Struggle and Suffrage in Morpeth & Northumberland

Description

For much of the nineteenth century, the women of Northumberland had occupied crucial, though largely underappreciated and acknowledged, roles within society. Aside from the hard life of raising families in an area where money was often hard to come by, and where much of the available work was labor intensive and dangerous, women were also expected to play a role in bringing money into the household. In what was a largely agrarian county, female laborers, who were known as bondagers, were widely respected for their contribution to the local economy although there were those who criticized the system for forcing women to undertake hard manual labor. The farming economy in Northumberland depended so much upon female labor that many men found that it was far easier to be taken on by a prospective employer if they could assure that employer that they would be able to bring a suitable female worker with them. The period was also one of considerable upheaval. There were a number... About the Author: Born and bred in Northumberland, Dr Craig Armstrong is an experienced historian with a special interest in the history of the North East of England and the Anglo-Scottish Borders. He has expertise in 19th and 20th century history with a particular focus on social and military history. Dr Armstrong currently splits his time between teaching at Newcastle University and working as a freelance researcher and writer on the history of North East England and Scotland.