In a city like York —where our history is so well-documented— it can be hard to believe that there are still so many historical characters who —unlike Guy Fawkes, Dick Turpin, and Constantine the Great— haven’t been as fairly represented in the history books as they deserve. As a result, we don’t know their names and they don’t form a large part of our understanding of what it means to be from York.
Fear not, however! The boffins at The York Civic Trust have joined forces with Make It York have to make it exceedingly easy to learn more about York’s unsung heroes — by presenting info about them in a trail all over the city!
The chosen vessel for each of York’s unsung historical heroes is the beloved tansy beetle, which if you don’t know — is a bright metallic green species of endangered beetle whose only stronghold habitat is along the banks of the river Ouse. You will have seen the mural depicting a tansy beetle around the corner from York Station.
Make It York say the Tansy was chosen because the “vibrant and resilient beetle mirrors the spirit of the Trailblazers.”
The next step was to choose a set of heroes to depict. Members of the public and community groups were invited to nominate the unsung characters they believed deserved to be honoured as “trailblazers”.
Once they’d agreed on a list, a set of partner organisations got to work researching each trailblazer’s story so they could highlight the invaluable contributions they have all made to the city.
Finally, a number of brilliant local artists were commissioned to create tansy beetle sculptures depicting each trailblazer. Each was created out of sustainable and recycled materials.
Even if you’ve just popped into town to go shopping or to grab a bite to eat, you can indulge in a bit of local history in the way! If you do decide to go all in and dedicate a full day, there are 17 trailblazer sculptures that Make it York estimate will take you a full four hours to discover. The trail is on until the 30th of September so make sure to get exploring as soon as possible!
The Trailblazers
While we have to start this section by outlining that the trail is intended to be experienced in-person, and that the best way to learn about these unsung heroes is by seeing their beetle for yourself, it’s also fair to introduce a few of them. So read on for a taster of what’s scattered about the city.
MARY WARD, Located at The Bar Convent Living Heritage Site.
Mary Ward (1585-1645) was one of the first people in York to make educating women and girls a priority, famously saying “there is no such difference between men and women that women may not do great things.”
Like all great pioneers she was faced by grave opposition from conservative figures during her own time. The church consistently worked to shut down the educational operations she ran from her convent, and even imprisoned Mary at one point! Her legacy is incredible. The order she founded went on to open the first school for girls in London in 1669, and the second in York in 1686 at the Bar Convent.
IVORY BANGLE LADY, located at York Railway Station
So underrepresented in our historical memory is the Ivory Bangle Lady, that her name and most of her life’s story have been lost to the tides of history.
She is one of York’s most striking archaeological finds, discovered at Sycamore Terrace in York, where she had been buried since the 4th Century. She gets her name from the jet and elephant ivory bracelets she was buried with.
Her existence represents something amazing and often forgotten about York — that we’ve had a rich multicultural history, made possible through immigration for hundreds of years. Analysis has shown that he was of mixed ancestry and was partly from North Africa, partly from western Britain or Europe and the Mediterranean.
ANNIE COULTATE, located at Fishergate Primary School
Annie was one of the founders of York’s WSPU (Women’s Social and Political Union) that organised meetings, gave out leaflets, and sold the Votes For Women newspaper, helping raise vital funds for the cause of women’s suffrage. She was also an instrumental local figure in the movement to evade the 1911 National Census. Her story serves as a reminder that so many of the rights we take for granted now, including something as simple as the vote, had to be strived and fought for.
The trail is on and around York from now until the 30th of September. Head to www.makeityork.com to download a map of the trail.
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