Extraordinary Women of the Seventeenth Century
Wednesday 18 March 2026
Backwell WI – https://backwellwi.org.uk/
The seventeenth century was an age of great change and upheaval, and women were at the centre of its most dramatic moments. These women were Queen consorts, artists, radical preachers, and everyday women who shaped their communities in times of crisis.
We will look at how these women navigated their place in these times when wider society was determined to silence them. They were courageous and challenging the status quo; they were not afraid to use their voices and power.
They were extraordinary women living in extraordinary times. This talk introduces remarkable women whose stories you may not know but their influence looms large, even today.
Battlefields Trust Online Talk: The storming of Bristol 1645
Thursday 26th March 2026
https://www.battlefieldstrust.com/event.asp?EventID=1558
In September 1645, Bristol fell to Parliament’s New Model Army. It had been the Royalists’ western stronghold. Prince Rupert struggled to defend a city whose walls were too long, too low, and whose people were weary of war.
Sir Thomas Fairfax’s men stormed the defences on the night of 9 September, breaking through in multiple places. The assault was brutal and swift. Rupert, recognising the futility of further resistance, surrendered the next morning.
This talk will look at the strategic importance of Bristol, the siege itself, and the impact its loss had on the Royalists, Prince Rupert, and Charles I. What did this victory mean for Parliament and why did this event mark the beginning of the end for the Royalist cause?
Zealous: A Darker Side of the Early Quakers
Woodbrooke Course
Thursday 2 April – Thursday 23 April 2026
The live Zoom sessions are at 19:00-20:30 (UK time) every Thursday.
In this course we will explore the convincement of early Quakers during the political and social upheaval of the English Civil Wars and the execution of King Charles I. What effect did this context have on the fledgling faith and its membership?
Participants will gain a greater understanding of the contemporary political challenges, social structures, and popular beliefs which shaped the early Quaker movement in the mid-seventeenth century and the course these developments set for future generations of Quakerism.
This course is divided into four sessions over the course of four weeks, each with online discussion forums for participants to engage with another and share their comments, questions, and reactions with the course facilitator.
There will be some material to look at before the first session. We will email you around one week prior to the course with information about accessing the course, including this material, on our online learning platform (Moodle).
