The Remarkable Women of East Lothian: a History in Pictures

By Aberlady Conservation Society

We’re delighted to say that our guest speaker on Wednesday, 11 November is Dr Hanita Ritchie.  As you may already know, Dr Ritchie is the Local History Officer in East Lothian Council’s Library Service.

In her presentation Dr Ritchie will explain that while throughout history women from all corners of the world have led lives very similar to those of their mothers and grandmothers, others have led radically different lives from their predecessors due to various reasons and circumstances.

Since time immemorial, patriarchal dictates have played a major part in deciding the status of women at all levels of the social spectrum. Few, if any, married women worked outside the home until the First World War radically altered society. Married women’s position was also determined by their husband’s occupation and this attitude continued until the second half of the 20th century.

In her presentation, Dr Hanita Ritchie pays tribute to and highlights some of the remarkable women of East Lothian. Amongst the more notable figures include Jane Welsh Carlyle and Catherine Blair. Hanita also generally highlights the many often unacknowledged and unsung heroines of the socio-political and economic history of East Lothian, particularly in the agriculture, mining, and fishing industries, as well as women in war times, and the health sector. Audience members are also invited to share their knowledge and opinions.

The talk will take place in the Kirk Stables in the High Street.  We’d be grateful if you could let us know in advance if you plan to attend –  hopefully you do – and if you could arrive in good time for a 7pm start. To register for the event, simply reply to this email. 

Glebe Update

When AOC arrive next month to undertake to complete our geophysical surveys of the Glebe and Butchers Fields, we will provide an opportunity for those of you who are interested to learn about and use the ground penetrating radar technologies involved.  The detection technologies have allowed us to learn so much more about Aberlady’s amazing history and we’re sure there is more to discover.  As soon as we have confirmation of the exact dates, we will let you know.  In the meantime, if you could let me know of your interest in learning about and using the technology, please let us know. 

In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you on 11 November.

Best wishes