Following the success of The Journey From Bunyan To The Brickworks project, on Thursday 7th December 2017 a new partnership project between the John Bunyan Museum, The Bedford Chronicles and The Panacea Museum, made possible by funding from the Heritage Lottery, was launched.
This project will focus on Bedford’s hidden heritage, sharing the stories of four women of Bedford over a 300yr period; women who fought and struggled against the society, social norms, and government, of the day for faith, justice or their beliefs. These important women in the history of Bedford are little known in the community, and the project will help raise awareness of this lost heritage and raise their profiles in the community.
Each woman faced one or more of:
Sexism, Discrimination, Racism, Inequality, Misogyny
The project aims to highlight the stories of these women as well as other Bedford women and show how their actions broke through the barriers and social prejudices of their time. How they fought against a preconceived normality to become trail blazers for the women who were to follow them.
During times when women had no real voice or power these women fought to make their voices heard.
It will also highlight the relevance of their stories for us all in the 21st Century and how women today are still fighting to gain equality in the modern world 2018 is the 100th anniversary of 40% of women who met age and property qualifications being given the right to vote, and 90th anniversary of universal suffrage.
At a time when women’s heritage will be brought into focus nationally, it is fitting to emphasis this and share the varied stories of Bedford women, whose stories have frequently been ignored.
For more information or to get involved in this exciting project please e-mail
thebedfordchronicles@yahoo.co.uk
curator@bunyanmeeting.co.uk
museum@panaceatrust.org
