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Essex Women's Commemoration Project

The Essex Women's Commemoration Project (EWCP) is an English scheme to erect memorial plaques to honour notable women residents of places in the county of Essex. These plaques have recognised the achievements of 40 Essex women ranging in date from Mary Honywood (1527–1620) to Jane Packer (1959–2011).

History

The project was set up by the Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, Jennifer Tolhurst, in 2020, following an approach from Essex theatre director Graham Watts who wanted to mark the quatercentenary of the birth of playwright and philosopher Margaret Cavendish, born in Colchester in 1623. Graham Watts joined Julia Abel Smith, James Bettley, Roy Clare and Juliet Townsend to form the EWCP team with the aim of identifying distinguished Essex women who had not received the public recognition it was felt they deserved.

The team used inclusion in the online Oxford Dictionary of National Biography as the principal criterion for the erection of a blue plaque on a building or nearby location associated with the subject. A shortlist of 72 women was drawn up and interested organisations, such as local councils and societies, were approached and asked whether they would like to take up the idea of erecting a plaque in their community. Organisations who worked with EWCP include Basildon Heritage, Chelmsford City Council, Colchester Civic Society, Essex Gardens Trust, the Federation of Essex Women's Institutes, the Maldon Society, the Newport Local History Group, and the Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership.

The first plaque, to Margaret Cavendish, was unveiled by Mrs Tolhurst on 22 September 2021.

Plaques

By December 2025, 38 plaques to 40 Women (and two men) had been installed with the support of the EWCP:

References