by Florence Boyle

Bristol Cathedral was the venue for the ordination of the first women to the Anglican priesthood in 1994. Later, a plaque to mark the event was unveiled. Recently it was removed and replaced by a temporary notice which explained that an amended version of the plaque was in production. All because the original had failed to mention the names of the women who had been ordained. It named the men who ordained them. It’s an anecdote which illustrates how women get ‘written out ‘of history and it’s largely because they were never ‘written in‘.

Florence Boyle is treasurer of Open House and a keen amateur historian.