Borthwick Papers

Edna Annie Crichton was York's first lady Lord Mayor from 1941- 42, only five and a half centuries after the office was created in 1389. Described as a ‘little woman with the heart of a lion’, her term of office spanned the air raid on York of 29 April 1942. For her handling of that crisis, she was created the first woman alderman in the city's history. As a committed Quaker and a city cou...

This episode explores the intertwined histories of childhood and education through the lens of the Mount School, a Quaker girls’ school in York. Drawing on themes of gender, personal experience, and the future shaping of young lives, the research considers how evolving ideas of childhood shaped education in England. We’ll hear about the school’s distinctive approach to gendered learning, the diary...

By Stan Young While the popularity of the ‘Chocolate Orange’ has made Terry’s a well-known name, it is not widely recognised that the company’s origins date back to a York apothecary shop opened in 1767. Here, Noel Terry’s great-grandfather began his career before establishing himself independently as a supplier of lozenges, citrus fruit, liquorice, and boiled sweets. His company later expanded in...

Introducing Borthwick Papers - a new podcast carrying on the legacy of the publication series that began in 1951. We'll explore aspects of Yorkshire history based on our fantastic archives. Join us on this new journey into our shared past!