In 1851, the UK census introduced terms like "imbecile," "lunatic," and "deaf and dumb" to classify disabilities, reflecting the negative views towards disabled individuals during the Victorian Era. Despite this, these terms help us identify and explore the lived experiences of disabled individuals during this time. One such person was James F. Truscott, a Deaf man who became a successful photographer in Coalbrookdale.
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The Victorian era was a time of great change in the study of astronomy. In the 18th century and early 19th century, astronomy focussed on recording the positions and movements of stars and planets, and producing star charts to record them. However, as the 19th century progressed, astronomers used new developments in maths, physics, chemistry, and geology to learn more about the universe.
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This is the story of a team of working class men from a small mining community in the East Shropshire Coalfield, whose attempts to retain the Shropshire FA Cup had been, in their eyes, thwarted by the unscrupulous ‘County Townites’ of the Shropshire FA. The story of St. Georges expulsion from the 1886-87 Cup is an extraordinary one.
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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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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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Find out how a case of pneumonia, an 80 year old history book, and a group of passionate volunteers led to the creation of Blists Hill Victorian Town.
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The passing of the Representation of the People Act in 1918 followed more than fifty years of campaigning by suffragists and suffragettes. The fight for the right to vote took place across Britain, including in Shropshire.
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