Habs History Society welcomes Caroline Barron, OBE and Anthony Gross (OH)

On Monday 23 June, the Sixth Form History Society had the honour of welcoming two extraordinary speakers: Caroline Barron OBE, Professor Emerita of the Department of History at Royal Holloway, University of London; and Anthony Gross (OH). Professor Barron gave an insightful talk into Medieval women, and brought a will of an upstanding mediaeval women for us to evaluate and discuss. The wealth of information that could be gathered from such a small document amazed many of us. Furthermore, it was incredible to see how something as simple as a will could be used to understand Medieval society, and the role of women in that society. What made this task especially fascinating was its uniqueness: seldom comes the opportunity to evaluate a will, particularly with such an eminent historian.

Anthony Gross’s talk contributed a further element to the event: his bringing of artefacts allowed us to see objects which had been used in Medieval times for ourselves. This was an intensely humbling experience. His talk delved into the uses of a Medical watering pot and face mask, both of which were incredibly interesting. What was particularly surprising was his admission that the watering pot was more likely used to water the floor in order to prevent fires, rather than plants. This taught me not to assume the uses of an object because of its present-day use. The fact that a face mask was used to keep women’s faces fair also highlighted how attitudes and preferences change over time. Overall, both talks were incredibly interesting, insightful and enjoyable, and we would love to welcome them back.