In #WomensHistoryMonth (which is every month as far as I’m concerned but, still, hashtags etc etc) I’m highlighting some Thames Foreshore mudlarked finds that have links to women who either worked on the river or whose forgotten stories are told through these artefacts #mudlark 
From the top, left to right:
• a handful of mostly Tudor-era, poss later, aglets. These were made of copper alloy, or silver/gold for high status people, some beautifully decorated, and protected the ends of cord or lace. We still use them, tho’ plastic, on our shoe laces 2/
• a handful of mostly Tudor-era, poss later, aglets. These were made of copper alloy, or silver/gold for high status people, some beautifully decorated, and protected the ends of cord or lace. We still use them, tho’ plastic, on our shoe laces 2/
- aglets cont. Women were involved both in aglet-making workshops and records from their Guild show that some of them ran aglet workshops if inherited from a husband.
• a 15th/16th century Pinner’s Bone, or Pinholder, found by me on the Thames last month, a dream find 3/
• a 15th/16th century Pinner’s Bone, or Pinholder, found by me on the Thames last month, a dream find 3/
- Pinner’s Bone cont. Made from the lower leg of a cow/horse and with carved grooves ready to hold the pin wire, made of copper alloy, for filing & shaping. Thanks to @TraceLarkhall who kindly signposted me to the Guild of Pinmakers, I’ve discovered the names of Margaret Hall 4/
- Margaret Exnyng, Margaret Golde, Margaret Crawford and Katherine Smyth, all of whom were admitted to the Pinners’ Fraternity between 1477-1498 as a result of being widows or daughters of late husbands/fathers involved in this trade & who took over the family business 5/
• a hat block (not a hat holder,) I went through all sorts of IDs for this beautifully tactile item. Southwark/Bankside, London Bridge areas were heavily involved in the hat making business from the Medieval period onwards, this area south of the river was an unregulated 6/
- stinking mess. Women were heavily involved in the hat trade, the Victorian era presenting a particularly awful health challenge. Mercury was used in the hat-making process, was flushed into the Thames causing pollution, & caused hallucinations, tremors, breathing issues - 7/
- literally poising the workforce and giving rise to the phrase ‘Mad Hatter’s Disease.’
Middle Row: some Georgian bling. Beautiful Rococo designed earring, made of brass/copper alloy & showing petals, flowers, various elaborate designs typical of this period. The woman who - 8/
Middle Row: some Georgian bling. Beautiful Rococo designed earring, made of brass/copper alloy & showing petals, flowers, various elaborate designs typical of this period. The woman who - 8/
- lost this would have been FURIOUS. The earring would have shone like gold when new.
• A late Medieval Pilgrim badge found by me on the Thames last year and now recorded on the @findsorguk Designed in the shape of the Lombardic ‘M’ for Maria, Queen of Heaven 9/
• A late Medieval Pilgrim badge found by me on the Thames last year and now recorded on the @findsorguk Designed in the shape of the Lombardic ‘M’ for Maria, Queen of Heaven 9/
Pilgrims would have travelled to Canterbury, Walsingham, Santiago de Compostela, the long lost Syon Abbey to ask for our Lady’s intercession as they grappled with the same worries, anxieties & problems we have today 10/
• a bone hair pin from the Roman era. Currently also being recorded on the @findsorguk so I can’t give an accurate update. High status women throughout the Roman Empire wore elaborately curled hair styles that needed heavy pinning in order to keep the hair in place 11/
- There is a dark side to Roman hair trends in that the hair of enslaved women, particularly those of Germanic, northern heritage who had fair/blonde hair, were often forced to have their hair cut off in order for it to be worn by wealthy women, as was fashionable then 12/
• last row. Some pottery featuring and designed by women, plus sherds opening a door to the history of women’s suffrage.
• a sherd of Chinese export porcelain, rarer red on white, featuring a high status woman sheltering under a parasol
• sherd of 17thC Slipware 13/
• a sherd of Chinese export porcelain, rarer red on white, featuring a high status woman sheltering under a parasol
• sherd of 17thC Slipware 13/
- Possibly London Metropolitan, or maybe brought in from the Midlands. Women were heavily involved in the pottery making business, often used in the decorating process one the piece had been fired in the kiln, then dotted or trailed slip applied for the final design 14/
• last, some sherds featuring the logo of the ABC (Aerated Bread Tea Rooms.) The original #ones opened during the Victorian era, the first cafés where women were able to go to unchaperoned. Later used by Suffragists & Suffragettes as a meeting place to plan action 15/
The New Somerville Club, near Oxford Circus, was a favourite meeting place in the rooms located above the ABC tea room there. The social club were also vocal in their support for ABC female employees & campaigned for better pay and conditions for them.
Thanks for reading. Fin.
Thanks for reading. Fin.
I’ve blogged in more detail about the ABC tea rooms here amudlarksdiary.com/2019/01/04/the…
Always typos D’OH. Re hat block comment, I meant Mercury was *poisoning* the workforce, not *poising*
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