iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

A change of plan: chemotherapy has been stopped early because the side effects have become too much, and I’m moving on to surgery. The good news? The tumour has shrunk considerably. Now it’s time to get stronger and get this hateful thing out #BreastCancer this-too-shall-pass.uk/2026/09/25/c...

this-too-shall-pass.uk

A Change of Plan

Well, it seems my body has finally lodged a formal complaint about chemotherapy. I saw the consultant earlier this week and, after everything that has been going on, they’ve decided that we’ve reac…

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

It’s September, so what better time to discover 'Woman's Friend' magazine 1938’s advice on “Make Your Own Wine”? Sloe, blackberry, damson, mulberry - even beetroot “mock port” and sloe gin. Mrs Pat clearly knew how to make the most of the season! 🍷🍸

A 1938 magazine page headed “Make Your Own Wine”, with recipes for sloe gin, sloe, mangold, plum, blackberry, damson, mulberry and beetroot “mock port” wines. A small illustration of wine-making appears at the top right.

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Reposted by Natalie Mayhew

RJ1611 @rfj1611.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Palaeographers! I'm reading this as '___ killed with a bagge of oates falling upon her in a quicksand." 😳 I'm reading this wrong, right?! #genealogy #earlymodern

A screenshot from a 1646 Warwickshire parish register. The entry looks like it says:

"Katherine the wife of Richard Clarke of s. Mer___ was killed wth a bagge of oates falling upon her in a quicksand[?]"

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Cancer has taken my hair, appetite, strength, concentration and even my fingerprints. But the hardest thing may be feeling it has stolen my identity. Who is the woman in the mirror? My latest chapter explores this 💖 #Cancer #chemotherapy this-too-shall-pass.uk/2026/08/26/c...

this-too-shall-pass.uk

Cancer stole my identity

It is now over three months since my diagnosis of an aggressive form of breast cancer, and I had no idea how short a time it would take for this horrible disease to change my life and rob me of my …

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Society for One-Place Studies @oneplacestudies.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Perhaps inspired by the new series of #AHouseThroughTime, over on Facebook Scotland’s People has recently highlighted its Valuation Rolls as a great source of info for #SocialHistory, #FamilyHistory and #HouseHistory (and by extension, #OnePlaceStudies!). Learn more about them on #OnePlaceWednesday

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Suffolk Family History Society @sfhs1975.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Have been banging on about about folks writing their family history Recent Zoom from Janet Few on this subject. Now a timely course from FT Mag: www.family-tree.co.u... It doesn't have to be a complete family history, but can be built up in stages; there are stories to be told

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Today's bloods weren't perfect with low magnesium and raised kidney function, but treatment can go ahead tomorrow, with an extra bag of fluids. And I've discovered my fingerprints have disappeared 😳 Apparently that's a known thing. Criminal mastermind? Me? 🤣 this-too-shall-pass.uk/2026/08/17/m...

this-too-shall-pass.uk

Missing magnesium and fingerprints

Last week was supposed to be my “good week”, being the phase in the chemo cycle when things are meant to be settling down and I’m supposed to get a few days to feel a little more like myself before…

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Just come across Ancestry’s AI-generated transcript of a 1772 Will. The original may be difficult to read in Secretary hand, but the AI solution appears to have been inspired by the Jabberwocky 🤦‍♀️ #FamilyHistory #AIFails

Extract from Ancestry AI generated transcript from an England & Wales Prerogative Court of Canterbury Will, 1384-1858. Text reads:
Interment or labor ans adjoinong to his with the said annuity of sixteen pounds to give enforce HorsiDMay differ or advint so adjoring the town of the said John anest upou my heiros faugls and ith Mara the wife of John tarson and Sarah worsus and hiris Faughlords and Administrators for and sumi to Lond befethe marco which shall be some maron at the sun ote that at my said Brother of soleus shall shall son to liwe very to be divud borrower my said thire Sanginh share and hold I give devise adcount sallny beachsolid and all my copehold and also MY a funds dower"

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

It’s always a shame when an Ancestry tree shows someone was buried eight months before they died. 1841, 1851 & 1861: Hornsey resident March 1863: buried in Norfolk November 1863: died Edmonton Union, Hornsey Sometimes a little logic would not go amiss 🙄 #Genealogy #FamilyHistory #AncestryFails

Screenshot from and Ancestry family tree showing someone as resident of Hornsey in 1841, 1851 and 1861, buried in Norfolk in Mar 1863 then died in Edmonton Union, Hornsey, in Nov 1863.

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Look what's arrived on my desk!! A signed copy of "Moving Mountains - Intrepid Women Climbers and the Peaks Named in Their Honour" by Rosemary J. Brown, published by The History Press, with a chapter on Meta Brevoort, my 3rd great-aunt. I'm so excited to see her story in print!! 🤩📚 #FamilyHistory

Copy of book 'Moving Mountains - Intrepid Women Climbers and the Peaks Named in their Honour' by Rosemary J Brown on a map of the world with a keyboard and some other trinkets nearby

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Reposted by Natalie Mayhew

Pharos Tutors @pharostutors.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Enter our birthday Prize Draw to be in with a chance of winning free Pharos courses, Pharos goodie bags, books, research sessions and donated prizes from our friends and partners. www.pharostutors.com/prize-draw

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Another unexpected detour on the #chemotherapy merry-go-round… Round 2 went well, but Saturday brought an unexpected A&E visit. Thankfully I'm home and finding #littlewins: blue & yellow nails, homemade ice lollies and my appetite returning (but not taste) 💖 this-too-shall-pass.uk/2026/08/03/a...

this-too-shall-pass.uk

Another bump in the road

Just when I thought I was beginning to understand the rhythm of chemotherapy, the weekend had other ideas. Having sailed through round two of my targetted treatment without any major dramas, I rath…

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

A little milestone today... Second chemo done yesterday ✅ Scans show no sign of cancer anywhere else 🎉 Kidneys have fully recovered 💚 I'm officially one-third of the way through chemo! Thank you to everyone who's been reading, commenting and cheering me on ❤️‍🩹 this-too-shall-pass.uk/2026/07/29/a...

this-too-shall-pass.uk

A third of the way through!

I had my second round of chemotherapy yesterday and, thankfully, everything went very smoothly. My matching teal ensemble of a £2 headscarf and a favourite necklace teamed with my positivity vest w…

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Debbie Cameron @debsadelight.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Brilliant! MI5 Used Girl Guides As Spies During World War I Because Boy Scouts Gossiped Too Much www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-i/...

warhistoryonline.com

When Boys Couldn't Handle the Job, MI5 Turned to Britain's Girl Guides

The Boy Scouts couldn't respect the seriousness of their duties.

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

There's one side effect of chemotherapy that everyone knows about. Knowing it's coming doesn't make it easier when it arrives. Today's blog: hair loss, £2 charity shop scarves, Ellen Ripley, Roald Dahl's The Witches... and a scruffy Persian cat #chemotherapy this-too-shall-pass.uk/2026/07/24/h...

this-too-shall-pass.uk

Hair today, gone tomorrow

I think everyone knows that one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss. But knowing something is going to happen and actually experiencing it are two very different things. I …

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Cancer doesn't just come with side effects. It also comes with a script. Things people say are usually meant kindly… but sometimes words land differently than intended. This is about the phrases we reach for, battle metaphors, and what might actually help. this-too-shall-pass.uk/2026/07/22/l...

this-too-shall-pass.uk

Lost for words

Since my diagnosis I’ve discovered that cancer doesn’t just come with side effects. It also comes with a script. Almost everyone reaches for the same handful of phrases. They’re n…

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Little wins can be getting home, climbing stairs again, or a yoghurt that tastes like yoghurt! 🥄 And sometimes a little win arrives in a cardboard box 💗 My latest post about #LittleLifts and kindness behind the box: this-too-shall-pass.uk/2026/07/21/l... #BreastCancer #Chemotherapy #LittleWins

this-too-shall-pass.uk

Little wins and #LittleLifts

When people talk about “little wins”, they often mean the obvious things: getting through a difficult appointment, reaching a treatment milestone, or ticking something off the list that once seemed…

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

My positivity vest worked!!! I can go home around 5pm… Honestly I am so very grateful to be allowed home at last and got all teary when the oncologist said I could 🥹 Thank you NHS for looking after me so well!! 💙 #BreastCancer #Positivity #CancerJourney #chemotherapy #NHS

Woman wearing a turban and black vest with the message “She believed she could, so she did”

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

I like to think I’m fiercely independent. Cancer has taught me that accepting help isn’t weakness - it’s allowing the people who care to show it. A reflection on friendship, kindness and a jigsaw puzzle 💗🧩 #BreastCancer #CancerJourney #Friendship #Kindness this-too-shall-pass.uk/2026/07/19/p...

this-too-shall-pass.uk

Pieces of a bigger picture

If you’ve followed my story so far from the beginning, you may have got the impression that I am a very independent person and – under normal circumstances – more than capable o…

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

“Do you think it’s cancer?” the words that changed everything. I’ve written about the moment my breast cancer journey began, the uncertainty, the waiting, and the whirlwind that followed. Sharing my story one step at a time 💗 #BreastCancer #NHS #LifeChanges this-too-shall-pass.uk/2026/05/22/d...

this-too-shall-pass.uk

“D’you think it’s cancer?”

At the time of writing, women in the UK are routinely invited for free NHS breast screening at some point during the three years after their 50th birthday, and then every three years until they rea…

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

110 years ago today, the Battle of the #Somme began. Behind the statistics were ordinary lives, families, hopes and stories that vanished into history. This is the story of just one of the thousands #WW1 #Somme110 #LestWeForget funnywherelifetakesyou.org/2022/11/12/g...

funnywherelifetakesyou.org

Gone without a trace

Edward Henry ‘Teddy’ Bovill (1887-1916) just one of the many thousands of ‘Missing of the Somme’

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

A rainy morning at Chatham Naval Memorial - somehow fitting for a place of remembrance. Here are the names of 8,517 #WW1 and 10,098 #WW2 sailors, mostly lost at sea with no known grave. The obelisk still stands as a leading mark for ships on the Medway #LestWeForget #Remembrance

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

A baby born in an asylum. An unmarried mother. A missing father. Another Victorian family scandal? Now DNA matches, census clues and forgotten records reveal a touching story of love, duty and family survival #FamilyHistory #HaylingIsland #Genealogy #DNA funnywherelifetakesyou.org/2026/06/25/t...

funnywherelifetakesyou.org

The Baby Born in an Asylum?

The hidden story of Mary Ann Cooper and Isaac Dibben: a tale of love, loyalty and endurance in the face of Victorian scandal and the workhouse

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

A letter from 1843 arrived as a grid of ink running in two directions at once. Decoding it revealed not just words, but a voice trying very hard to be understood - and approved of by his father... #FamilyHistory #Genealogy funnywherelifetakesyou.org/2026/06/16/c...

funnywherelifetakesyou.org

Cracking a 19th Century Cross-Written Letter

A tantalising find in an online archive reveals a family conversation hidden in plain sight for nearly 200 years

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

December 1843: "I must write a long letter to my father, but paper and postage are so expensive..." Solution: write on the same page twice, at right angles... Me, 183 years later 😵 #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #Palaeography

Image of a crossed letter from 1843 containing two separate sets of writing, one written over the other at right-angles

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Unlocking an incredible digital archive find from @jstor.bsky.social ✨ Explore the beautiful 1837 commonplace book of the Brevoort children, full of poetry, art, and the close bonds of a remarkable family #FamilyHistory #Genealogy funnywherelifetakesyou.org/2026/06/06/t...

funnywherelifetakesyou.org

The Brevoort Family Commonplace Book

A beautifully illustrated 1837 commonplace book kept by the Brevoort children reveals their distinct personalities, youthful ambitions, and family tragedies

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

86 years ago today, my uncle Ted Mayhew was captured trying to reach Dunkirk. It was 3 months before his parents knew their only child was alive and a POW… #WW2 #Dunkirk1940 #POWstories funnywherelifetakesyou.org/2024/06/22/m...

funnywherelifetakesyou.org

Missing: a Journey From Capture to Captivity

Ted Mayhew (1919-1982): A young soldier’s journey from capture to captivity, as his family faces the uncertainty of his fate during the Blitz

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Happy day!! I’ve just come across a four-page letter written in 1824 to my 3rd great-grandfather by his children while they were away at boarding school - found via JSTOR. The address panel alone is amazing to see after 200 years. #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #Archives #History @jstor.bsky.social

Outside of a letter postmarked 14 Apr 1824 from Berne Switzerland, to Monsieur Brevoort, Rue neuve Monthabor No. 13, Paris

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

1794 New York newspaper death notices: several actual deaths, then simply: “Not Dead, Mr Codet, equestrian.” No further explanation, but no doubt a reassuring start to the day for Mr Codet...

Extract from New York newspaper deaths column with list of names and ages, then "Not dead, Mr Codet, equestrian"

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Slightly out of focus @normandy661944.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Masking and painting the upper wing roundel (Type B) on a Spitfire. The red centre circle has been sprayed freehand (the circles had been marked); the blue outer circle is masked by hand and sprayed. From 'Streamline Colour', 1944. IWM (AMY 390)

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Mitch Goldstone (ScanMyPhotos.com) @scanmyphotos.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Genealogy isn’t just about names and dates. It’s about finding the faces, stories, old photos, sacrifices, and everyday moments that shaped your life long before you were born. 📸 What family story do you wish you knew more about? #Genealogy #FamilyHistory #OldPhotos #Ancestry #Nostalgia

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

I remember my grandfather as a grumpy old man living with disability. A blurred 1920s photo shows him on a motorcycle, young, happy, and with his father behind him. It changes everything I thought I knew... #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #OldPhotographs #1920s funnywherelifetakesyou.org/2026/05/14/o...

funnywherelifetakesyou.org

One Photograph, Four Generations

One faded photograph of a motorcycle outing in the 1920s transformed my understanding of a grandfather I had known only as a bitter old man

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

In 1630, my 8th great-grandfather John Coolidge left Cambridgeshire for New England with his wife and infant son. What made a young family leave everything behind for an uncertain future? Read more here ⬇️ funnywherelifetakesyou.org/2026/05/11/j... #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #Massachusetts #Puritans

funnywherelifetakesyou.org

Poor Cottages in the Wilderness

John Coolidge (1604–1691) left Cambridgeshire in 1630 to help establish the Puritan settlement of Watertown in early colonial Massachusetts

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

A Belgian 24/7 pizza vending machine! 🍕 Hot pizza in 4 mins or cold pizza in 30 secs… but I don’t understand why anyone would want a cold pizza 🤷‍♀️

Pizza Artisanale vending machine in Belgium available 24/7!🍕
Hot pizza in 4 mins or cold pizza in 30 secs.

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Today marks the 107th birthday of Ted Mayhew a POW and survivor of the Long March. He was liberated 81 years ago today. His and his comrades’ story of endurance, starvation and survival should never be forgotten. #WW2 #Liberation #Lestweforget funnywherelifetakesyou.org/2024/09/01/t...

funnywherelifetakesyou.org

Ted Mayhew (1919-1982)

Ted Mayhew (1919-1982): His wartime experiences reflect nearly five years as a POW, enduring brutal conditions, starvation, and the perilous Long March in 1945

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Happy 100th birthday to Sir David Attenborough 🌍🦋 He interviewed me for a job in 1976 but didn’t offer it to me. I still occasionally wonder whether he’s ever had second thoughts… but he’s certainly seems to have done OK without me 😊

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

In Boston, Massachusetts, 1630, at the First Church font were babies Joy, Recompence, Pittie… and Increase. Not so much names as their parents’ hopes for the future. How easy to disappoint 😔

Extract from the 1630 Boston, Massachusetts, Church Records for births and baptisms: Joy & Recompence daughters of John Milles aged 8mo, Pittie daughter of William Baulstone, 8mo and Increase son of Increase Nowell 9mo and 21 days.

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Saw David Olusoga’s presentation of 'A Gun Through Time' in Canterbury yesterday. A compelling social history of four weapons over 300yrs. Striking how the Maxim machine gun, invented in the 19th century, still shapes conflict in Ukraine today. History feels very present. #History #SocialHistory

Publicity image of historian David Olusoga in the spotlight with three weapons, a Thompson sub-machine gun aka Tommy Gun, Lee Enfield rifle, and Maxim automatic machine gun on a tripod.

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Reposted by Natalie Mayhew

Debbie Cameron @debsadelight.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

#AnzacDay. A great uncle emigrated to Oz in 1911. He enlisted in 1915 and died at Gallipoli We have a photo of his sweetheart, Daisy in his effects. . I managed to find out who she was. He was 23 #WW1 #familyhistory historicalclues.blogspot.com/2022/01/thom...

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Very much looking forwards to these new @familyhistoriespodcast.com episodes - definitely make ironing much more enjoyable!! 🧦🎧

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Fab c1905 photo of my 2nd gt-grandfather’s Wine & Spirit Merchant, Marina Court, Bexhill-on-Sea. “Chas. R. Collingwood” across the front, door is open and windows packed with bottles & adverts. Courtesy @bexhillmuseum.bsky.social (via X a couple of years ago) #FamilyHistory #Bexhill #LocalHistory

Vintage storefront of Chas. R. Collingwood Wine & Spirit Merchant, Marina Court, Bexhill-on-Sea, c1905, with display of bottles and advertisements

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Findmypast @findmypast.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

There are so many great historical films - which one is your favourite and why? 🎥

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Highly recommend these family history courses. I struggled badly at school, but they built my confidence and skills step by step and led me to achieve the Family History Skills & Strategies Intermediate Certificate - with a Distinction!👩‍🎓 #NeverGiveUp #FamilyHistory #Genealogy

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

In war it’s not only those on the front lines who suffer 💔#LestWeForget #Remembrance

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Natalie Mayhew @tamoralady.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

1919: a woman reports repeated violence, even with witnesses and a prior conviction. She never saw a doctor, kept silent - and was dismissed in court as “hysterical”. A stark reminder of how survivors were treated, and why speaking out has never been easy #DomesticViolence #HistoryMatters #HerStory

Section of a newpaper article from 1919 where a woman tried to take action against her violent husband where by going to court to complain of his behaviour when drunk. She gave evidence of specific acts of violence over several days, including one when he was convicted of the assault. Husband was always sorry when sober, and complainant admitted with all the assaults and bruises she had never consulted a doctor and kept things to herself. The defence said "I suggest he has only handle you when your hysteria has made you violent. (!). (The case was eventually dismissed despite her having several witnesses.)

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