Three Blue Plaques for Three Remarkable Women

Last month, the streets of Chichester gained three new blue plaques — each one honouring a woman whose story has helped shape the city across the centuries. It was, as our founder Francesca Tambling put it, "a day to remember."

On a damp Friday lunchtime, crowds gathered as Town Crier Richard Plowman led a procession through the city centre for the unveiling of plaques to 17th-century Quaker Margery Wilkinson, 18th-century poet Charlotte Smith, and Queen Elizabeth I.

We were honoured to have some very special guests doing the honours. Our MP and patron, Jess Brown-Fuller, unveiled Margery Wilkinson's plaque beside the Chestnut Tree House charity shop on North Street. Our wonderful patron, author Kate Mosse, unveiled Charlotte Smith's plaque at WH Smith (now TG Jones). And our brilliant Mayor of Chichester, Councillor Sean McHale, unveiled the plaque to Queen Elizabeth I at the Old Punch House — now Jigsaw — on East Street, where the queen is believed to have held audiences during her visit to the city in 1591.

Adding to the spectacle, seven wonderfully costumed Tudors — including Lord Lumley himself — appeared courtesy of the volunteers at Weald & Downland, there to mark the Elizabeth I plaque in style. As they put it, it was "a fun day out and a great chance for our Tudor group to support local heritage projects."

Both BBC South and ITV were there to record the event, helping to spread the word about a campaign that has been years in the making.

Kate Mosse, who has been a tremendous supporter of our work, summed up the spirit of the day beautifully, describing it as "a wonderful celebration of people power" and reminding everyone that anyone can nominate someone local for a blue plaque. She was also keen to highlight the group's next exciting project — a statue of suffragist Madge Turner, being created by sculptor and community artist Kate Viner, which we hope will become the first-ever sculpture of a named woman in Chichester.

These three plaques represent a real milestone for the Chichester Women's History Group. When Francesca first requested a plaque for suffragist Muriel Matters back in 2018, the answer was no — but that refusal only strengthened the group's resolve. Since then, we have identified around 45 notable women with links to the city, and we are determined to see their stories recognised.

As Francesca has said: "Until a few years ago, there was only one plaque for a woman and about 20 for men." That balance is now shifting, one plaque at a time.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who braved the rain to join us, to our guest speakers and patrons, to the Tudor volunteers, and to Chichester City Council for approving the plaques. This is just the beginning.

Next time you're in the city centre, do take a moment to seek out the new plaques and discover the stories behind the names.

Link to BBC article covering the unveling.

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See gallery below of photos from various sources including: BBC, Chichester City Council, This Is Chichester, Easebourne Magazine, Kate Mosse, Weald & Download Museum, Chichester Women’s History Group