Dr Elizabeth Ross

A reason to remember Tain in North East Scotland is Dr Elizabeth Ross. She wasn’t born there, as her banker father worked in London at the time of her birth, but the family came from the Ross- shire town, and returned after his death. But except for a small plaque in Tain’s St Duthus Church she is almost forgotten. Interestingly this is NOT the case in Serbia. Each year she is commemorated in a ceremony attended by Serbian high ranking dignitaries and many thousands of people. It is a huge celebration.

Women Factory Workers in Birmingham during the Second World War

During the Second World War large numbers of women were recruited to work in factories to meet the labour shortage caused by men going to fight in the war. Many factories in Birmingham supported war production, including Cadbury’s, the British Small Arms Company and Austin Motors. Spitfires were also made in a factory in Castle Bromwich. All of these companies employed women during the war.

#TellHerStory this Black History Month

October is fast approaching and for Black History Month this year I want to do something different.

Despite the many brilliant sheroes who feature on the blog, not enough of them are women of colour. If women’s histories are neglected, then black women’s histories are neglected even more so. I want to correct the imbalance so I’m putting out a call to #TellHerStory during Black History month this year.

I’d like to share the stories of as many black sheroes as possible during Black History Month, but I can only do that with your help!

Here’s how you can join in:

1. Pick a black shero from history you think should have their story told
2. Check they’re not already featured on the blog!
3. Write a short profile about them (500-600 words)
4. Send it to sheroesofhistory@gmail.com
5. Spread the word – get others to join in: Tweet @SheroesHistory with the hashtag #TellHerStory

Dame Hilda Lloyd and the Birmingham Flying Squads

This piece first appeared on the University of Birmingham’s Research and Cultural Collections Blog and is re-posted with their kind permission.

Dame Hilda Lloyd was a pioneer in many senses. After becoming the first female professor at the University of Birmingham in 1944, she rose to become the first President of any Royal Medical College: the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1949. One of her many accomplishments was introducing the use of obstetrical ‘flying squads’ in Birmingham, which saved the lives of countless mothers and babies.

Delia Derbyshire

Delia Derbyshire was a pioneer in electronic music who created one of the most well known TV theme tunes of all time.

Delia was born in Coventry in 1937, only two years before the outbreak of the Second World War. When the war began the government encouraged parents of young children like Delia to send them away to the relative safety of the countryside,  however many chose not to. Initially, Delia’s parents were amongst them. She stayed in Coventry and lived through the famous Coventry Blitz, which razed the city to the ground. The sound of the air raid siren sounded night after night made a lasting impact on Delia, in her later life she reflected:

Kate Warne: First Female Detective

Have you ever heard the name Kate Warne? Most people haven’t. And yet, she did amazing things – every bit as impressive as household names like Amelia Earhart, Sally Ride and Marie Curie. Not only did she convince the founder of the Pinkerton Detective Agency to hire her as a female operative – in 1856! – she rose through the ranks to head up a Bureau of Female Detectives within the agency, saved Abraham Lincoln’s life en route to his inauguration, and went undercover as a spy for the Union during the Civil War.