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You can definitely put all your Easter eggs in our baskets! (Melissa and Emily, two of my Harlots, circa 2022 courtesy of Peter Hogan Media) Happy April! (No fools here!) The clocks have gone forward, everyone’s thinking about chocolate ( maybe that’s just me) there’s a bank holiday, it can only be…. April! The month where the weather is more unpredictable than Trump’s political decisions… But never fear, what is constant and sure are the Herstorical vibes..! March Re-Cap Did

Elizabeth Bathory. Source: wikicommons With the horrors of the scale and depravity of the Epstein trafficking ring finally being exposed involving so many high profile male and female figures, it will come as no surprise that privileged men and women have committing atrocities (and getting away with it lightly) for centuries. A very famous example is Elizabeth Bathory. Accused of heinous crimes, this Hungarian noblewoman’s legacy is very very dark. But is it even true? Lets d

Matthew Hopkins (Witchfinder General) by Ratfingerz Hands up who identifies as a DORTY WITCH??? March is here,  and that means Spring is a-coming-in, but more importantly, it's WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH PEOPLE!!!!! and International Women's Day of course,  on the 8th. That's something ol' Matty H (WitchFinder General- wonderfully rendered in my recently acquired artwork above) would NOT like very much at all, would he?! There's, predictably, quite a bit going on this month chez H

A portrait believed to be of Delarivier Manley or Aphra Behn. Artist unknown, Bing images. I had never heard of Delarivier “Delia” Manley. But she was a 17th/18th  century controversial author, playwright and political pamphleteer that was named one of “The fair triumvirate of wit” - the three most influential female writers of the period, alongside Aphra Behn and Eliza Haywood.  She was one of the first women to make a living from writing, and one of the reasons for her incr

Happy new month lovely subscribers! Welcome to all the newbies - thank you for signing up! And for those who have been around for ages- thank you for your continued support 🥰   We've survived January- a reason to celebrate in itself! 2026 properly starts here in my opinion, as it is also the month of the start of the Fire Horse in the Chinese calendar, which is all about GO GO GO, And after the shenanigans of last month, I'll be happy to !   In case you're new and haven't he

Jessica as a young woman, William Acton, Wikimedia You’ve probably heard lots about the famed Mitford sisters. The exploits and legacies of this aristocratic family of controversial debutantes are a favourite subject for writers, film, TV and theatre makers. Lots of attention has been given to Unity and Diana, (the Nazi and Fascist respectively) and Nancy the successful novelist. But Jessica’s story I think is one of the most interesting - if not for its many twists and turns

Here it is! 2026! I hope you had a glorious Christmas and New Year and are now just about recovering and ready to start afresh? 2026 is going to be the big one, I can feel it! More details below of what’s coming up… 2025 Recap! But first….a recap! Because as I often say on my tours, we can’t move forward if we don’t learn the lessons of history and herstory ! 2025 was the fourth official year of Herstorical Tours’ existence and it was definitely the best one yet. My regular t

Caricature of Sarah, 1811. (Wikipedia) I remember reading about Sarah Baartman ‘the Hottentot Venus’ some years ago, and being appalled at this very stark example of colonial racist and sexist exploitation. In an increasingly fascist, racist climate, her story is more relevant than ever. So here she is - my last herstory of the year and hopefully, some food for thought. Stolen from Africa…. Sarah Baartman was born around 1789 in the Dutch Cape Colony of what is now South Afri

‘Tis the season to be merry, they say! And why not celebrate December and the festive season with a bit of Herstorical love?? This month we’ve got our crowd pleasing stocking fillers Harlots and Strumpets and Tarts Oh My! (Festive Special) on 19th December and on the 21st it would be rude not to mark the Winter Solstice  with Hex and the City , right? Harlots is a raucous romp through Covent Garden’s sordid sex (and crime) 18th Century history, led by the Baroness Stocking-F

Adelina Patti in her prime! (Wikipedia, likely 1860's) Born this way... I was introduced to the delightful Adelina Patti on a tour of the Royal Opera House recently, and her wonderful, larger than life story is certainly worth a Herstory blog. So here she is! The original ‘diva’. Adelina was born to two Sicilian opera singers so she was blessed with the genes and a background to stand her in good stead to become a singer. She was actually born in Spain, in 1843 and her two si

Wow you can definitely feel the chill in the air now can’t you? Happy November everyone! And firstly thanks for a wonderful October!  Samhain/Halloween was an amazing period for us as always, with no fewer than 11 events to ring in spooky season! From our regular Hexing to the launch of our brand new Magic, Mystics and Martyrs, to talks at Chelsea Physic Garden and the Amersham Paracon, Herstorical Tours has been busy and most events were sold out -  thank you so much to all

“Execution of Mrs Ann Hibbins” F.T.Merrell, 1886 Spooky season is upon us ! So its time for a suitably spooky herstory , and this one is about convicted ‘witch’ Ann Hibbins, and so it’s inevitably, a tale of injustice and misogyny.  Little is known about Ann Hibbins’ early life. She was born around 1605 in England and had been widowed once by the time she emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts with her husband William Hibbins in the 1630’s.   Her husband William had previously be

(Why is this feeling less like a joke and more and more likely nowadays?? 😳) Witches? Check. Magic? Check. Ghosties? Check. Gore?...

Young Caterina Sforza - Di Credi (Wikipedia) ‘Do what you want. hang them even in front of me…here I have what’s needed to make others!”...

Happy early autumn! It’s SEPTEMBERRRRR people! Hope you all had a lovely summer, I definitely did! Here’s a quick recap of last month:...

Eliza Lynch’s tomb in Recoleta Cemetery, Paraguay How did an Irish girl fleeing famine in the 19th century end up lying in a grand tomb...

Summoning spirits on Sinners and Saints and Saviours (photo: Jason D Brawn) 😩 (I’m sorry, the pun juice is low right now!) July Jollies...

The freedom of sexual and reproductive rights is scarily fragile, as women have found out in recent reversals of abortion laws in certain...

Phew! It’s getting steamy out there isn’t it? I hope you’re coping…I’m one of those totally unrelatable people that loves the heat, so...

Thanks to a recent high profile coverage in some big national rags, the story of Sophie Lloyd, the first female member of the magic...