The October meeting began with a talk from Kate Round about the role of women in the glass industry.

Kate explained her research into the history of the glass industry, tracing the role of women up to modern day. Her interest had started when she had enquired at Broadfield House as to how many of the exhibits had been made by women.

She wasn’t altogether surprised to find that the answer was none until the 1960s. The glass industry had been a closed shop as Kate demonstrated with her quotation from Daphne du Maurier’s novel The Glassblowers: “if you want to marry into glass you will say goodbye to everything familiar and enter a closed world.”

Looking at the Stourbridge glass industry, one of the first women Kate found was Sara Worrall, who married Michael Grazebrook II.

Sara ran Audnam Glassworks after his death in 1766.

In the Dudley archives are papers relating to Catherine Littlewood, employed by Richardson decorating the blanks she had to buy first, thereby earning £6 per quarter.

By 1885, J. Northwood had an etching shop in Barnett Lane, employing fifty to sixty women. They even had a woman supervisor, Miss Lawley.

Also in the archives are papers relating to Phoebe Cartwright, who signed apprenticeship papers on August 16, 1882, bound for five years unless she died or married, to work at a rate of seven shillings per week.

In 1917 due to labour shortages, there was agreements made with the unions to allow women into the glass factory. To get the men to agree, the glass industry had a pay rise. By the 1930s women were employed as designers and by the 1950s trimming of the hot glass was been done by women using machines.

Kate’s talk was of deep interest to the members and visitors, some of whom were able to share their memories of the glass industry.

Come and join us for interesting talks, outings and lunches on the fourth Wednesday of each month in the Amblecote Room at Stourbridge Town Hall. Our next meeting is on November 27 when David Skitt will be talking about the Severn Valley Railway. Phone Graham 01384 393483 or Audrey 01384 864223.