Liverpool’S Most Far Corner of the Building
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Women’s History Walk around L i v e r p o o l e start the walk from consecrated in 1910, is hidden away at the one of Liverpool’s most far corner of the building. The Noble Women windows are positioned at the back of the Wfamous landmarks, the Chapel near to the stairs. These windows were Anglican Cathedral on St James restored after World War Two due to damage Mount. This monumental building but the original designs were reproduced. Portraits include (among others) Queen is visible for miles around from both Victoria, the poets Elizabeth Barrett Browning Liverpool and across the Mersey and Christina Rossetti, the Quaker and prison reformer Elizabeth Fry, missionary Louisa from the Wirral. This is a circular Stewart, and two heroines of the sea who had walk which takes us through the captured the public’s imagination at the time. elegant Georgian cultural quarter These are Grace Darling, the daughter of the Bamburgh Lighthouse Keeper in Northumberland, of Liverpool, through the University who with her father had rescued nine survivors area down to the civic quarter and of a wrecked steamer; and Mary Rogers (née Foxwell) , a stewardess who, as her ship sank close to the world heritage waterfront. If to Guernsey in 1899, refused to enter a lifeboat you are in need of retail therapy, the and died saving the lives of the women and walk also skirts the new Liverpool children in her care. Also pictured is Catherine Gladstone (d. 1900) who was a philanthropist ONE shopping complex. We end and political figure independently of her husband, the walk at Rodney Street, just the Prime Minister William Gladstone. In 1887 Catherine became the first president of the opposite the Anglican Cathedral. Women’s Liberal Federation; like her husband she was also involved in ‘rescuing’ prostitutes and sometimes attempted to restore their ‘self respect’ 1 Anglican Cathedral, St James Mount by entertaining them to tea at 10 Downing Street. Other ‘Noble Women’ are heroines of Liverpool. Before entering be sure to see Kitty Wilkinson saved many lives during ‘The Risen Christ’ sculpture Liverpool’s cholera epidemic of 1832 by using her above the main, West door. kitchen as a public wash house. Kitty’s house This was the sculptor Dame had the only boiler on the street and, on advice Elizabeth Frink’s last religious from a physician, she began using it to wash and commission which was disinfect neighbours’ bedding and clothes using unveiled on Easter Sunday chloride of lime. The need for public baths quickly 1993, a week before her death. became apparent—most poorer homes had no The Lady Chapel is running water—and, eventually, the first public famous for its two stained wash house was established in Upper Frederick glass windows picturing Street in 1842 with Kitty and her husband as Noble Women, including superintendents. Here poor residents could come notable women associated to bathe or wash clothing at a nominal cost. In with Liverpool. The Chapel, addition to this work connected with public which was the first part health, Kitty also attended the sick and founded of the Cathedral to be a school in Liverpool for orphan children. 24 HerStoria magazine Summer 2009 www.herstoria.com The stories of the other of Liverpool’s 3 Canning Street building for students, named Agnes ‘Noble women’ will unfold during our Jones House. walk. Josephine Butler, pictured with The artist and theosophist Isabelle lilies as representative of ‘all brave de Steiger (née Lace) was born at 2 6 Myrtle Street champions of purity’, was a social Canning Street in 1836. She trained at the reformer and tireless campaigner for Slade School and enjoyed a career as a The writer Jessie Vaizey (née Bell) was poor women’s rights. Agnes Jones professional artist. Between 1879 and 1926 born at number 47 Myrtle Street South in was inspired to become a nurse by she exhibited on twenty-nine occasions 1856. Her home has gone now alas, but it Florence Nightingale and was sustained at the Walker Art Gallery. Her best known would have been (approximately) where by her Christian faith as she nursed work is Cleopatra after the Battle of Actium. the Liverpool University Management the poorest of the poor at Liverpool It was relatively unusual for a woman to School car park now stands. Her most workhouse. Anne Jemima Clough was have success painting classical historical popular stories were written for girls born in Liverpool in 1820; she pioneered and mythological themes, especially in and Liverpool provided the setting for the University extension movement oils. These were serious male preserves some of them. Her most successful (which provided lectures for women for which women were not deemed to books were about her heroine Pixie who were denied access to universities have the required moral gravitas. It was O’Shaughnessy, published under the because of their sex) and used Liverpool thought more appropriate for women to name Mrs George De Horne Vaizey. as the base for her first pilot project. concern themselves with floral subjects, From 1862 Myrtle Street In January 1914, towards the end pastels and illustrative work, and de was the location of a new Lying- of the militant suffrage campaign, Steiger accepted these commissions too. In (Maternity) hospital. Liverpool suffragettes targeted In the 1880s de Steiger became involved the Lady Chapel and attempted in spiritualism and joined Madame Abercromby Square/ to disrupt evensong services by Blavaksky’s esoteric, occult Theosophical 7 Bedford Street South shouting and unfurling banners. Society—a movement that attracted In 1928 the evangelist and many strong women, possibly because it Walk through to Abercromby campaigner for women’s ordination held out the promise of a new, magical Square and at the end of the Georgian Beatrice Hankey preached a late- understanding of the world with a more Terrace look right up Bedford Street evening Sunday service here. For a equal sexual hierarchy. Number 2 Canning South to the University of Liverpool’s woman to do this was controversial, Street is Eleanor Rathbone Building which but she was supported by the cathedral an elegant commemorates the key role that she canon, Charles Raven, a sympathiser building that played in establishing the School of with the cause of women’s rights. has fallen on Social Science at the University. Artist Sarah Biffin and hard times; Kitty Wilkinson are buried in inside is a 8 Brownlow Hill St James’ Cemetery here. beautiful The Anglican Cathedral has a spiral staircase Continue on through the university quiet café with a lovely atmosphere, which must campus untill you get to Brownlow Hill. ideal for refreshment prior to have been You cannot fail to notice Liverpool commencing the walk. wonderfully University’s Victoria Building on the imposing in de corner with Ashton Street. Opened Blackburne House, Steiger’s day. in 1892, this was designed by Alfred 2 off Hope Street Waterhouse and is the origin of the 4 Huskisson Street term ‘red-brick university’. University Opposite the College Liverpool had been founded Anglican Cathedral Lucy Cradock, the first woman doctor in 1881 and formed part of the federal in Blackburne to practise in Liverpool, established and Victoria University with Manchester Place is Blackburne ran a surgery at 52 Huskisson Street. and Leeds. It received its charter in House. This was 1903 and became the University of founded in 1844 Catharine Street Liverpool open to men and women as a girls’ day alike (although the first woman medical school—The Lucy Cradock lived near to her students were allowed in 1905). In 1927 Liverpool Institute surgery here at 29 Catharine Street. Liverpool began a pioneering Health High School for Visitors Course which opened up valuable Girls—one of the employment opportunities for women. first of its kind 5 You’ll notice at Number 1a, just Many women of note are associated in England. One of the more famous before the with the University of Liverpool Victoria alumnae of Blackburne House (as it junction with Women’s Settlement which was based was and is more usually known) is Myrtle Street, at 322 Netherfield Road (too far to walk!). former MP Edwina Currie. Today the John The University Settlement movement the building is used as a women’s Moores began in the mid 1880s. The idea was for education and training centre, with a University university women (men had their own welcoming café bar (open weekdays). residential HerStoria magazine Summer 2009 25 settlements) to live among the poor and Infirmary. This pioneering scheme later factory to provide working classes in order to help them spread from Liverpool to the rest of the homeless girls and lead by example. The settlements country. In the mid 1880s it was decided with work. Butler proved attractive to independent young to rebuild the infirmary and the architect was also central women who desired a more public life Alfred Waterhouse was commissioned. to the movement than that of a wife and mother. A notable He consulted with Nightingale over the to reform the law member of the Victoria Settlement was plan of the building which opened in which resulted in the Eleanor Rathbone, who began social 1889. It closed in 1978 and the greater Married Women’s work at the Settlement in 1903. Rathbone, part of this classic Waterhouse gothic Property Act of 1882 one of the great women of Liverpool, building is now Liverpool University’s and in initiatives to was a philanthropist, secretary of the conference venue The Foresight Centre. provide higher education for women. Liverpool Suffrage Society, and a central Near to this building on Pembroke However Josephine Butler is most figure in local Liverpool politics.