Stately home celebrates women of its past

A nine-month research project has been completed by volunteer researchers surrounding the women of Wentworth Woodhouse

A stately home in Rotherham is celebrating the women of its past with a tour marking International Women's Day.

Those behind the Wentworth Woodhouse event said it would explore the stories of six "women of substance" who lived or worked at the property and challenged the societal norms of their time.

It follows a nine-month research project completed by volunteer researchers and the staff archivist of the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust (WWPT).

Dame Julie Kenny, the Yorkshire businesswoman hailed as "the champion of Wentworth Woodhouse", died last month aged 67.

Wentworth Woodhouse was bought by Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust in 2017

One woman highlighted by the research team is Mary Watson-Wentworth, Marchioness of Rockingham, who lived between 1735 and 1804.

She was the wife of former prime minister Charles Watson-Wentworth, but she "was acknowledged as a skilled politician in her own right", WWPT said.

Its research uncovered other politicians would send letters directly to her, and she described herself as her husband's "secretary".

Mary Watson-Wentworth was described as a "skilled politician" by WWPT

The trust also unearthed the story of laundry maid Sarah Senegal, who had two interracial marriages in the 1700s.

The research was undertaken with the help of Dig Where You Stand, an archival justice movement exploring the stories of racially marginalised people in South Yorkshire.

A more recent figure is Lady Mabel Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, who helped to save the house shortly after World War Two.

Lady Mabel Wentworth-Fitzwilliam's niece described her as a "rabid socialist"

After issues arose about the running and maintenance of the estate, WWPT said she brokered a deal to lease most of the house and its facilities to the council's education authority.

It later became Lady Mabel College, a training college for female teachers.

She was also a prominent politician in South Yorkshire, with her niece describing her as a "rabid socialist" whose name was "absolutely taboo" at Wentworth.

The tour will run for the rest of March on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

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