Discover what life was like for disabled working class people in the East Shropshire Coalfield during the 19th century in this blog post, which was guest written by Melanie Williamson, a freelance researcher, as part of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust’s ‘Hidden Histories' project.
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In a project made possible through a Headley Fellowship with Art Fund, a little-known part of our archive has been brought to light.
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The role of women in industrial history has often been hidden, overlooked, or forgotten. However, research carried out by social historian Ruth Goodman, on behalf of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, has revealed new insights into the fascinating and vital contributions that women have made to the industrial history of the Ironbridge Gorge. In this interview, Ruth Goodman discusses her research with the Trust's Interpretation Curator, Lauren Collier.
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Sir Arthur Elton was a pioneering documentary film maker, collector of material relating to the Industrial Revolution, and early supporter of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. His collection, which came to Ironbridge in 1978, has been described as ‘the best in Europe and perhaps the most important in the world’.
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Women's contributions to industry and mining have been, and continue to be, overlooked and underrepresented in the histories of the industrial revolution. Women were, however, employed in a range of industrial roles and here we will look at the work of one particular group, the Shropshire Pit Girls of the East Shropshire Coalfield.
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Many of the leading industrialists who were connected with Coalbrookdale and the development of the Industrial Revolution were members of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers.
We sat down with Professor Ben Pink Dandelion, Honorary Professor of Quaker Studies in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham and Director of The Centre for Postgraduate Quaker Studies, to ask some common questions about Quakers and their approach to life, business and religion.
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From fountains to tomb railing and vases, take a look at what was being made.
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Clients included sculptors, engineers, builders, architects and district councils. Take a closer look at who was ordering ironwork from Coalbrookdale.
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’Many workmen and boys were dubbed with nicknames; here are just a few: Raspass, Magpie…Iron Mike, Teddy-lol-lol, Cottage Tom, Spot Tom and 6ft Tom…’ [Charles Peskin, c. 1900]
By the middle of the 19th century, the Coalbrookdale Company employed between 3,000 and 4,000 men. Little is known about them, although census and archival research has shed light on a handful. Below, you can meet a few of the workers who were directly referenced in the order archive.
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The Coalbrookdale Company relied on a team of skilled draughtsmen to produce special drawings called technical drawings. These drawings were used to make, display, and record the Company’s products.
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The Coalbrookdale Company was working with photographers as early as 1855 and had a dedicated photographic studio from at least 1862. The photography department took photographs of new iron products being made at the ironworks, as well as dealing with other printed material such as blueprints and trade catalogues.
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In 2023, Blists Hill Victorian Town is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Since it opened in 1973, the museum has grown significantly as local buildings have been rebuilt or copied at Blists Hill to recreate a small industrial town. The museum aims to show what life was like living and working in the East Shropshire Coalfield around 1900, but what can be seen at Blists Hill today is very different to how the site looked in the 19th century.
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Emma was one of thousands of women who, during the course of the 19th century, made a vital contribution to the mining and iron industries of the Ironbridge Gorge.
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The Anstice family played an important role in the life and prosperity of Madeley throughout the 19th century.
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Henry Williams perfected an engineering design that connected Blists Hill with the River Severn, and ultimately the rest of the world, for the first time.
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6 February 2018 marked 100 years since the passing of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which allowed women to vote in parliamentary elections for the first time.
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These are the names, ages and occupations of the 37 women working in the ceramic and iron industries across the Ironbridge Gorge, who gained the right to vote in 1918.
However, women could only vote if they were over the age of 30, and if they or their husband owned a certain amount of property. These strictures meant that more than 120 of their direct contemporaries were still denied the right to vote.
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Following the passing of the 1918 Act of Parliament approximately 40% of women in the UK gained the right to vote. These women were mainly older, wealthier, married women, and millions of younger, poorer women were still excluded, including all of these women who were known to be working in the ceramic and iron industries across the Ironbridge Gorge at the time.
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In the heat of ironworks, the darkness of the mines, and the toxic and dusty clay industries, danger, disaster, and death were the constant companions of industrial workers in the Gorge.
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