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Black History Month 2023
The month of October is designated Black History Month in the UK, and is an opportunity for education, exploration, and entertainment regarding the achievements of Black people from all walks of life. It gives us an opportunity to share our collections and spaces across the university, to critique our curricula and to celebrate the diverse achievements of the African diaspora both locally and nationally. In this article, Dr Sheine Peart who leads on BHM for the university, shares some highlights from this year’s celebrations and reflects on the relevance for our community of this annual festival. -
BGU History in the Media
November has been a busy month for the past and present staff and students of our History and Humanities courses. Five members of staff and two former BGU students have contributed to the latest volume of the Survey of Lincoln series: North of the River Witham. The BGU staff involved and their contributions comprised of: Dr Mick Jones - the archaeology of the area Dr Chris Bonfield - Lincoln’s early schools Dr Hazel Kent - cinemas Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall - The Drill Hall Dr Andrew Jackson - the Cooperative Society. Lesley Clarke, a former BGU student, provided chapters on Greyfriars and the Central Library while Helen Durham along with Professor Heather Hughes of Lincoln University, presented a chapter on the visitor economy in central Lincoln. The support of BGU to this volume is recognised in a feature within the Lincolnshire Echo, (25 November). Earlier in the month, our Head of School of Humanities Dr Andrew Jackson made an appearance at the BBC Radio Lincolnshire Armistice Day Live Broadcast on 11 November. He spoke about his work on the WWI home-front poet, Bernard Samuel Gilbert and was joined by Maureen Sutton, local poet and folklorist, who read out a few of Gilbert’s wartime poetry in dialect. For more information about our History courses, please click here. -
Pubs in Lincoln: A History
Members of the History team at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln have been out and about studying pubs over the last few months. Their research will feature in the first volume of the new theme-related series from the Survey of Lincoln project – ‘Pubs in Lincoln: A History’. Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall and Dr Hazel Kent have written about ‘Pubs in Wartime Lincoln’, while Dr Andrew Jackson discusses the city’s ‘Council Estate Pubs’. “The book traces the long history of the public house in Lincoln, and also charts what has been the rapid and striking disappearance of so many local pubs over the last couple of decades”, said Andrew Jackson, Head of School of Humanities at BGU. Pubs in Lincoln will be available from bookshops from 18 November 2017. Find out more about History at BGU. -
Remembering SOE Agent Denise Bloch on Holocaust Memorial Day 2021
This piece has been written by Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall, Programme Leader for Military History at Bishop Grosseteste University -
Heritage Open Days & The Early History of Bishop Grosseteste University
Since 1994, Heritage Open Days have run every year shining a bright light on England's rich and diverse cultural heritage. This year, from 10-19 September, heritage sites across the county reflected on the theme of 'voices unheard', exploring 'stories from women, children, the working class and agricultural workers, minority groups and even animals that have somehow contributed to the history of Lincolnshire'. Bishop Grosseteste University has been educating students for over 150 years, but its early history was devoted to training young 'school mistresses'. In January 1862, 'Lincoln Diocesan Training College for Schoolmistresses' opened its doors for women who aspired to be teachers. As seen in the image below, the 'Joyce Skinner Building' is one of the original college buildings. Figure 1: A watercolour painting of Lincoln Diocesan Training College in 1888. BGU Archive During the first fifty years some 1,320 girls entered Lincoln Diocesan Training College. After gaining their teaching certificates, some women went on to have careers in elementary schools. Others passed away far too young—some married, and their daughters later attended the college. A few daring women even travelled to far off British colonies to teach. Interestingly, the vast majority of trainee 'schoolmistresses' came from working-class backgrounds. During the nineteenth century, teaching was considered a working-class profession, as it was deemed immoral for the upper classes to educate working class children. Figure 2: The oldest surviving image of students at Lincoln Diocesan Training College c1860s. BGU Archive For a young woman to be given a chance to study at a teacher training college in the late nineteenth century there was an expectation that she would have successfully carried out the role of an apprentice teacher. 'Pupil Teachers' aged between 13 and 18 years of age, spent four to five years shadowing teachers in an elementary school. Alongside teaching the youngest school children, they also carried out domestic duties. Pupil Teachers were also expected to conduct their study before or after the school day. While extremely demanding, the pupil teacher scheme was also preparing the young women to take the Queen's Scholarship Exam. This exam ultimately determined their national ranking. It was from this list that College Principals selected entrants. The Principal at Lincoln Diocesan Training College used the Queen's Scholarship List, but also chose candidates based on their physical well-being, religious knowledge, and geographical proximity, preferring candidates from Lincolnshire or nearby counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Figure 3: The Student Common Room c. 1900s. The Common Room was only added to the College in 1895 after numerous requests from the Inspector. BGU Archive Once at the college, the young women could not escape their working-class roots as domestic duties were still required. The college décor was plain, the amenities were sparse, and the food was basic. However, despite a rudimentary diet of potatoes, meat and bread, regular college food was more than what many of the girls were used to. A fascinating medical record held within the BGU Archive reveals that one group of undernourished trainee teachers managed to put weight on at the turn of the twentieth century, and their general health improved considerably during their two years at college. To learn more about the university’s early history and heritage, and study History, Military History or the MA in Social & Cultural History in the surviving Victorian buildings, please click here. -
BGU celebrates Black History Month
October is Black History Month in the UK – a month that highlights the history, achievements, and contributions of Black people in the UK across various areas. -
New exhibition explores British troops' deployment experience
‘Behind the Bastion’, an art exhibition exploring the personal stories of British troops deployed to Afghanistan, will open to the public on Friday 9th June. The exhibition features new artwork by Ed Kluz and pieces created by veterans. Led by Bishop Grosseteste University's Archaeology and History Programme Leader, Dr Derwin Gregory ‘Behind the Bastion’ is part of a wider project on vernacular ‘placemaking’ within the British military, exploring how British troops make operational bases feel like home while deployed overseas. Dr Derwin Gregory said: “This project aims to bring together art, history, and military experience to uncover the often-overlooked stories of British troops deployed overseas. “I hope 'Behind the Bastion' will generate new conversations about the personal experiences of troops and the impact of their built environment on mental health, and I look forward to sharing our findings with the public." The project has been made possible by the IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund, a national partnership programme of over 20 artist commissions inspired by the heritage of conflict. Led by Imperial War Museums, the IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund was created following the success of 14-18 NOW, the official UK arts programme for the First World War centenary. Rebecca Newell, Head of Art at Imperial War Museums said: “Working with artists has been a core part of IWM’s practice since the First World War. Part of the IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund, Behind the Bastion continues this important tradition, telling stories of conflict through new and thought-provoking ways.” Artist Ed Kluz, who has been commissioned by the project for the temporary exhibition, said: “It has been such an honour to work with the veterans in carefully exploring the profoundly complex experiences of serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. I knew from the start of the process that the pace and lines of enquiry had to be led by them - by the exploration and respectful acknowledgement of their trauma and testimonies in collaboration with our art therapist. “The form of this piece references the watchtowers which are often found in war zones surrounding military bases. Here, though, rather than it being a structure from which a view is achieved by looking out, here perspectives and insights are gained by peering in.” The exhibition is free to visit and will run from Friday 9th June to Sunday 20th August 2023 at The Stable Yard Gallery at Doddington Hall. For more information, click here or contact derwin.gregory@bishopg.ac.uk. -
Students discover early history of BGU
History students from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln have delved into archives of student magazines to uncover BGU’s roots as a training college. The project, led by lecturer in History Dr W. Jack Rhoden, saw a group of four BGU History students work with BGU archivist Guenever Moyes to digitise and record a run of student magazines from the late 19th and early 20th century. The magazines were written and self-published twice a year by the female students of Lincoln Diocesan Training College (the college was renamed Bishop Grosseteste College in 1962 to mark its centenary) and contain a wealth of insights and information about life at the College. The first edition is from 1895 and there are contributions from former students and discussions of College history going all the way back to its foundation in 1862. We learn from these magazines that there was already an association of past members set up in 1892. The team also discovered that in its first 30 years the College produced nearly 700 students who went on to practice their profession and settle all around the globe, from North America to Australia, India and southern Africa. There is a plan to use these student magazines to inform a temporary exhibition at the British Association of Victorian Studies (BAVS) conference in mid-August 2017, and a more permanent exhibition of College history on campus in the near future. The aim of which will be to inform current and future students of the rich history of BGU as an educational institution with global reach and impact. Dr W. Jack Rhoden said, "Preserving and working on these magnificent magazines is a real privilege. They provide a window into the lives of the many ordinary women who went on to achieve extraordinary things as teachers and missionaries across the world." The project is in its early stages and is just the first of many seeking to digitise and promote the exceptional College records contained in BGU archives. Found out more about History at BGU. -
1st for Academic Support (History)
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New research exploring Lincoln’s burial grounds set to launch
The Survey of Lincoln is set to unveil its latest literary endeavour on Saturday 2nd December, with the launch of new book: ‘Lincoln's Burial Grounds: Commemorating the City's Dead.’ The book is edited by local historian Dr Andrew Walker and features contributions from various members of the Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) academic community. Andrew Priestley, a current third-year student pursuing a BA (Hons) in Military History at BGU, contributed a chapter named ‘Memorials to the fallen in Eastgate Cemetery: a survey of the different ways soldiers, sailors, and airmen are commemorated in a small urban cemetery’. Andrew’s research efforts focus on finding military graves in civilian graveyards and identifying the reasons behind their placement. Andrew said: “The research process for my chapter in ‘Lincoln’s Burial Grounds’ was an exciting opportunity to discover some real insights into the memorialisation of war dead within smaller, civilian sites in Lincoln. “I hope my contribution highlights the diverse stories of local soldiers.” Programme Leader for Archaeology and Heritage, Dr. Derwin Gregory’s research ‘Lincoln's Emergency Mortuary During the Second World War’ uses conflict archaeology to examine a crucial aspect of the city's wartime history. The opening chapter ‘Archaeology and Lincoln's Early Cemeteries’ is authored by Dr. Mick Jones, Visiting Reader in Archaeology. Dr. Hazel Kent’s chapter ‘Remembering Lincoln's Civilian War Dead (1939-1945): Memorials and Graves’ focuses on those who lost their lives in Lincoln during World War II, whether as a result of enemy action, military accidents, or civil defense duties. Dr. Kent said: "Participating in this research has been enlightening. It underscores the value of diverse academic perspectives from various backgrounds in bringing our local history to life. “It's great to have so many members of BGU involved in the new research and we’re excited to share our findings with the community.” The official book launch is scheduled for Saturday 2nd December at St Hugh's Church Hall, Monks Road and is open to the public. Doors will open at 9.30 am, with short talks about selected chapters beginning at 10 am. Attendees can enjoy tea, coffee, and biscuits, and copies of the book, as well as previous volumes, will be available for purchase.
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