This is a brief guide to researching records related to women’s history within our collections here at Explore York Library & Archives.
Interest in women’s history has flourished since the mid-twentieth century, yet the lives of women are often under-represented in historical sources.
Evidence of the lives, activities, and voices of women who lived in York can be found in general archive collections, collections relating to women-focused organisations and collections relating to individual women or their families.
To help you begin your research there are some introductory resources below.
- York Association of Women Graduates, 1989-2012 [Reference: AWG]
- Edna Crichton, Lord Mayor of York, 1941-1960s [Reference: CRI]
- York Association for the Care of Young Girls and York Training Home for Girls, 1880-1960s [Reference: CYG]
- Lillie Dyson Letters, 1890s [Reference: DYS]
- Iris Lemare papers, 1902-1997 [Reference: LEM]
- Diaries and Letters of Mary Hughes, 1910-1950 [Reference: MHD]
- Autobiography and papers of Millicent Price, 1935 [Reference: MPP]
- York Penitentiary Society, 1822-1953 [Reference: PEN]
- York Poor Law Union and Workhouse records: Records relating to poverty and welfare prior to the introduction of the welfare state, late 17th century-1960s [Reference: PLU]
- York Standing Conference of Women’s Organisations, 1943-2000 [Reference: SCW]
- Vivian Stuart papers, 1968-1986 [Reference: STU]
- Records of Soroptimist International of York, 1934-2000 [Reference: SOR]
- Women’s Institute, Wheldrake Branch, 1925-2020 [Reference: WWI]
- York Female Friendly Society, 1786-1986 [Reference: YFF]
- York Civic Archive: Records of staff, civil defence records, committee minutes, education and school records, law and order records and records of health and housing, 1155-onwards (Reference: Y)
Our archive collections can be searched and browsed on the archive catalogue: https://archives.exploreyork.org.uk/index.php/
You can find more information on how to search the archive catalogue on the ‘How to Search’ webpage: https://archives.exploreyork.org.uk/how-to-search
To book an appointment to access our archive collections and find details of our opening times and how to book an appointment, please refer to our ‘Visiting us’ webpage: https://exploreyork.org.uk/archives/visiting-us/
- Emm, Adèle. Tracing your female ancestors : a guide for family historians, 2019 [Shelfmark: 929.1 PEO]
- Shaw, Claire. Women of York, 2021 [Shelfmark: 305.4092 SOC]
Our local history and special collections can be searched and browsed using our library catalogue: https://catalogue.exploreyork.org.uk/client/en_GB/default/
- Microfilmed records and local newspapers available in our Family History Room
- Find My Past (Free access available at all Explore York sites)
- Ancestry (Free access available at all Explore York sites)
- British Newspaper Archive (Free access available at all Explore York sites)
- The Borthwick Institute for Archives hold a range of records relating to women in York, see the section for a guide to their holdings: www.york.ac.uk/borthwick/
- York Oral History Society hold oral histories for women who lived in York: http://www.yorkoralhistory.org.uk/
- Borthwick Institute for Archives’ Women’s History guide: https://www.york.ac.uk/borthwick/holdings/research-guides/women/
- HerStoryYork: www.herstoryyork.org.uk
- The National Archives’ Women’s Histories Guide: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/ resources/womens-histories/