22 Women

22 Women introduces women from Cheshire’s past through a collection of 22 activity booklets. Each explores the story of a different woman found in the Cheshire archives and includes creative activities for families to enjoy.

Artist Cath Campbell has been working with Cheshire Archives and during her research she found that historically women were underrepresented in the archive.

In response, she has designed a series of projects that uncover, collect and celebrate women’s stories.

The booklets are available free of charge from libraries across Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East, with each library hosting a different woman's story.

Among the women being explored are a poet, novelist and musician, alongside a dressmaker, cotton mill worker, mountaineer, parachutist, firefighter, policewoman and landowner.

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council said:

After reading the story, there are activities to do, and the booklet itself can be transformed into a pop-up scene. Display it on its own or collect other stories to create your own unique Carousel Book.

The libraries in west Cheshire to visit are: Helsby, Neston, Northwich and Winsford.

Helsby Library, Edith Fletcher, Rose Queen

On 27 May 1911, Helsby held its twelfth annual Rose Fete. Edith Fletcher (1897 – 1986) a 14 year old schoolgirl from Pear Tree Farm had been chosen to be Rose Queen. Helsby Rose Fete started in 1900. It was organised by the committee of the church council and proceeds went to the National Schools.

Neston Library, Agnes, an enslaved woman

In March 1826, a woman of about 25 entered Neston Parish Church to be baptised. The church register names her as Agnes, but records that she had previously been called Leonora and had come from Demerara, in South America. Leonora had worked on a sugar plantation, where enslaved people were forced to work without freedom or pay.

How she arrived in Neston remains a mystery. Two hundred years later, on 31 March 2026, Neston’s church bells rang for 45 minutes in her memory, ensuring that the woman briefly named in the register was not forgotten.

Northwich Library at Weaver Hall, Florence Gleave, Munitions factory worker

Florence Gleave (1896 – 1917) worked at Gadbrook factory in Northwich during the First World War. The factory made TNT used in explosive shells. Most of the workers were known as ‘Canary Girls’ because the poisonous chemical could turn their skin yellow and make them seriously ill.

Florence had worked at the factory for only nine weeks when she became sick from TNT poisoning and died in May 1917 aged just 20. The Northwich Guardian called her ‘The heroine of the factory’.

Winsford Library, Margaret Whitehurst, Cotton Mill worker

Margaret Whitehurst (1862 – 1902) began working at the Over Cotton Mill, Winsford when she was only eight years old. On 27 October 1874 a fire broke out in the six-storey building.

Margaret jumped about 30 metres from a window into a water tank. She survived but her mother Harriet and baby brother Thomas also jumped but did not survive.

Nine people lost their lives and around 300 lost their jobs. After giving evidence the coroner complimented her on the intelligent way she had given it. Margaret was just 13 years old.

For more details about which library is hosting each woman's story

Cheshire Archives will be opening two new purpose-built Archive Centres in Chester and Crewe in early 2027. Construction of the two new Archive Centres has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players through The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Wolfson Foundation, an independent, grant-making charity with a focus on research and education.