Battle Museumopens doors forEaster event

The exhibition is being held to celebrate he Centenary of the Women’s Institute.

Sarah Hall, from the museum, said: “Come and find out about some of the ground-breaking women who have lived in Battle, not least the seventeen who signed the first petition to Parliament for Votes for Women.

“Perhaps one of your family was among them or perhaps you have information on other women broke the mould?”

Among the women featured are Barbara Bodichon, pictured here, who organised signatures for the 1866 Petition to Parliament.

Barbara was a leading mid 19th century champion of women’s rights, an educationalist and artist and lived at Scalands near Robertsbridge.

She was a member of the Kensington Society, a forerunner of the Suffragist Movement.

Barbara was an acclaimed artist of her time and was the centre of a circle of friends which included Gabriel Rossetti, Gertrude Jekyll, George Eliot and Octavia Hill. Passionate about education, she was later a co-founder of Girton College, Cambridge.

For the Easter weekend, the Museum is holding an Easter Egg trail and there is also the ‘Battle, Then and Now’ exhibition put on in the Library by the Battle Photographic Society with support from the Museum and Battle and District Historical Society, which runs until 18 April.

There has been a good response to recent calls for volunteers but there are still opportunities to support the Museum. If you are interested please contact Margaret Emeleus on 01424 772058 or email [email protected]

The Museum opens Monday-Saturday 10am-4.30 pm (Easter Sunday 11am-3 pm). Admission is £2 for adults; children free (must be accompanied by an adult); school trips by prior arrangement. Easter Egg trail is 50p per child.