Inspirational Women of Vauxhall

Join Dr Jane Jordan to walk in the footsteps of the pioneering women who made their mark on Vauxhall over the centuries. Starting with Vauxhall’s origins, we will uncover the forgotten history of a C13th feminist who fought for a woman’s right to choose her own husband. Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens became the fashionable destination south of the river in the late C18th, and we’ll hear about the daring women trapeze artists and equestriennes who topped the bill. Across the river the landscape was dominated by Millbank Prison and the Houses of Parliament, and we will uncover the histories of Victorian women activists who devoted their lives to reforming laws affecting women and girls. We’ll discover how Rachel Lack came to own her own dock and barge business next to Vauxhall Bridge, how Eleanor Coade ran a hugely successful artificial stone production company used by all the leading Georgian architects, and…