Produced by Wigan Museums & Archives Issue No. 71 December 2015 - March 2016 £2 CELEBRATING WOMEN’S HISTORY IN THE BOROUGH Visit Wigan Borough Museums & Archives ARCHIVES & MUSEUMS Contents Letter from the 4-5 Mary O’Shaugnessy – an unsung heroine Editorial Team 6-7 The Mab’s Cross Legend Welcome to PAST Forward Issue 71. 8-9 Archive News In this women’s history themed edition of Past Forward you will 10-11 The Beginning of the British Women’s find the local history competition winning essay by Denise Temperance Association Colbert. Denise wrote an article on Mary O’Shaughnessy, a in Leigh and District Ravensbrück concentration camp survivor. You will also find 12-13 South Lancashire articles about women’s football during the First World War, Tramways Ladies women and miners’ relief in Lancashire, and examples of Roman Football Team WW1 women in the Museum Collections. We are pleased to have an 14-15 Saint or Sinner? introduction from Councillor Joanne Platt. Villain or Victim? 16-17 The Women of Wareing BELIEVE IN HER Street: A snapshot into the lives of Tyldesley Women’s rights through movements like the Suffragettes and later women in 1911 legislation calling for equal pay may seem like many years ago but sadly the prejudices still remain. 18 Beth Ellis Gender equality is very much in focus at the moment, from the pay gap, 19 Anne Catterall’s equal parenting, violence against women and equal representation in obituary business and politics. The term "everyday sexism", which grew out of social media, has now become a project, cataloguing instances of sexism 20-21 Margaret Park – the Mother of Wigan experienced by women on a day to day basis. This is why Wigan Council launched its #BelieveInHer campaign earlier 22-23 Cecilia Lady Bindloss this year, which calls for equality between men and women and also to 24-25 Charlotte Ann Fletcher recognise the achievements of women across our villages and towns and further afield on a worldwide stage. This is something I’m sure many of 26 Lily Hodson the women in our rich history have proven that they can do just as much 27 Events and Activities as the men who would fill the annuls of the borough’s story. We hope in years to come, in 28-29 The 1906 Maxine Peake backing Believe In Her General Election these photographs of the campaign being backed by many of our 30-31 Women and Miners’ present sporting stars (such as Relief in Lancashire Jenny Meadows, Heather 32-33 Munitionettes Frederiksen and future prospect and England footballer, Charlotte 34 Collections Corner Newsham) will be remembered. 35 Society News The latest backer for our campaign is award-winning actress Maxine FRONT COVER Peake. She has spoken about how important it is for women to not Images of women from the Wigan Archives and the Museum of Wigan Life collections. Information for contributors, please see page 17 2 Follow us on twitter : @WiganMuseum Believe In Her Grand Arcade Launch feel like they have to conform to outdated stereotypes. Speaking about #BelieveInHer Maxine has said: “For me it’s really about encouraging women that they have amazing skills, I think women instinctively have the skills to get to the top in management or the arts for example and it’s about tapping into that and encouraging women to use their strengths and not be afraid of them.” Looking back through our borough’s history it is clear to see that there are many women who have embodied the spirit of #BelieveInHer and in this edition you will get to find out more about inspiring women like Lady Cotton who was a great philanthropist and donated land for community use. We want men and women to remember and celebrate this rich history and be part of our campaign to inspire future women to achieve to their potential. It is easy to pledge your support to the campaign by visiting www.wigan.gov.uk/believeinher . You can also support the Twitter campaign by taking a picture of yourself holding an A4 piece of paper with the reason you support the campaign. Post it to @WiganCouncil and use the hashtag #BelieveInHer . PAST FORWARD Copy Deadline for Issue 72 Contributors please note the deadline for the receipt of material for publication is Subscription Form Friday, 19th February 2016. Past Forward Subscription Name Magazine subscription is £9 for three issues (incl. UK delivery). Address Payment by cheque (payable to Wigan Council), postal order or credit/debit card (telephone 01942 828128). Postcode For worldwide subscription prices and information, please contact us. Telephone No. Digital subscription (delivered by email, Email worldwide) is £6 per year. Payment options as above. Please state which issue you wish Signed Date your subscription to begin at: K Please tick here if you would like to receive information regarding Wigan Museums & Archives activities and events.We do not pass your details to other organisations. Return to: The Museum of Wigan Life, Past Forward Subscription, Library Street, Wigan WN1 1NU or email us at [email protected] 3 Past Forward Essay Competition, First Prize Winner 2015 Mary O’Shaughnessy AN UNSUNG HEROINE by Denise Colbert Leigh lady, Mary O’Shaughnessy, Eventually her work came to the Ravensbrück worked as a nanny for a attention of the Gestapo and Provençale family in France at before long she was on their Located 56 miles north of Berlin, the outset of the Second World ‘wanted list’. While she was in Ravensbrück was the only major War. Clearly a woman of spirit, Paris, Mary was informed by Nazi concentration camp for Mary had left England for France members of the Resistance that women. Upwards of 132,000 as a teenager, seeking adventure her apartment had been women and children were and independence. She had just searched. Sensing that it was incarcerated here, around only one arm so was accustomed to time for her to leave France, she 20 per cent of which were dealing with adversity from a made arrangements to return Jewish. The conditions in this young age, which stood her home via Spain. Sadly, these camp were as shameful and in good stead for the years plans were never implemented difficult as in all the other ahead of her. as she was betrayed to the concentration camps; death by Gestapo by a supposed friend starvation, beating, torture, In 1940 Mary was living in and arrested in March 1944. hanging, and shooting Angers with her employers Taken to Mont Luc at Lyon, Mary happened daily. family and was watching the was interrogated for ten days events now collectively known for information, which she Soon after her arrival at the camp, as the Battle of Belgium with would not give. Frustrated, the Mary was called out of her block great interest. As matters Nazis then sent her on a cattle by a female guard who spoke to escalated further and France truck with hundreds of other her in German. In Mary’s words surrendered, Allied troops beat a prisoners to Ravensbrück ‘…I did not understand, and then hasty retreat, many heading concentration camp. she punched me violently on south. Mary aided a local resistance cell wherever she Mary O'Shaughnessy in 1945. Mary is stood at the back of the photograph. could; hiding stranded British This image has been reproduced courtesy of Auto Images SVT. servicemen and directing groups that had lost their way down escape lines to the Pyrenees. When the country was under German occupation, Mary continued to work with the Resistance, helping many airmen who had been shot down return to the UK. She cared for one particular pilot for months, until the injuries that were preventing him from travelling healed and they successfully affected his escape. 4 either side of my face, breaking Although Mary noted that the some of my teeth. She then came prisoners were often selected back at me again as I was still randomly for execution, she lived standing up and hit me across the in constant fear that her missing face with her fist, breaking my limb would single her out. Indeed, nose. I have seen many of the she only managed to avoid prisoners smacked across the face selection when parading, stripped with whips by SS women.’ She to the waist baring her artificial added that the striking of arm, as she was aided post-count prisoners by male and female by her sympathetic Blockova (a guards ‘was too common an prisoner appointed to act as an occurrence to be worthy of note intermediary guard) who hid at the time’. Mary under a bed at the back of the block. This Blockova, named Women who were too weak to Ann Seymour Sheridan, helped work at Ravensbrück were her on three separate occasions. transferred at the Uckermark Youth Camp located nearby, thus All in all, of a total of 132,000 named because up to the end of multi-national prisoners, it is 1944, it had been used for estimated that 92,000 of them German girls and young women died in the camp by starvation, who were deemed to need ‘re- executions, or weakness. Mary education’. Selection for the met around ten fellow Brits in the Uckermark apparently happened camp, six or seven of whom died, every two or three weeks. The SS including her friends Cicely and commandant and doctors of the Mary (who were both selected for camp had the women lift their gassing) and three female skirts over their hips and run in parachutists who were shot. front of them. Those with swollen feet, injuries or scars, or simply Mary survived her ordeal and too ill or too weak to run, were gave evidence about her time immediately selected for a there at the Hamburg ‘recovery’ period in Uckermark.