went on to host other TV entertainment series such as ‘Blind Date’ and ‘Surprise Surprise’ over the next 20 years, amassing more than 500 television shows of her own in her lifetime.

So how did Priscilla White become Cilla Black? The story goes that the music paper ‘Mersey Beat’ misprinted her surname as Black. And there you have it.

The statue features images from the singer’s life and lyrics in the fabric of her dress.

Commissioned by Cilla’s sons, the sculptor Emma Rodgers describes a beautiful moment:
When they were looking around Liverpool for a suitable site, there was an alarm going off in Mathew Street. When Ben stood in the spot by the old Cavern entrance the alarm stopped, and they took that as a sign of approval.

So that’s why Cilla is where she is: exactly where she should be.

Enriqueta Augustina Rylands

(1843 – 1908)

Born in Cuba to British merchant family, Enriqueta was raised in New York, London and Paris (quite an education) before settling in England when her parents died.

Sometime after 1860, Enriqueta became companion to Martha, the wife of wealthy Manchester merchant John Rylands. In 1875, eight months after Martha’s death, Enriqueta married John Rylands, then aged 74. When he died in 1888, Enriqueta inherited his estate, becoming a major shareholder of his family’s textile firm and the Manchester Ship Canal.

In memory of her husband, Enriqueta founded the John Rylands Library. She admired the design of the library at Oxford’s Mansfield College library and commissioned the architects for something similar, albeit more lavish. In 1899 John Rylands Library was formally dedicated to the public by Enriqueta on what would have been their wedding anniversary. On the same day, Enriqueta was awarded the honorary Freedom of the City of Manchester – the only woman to be honoured this way until the 1950s. Enriqueta continued to donate large sums of her fortune, often in secret, until her death. Despite Enriqueta’s fame and achievements, not much is known about her private life, as she asked for her personal correspondence to be destroyed when she died.

A full-length statue of her stands in the library, commissioned by supporters and was unveiled a few months before her death. The literature alongside the statue explains the link between the family’s wealth and the cotton slave industry.

Irinma Bell

(1965 – ) and Yomi Mambu

Now part of the family support centre Chrysalis, Erinma works as part of an inspirational network of community leaders and volunteers active across south Manchester, working towards a socially inclusive community.

The sculpture – a one and a half life-sized bust – is made from 50 lethal firearms seized by police or surrendered during gun amnesties. The weapons were melted down by Manchester-based artists’ collective ‘Guns to Goods’ and turned into the sculpture by artist Karen Lyons.

When I pay a visit, the Town Hall is closed for refurbishment, but some helpful Mancunians point me in the direction of the Central Library where she is temporarily displayed.

By chance, I stumble across another bust temporarily housed here. Sierra Leone born Yomi Mambu, was the first Black person born outside of the UK to hold the position of Lord Mayor of Manchester. Yomi served as one of the first Black councillors of the city before her stint as Lord Mayor 1989-1990. Other than these details I struggle to find out much more about her.