Women of Abney

Women of Abney gives voice to twelve women connected to Abney Park whose lives helped shape Hackney, Victorian England and wider social history. Based on Women from Hackney’s History, this film is a Hackney Society and Tower Theatre co-production in association with Abney Park Cemetery Trust. Watch the film and find out more here: https://hackney.hk/womenofabney The women of Abney fought for the right to vote and the right to say no. They transformed the ways we heal and learn, shattered convention and thrilled an adoring public. These are their voices and their stories. Some have prominent graves and grand memorials, while others have no headstone or share a common grave. Many turbulent lives came to rest in Abney Park, and this film lets us hear from twelve women who left their mark on Victorian England and reshaped our world. Drawing from the 113 profiles in Women from Hackney’s History, now in its second printing, the film includes the first female balloonist, the nursing pioneer for whom the Welsh health service is named, and a poet who withstood barbaric quackery. It also tells the rags-to-riches stories of music hall stars, and the men who reduced them back to rags. We hear from the former prostitute who scandalised polite society, exposed its hypocrisy, changed the consent laws and was rewarded with a prison sentence. Women of Abney gives voice to two women who are buried, overshadowed by their husbands, under Abney’s largest and best-known memorials. The huge and international impact of the Booth family relies on the refusal of its women to be constrained by traditional roles. The splendour of the Bostock lion and the glamour of the circus obscures a history of abuse and survival. Cast & Index: 00:00 Titles 00:50 Betsi Cadwaladr 1789–1860 — Crimean War nurse, Welsh hero, spinner of tales. Played by Joanna Nevin 06:33 Katty King 1851–1891 — Won hearts performing burlesque, Hamlet and The Shoreditch Toff. Played by Ruth Sullivan 11:32 Catherine Booth 1829–1890 — First of a female dynasty leading the Salvation Army. Played by Tyan Jones 15:07 Rebecca Jarrett 1846–1928 — Ex-prostitute jailed for exposing the child sex trade. Played by Lucianne Regan 19:21 Frances Garlick 1880–1947 & Harriet Delph 1862–1944 — Education pioneers. Played by Angelika Michitsch 23:06 Margaret Graham 1804–1864 — Aeronaut who first claimed the Victorian skies for women. Played by Selina Cadell 28:21 Mary Hays 1759–1843 — Early feminist writer and campaigner for women’s education. Played by Ruth Sullivan 32:19 Emily Gosse 1806–1857 — Poet, religious writer, illustrator. Played by Joanna Nevin 39:30 Ethel Haslam 1881–1961 — Suffragette who relished the dangers and delights of militancy. Played by Lucianne Regan 44:40 Susannah Bostock 1864–1929 — Proprietor of a global circus empire, survivor of abuse. Played by Emelia Teglia 50:23 Joanna Vassa 1795–1857 — Abolitionist daughter of Olaudah Equiano. Played by Tyan Jones 53:49 Nelly Power 1854–1888 — Music hall legend, principal boy, rags to riches and back again. Played by Letty Thomas 58:36 Credits Production Team: Director: Nick Perry Writers: Rosie Barker, Sue Doe, Wendy Forrest, Lucy Madison Wardrobe: Kathleen Morrison Studio Recording: Colin Guthrie Music by: Luc Vanlaere https://www.harpmuziek.be/ End Title Theme by: Amir Dotan Location Services: Haydn for Abney Park Trust Art Department: "Magic Garden" by Ella Doran https://www.elladoran.co.uk/products/... In this video: Women of Abney Women from Hackney’s History Abney Park Cemetery Victorian women’s history Suffrage, education, performance and social reform Hackney local history About The Hackney Society: The Hackney Society is a local charity working to protect and celebrate Hackney’s built environment, local history and community heritage. Follow our work: Website: https://www.hackneysociety.org/ Instagram:   / hackney_society   Subscribe for more videos about Hackney’s history, places and people. #WomenOfAbney #HackneyHistory #WomensHistory