Where are our women?

We are told as genealogists that the women of the past are going to be elusive. They are going to be difficult to find records for. They lose the identity of their last name when they marry, without the right to vote they seldom appear on electoral rolls, their ability to own land and property is variable dependent on which decade, country and social class they find themselves in. These limitations do show in the absence of records, and in the frustration of family history researchers trying to trace maternal lines. 

Thankfully the availability of records relating to women grows over time as political and social equality with their husbands, fathers and sons improves. The sheer joy of women suddenly appearing on the electoral roll in the 1920s and 1930s is one of the best illustrations of history being visible in genealogy! 

Researching your female ancestors and breaking down their brick walls is immensely rewarding. It means you discover the stories of women which otherwise would have remained unwritten and untold. 

What can the records tell us?

Sarah Pocknell

The snippet of Sarah’s testimony makes chilling reading. Hereford Times - Saturday 26 January 1867, accessed on www.britishnewspaperarchives.co.uk

Sarah’s life begins in a small village in Herefordshire called Fownhope. We find her appearing in newspaper articles, as she takes the local pub landlord to court for failing to pay child support to her son, who is born outside of wedlock.

This scandalous tale, predictably, does not portray Sarah in the best light. Her petition is refused, and a rather violent end to the argument comes when she is attacked by the man with a fire poker a few weeks later. He escapes jail with a small fine payable to the parish. 

The idea of this woman, her life and the times she lived through began a fascination for me and for all the women often lost in family trees. The obsession even took me to visit Fownhope, the pub and the river banks she worked beside. Who really was this woman?

Isabella McWilliams

Record from the 1911 Irish census showing Isabella. http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002858958/

When researching another family tree, I stumbled upon a record for Isabella McWilliams. In the 1911 Irish census she is 108 years old. Aside from the amazing achievement of living to this age, her census record gives a teasing glimpse at the hardships of her life. Born in 1802 she lived through some of the most traumatic times in Irish history. We also know she was married for 81 years and witnessed the death of 8 of her 9 children. 

We only have these glimpses into the lives of these amazing women. By skirting over the records, seeking only information about lineage and the sons/fathers they had, we are in danger of missing the stories they can tell. We must ensure we do not forget to read between the lines so the stories of our foremothers can be finally told.

Here I am in Fownhope circa 2018, in search for the Pocknells!