Subject strengths: Local History, Social History, Medicine, Politics

Ethel Williams was Newcastle’s first female doctor, and in 1906 became the first woman to found a general medical practice in the city. In 1917, Williams co-founded the Northern Women’s Hospital.

As a suffragist, she served as secretary of the Newcastle Women’s Liberal Association and became president of the Newcastle and District Women’s Suffrage Society (NUWSS).

As a pacifist, she was a founding member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, of which she was a secretary of the Newcastle branch in 1934.

This collection includes letters from contemporaries of Ethel Williams, a number of photographs of her throughout her life, objects connected to the suffrage movement, and selected information about Williams collected after her death. 

 

Collection Name and Collection Reference Code:

Collection Name: Williams (Ethel) Archive

Archive Ref Code: GB186/EWL

Date Range of Material

1781 - 1969

Type of Material

Collection of letters and other archive documents relating to Ethel Williams

Size of Collection

2 Linear Metres of shelving 

How To Order Items From This Collection

Please use the finding aid below to search through a list of the individual items we have within this collection.

If you find an item you would like to consult in the Special Collections reading room, simply make a note of the reference number and title of the item(s) you are interested in (for example GB186/EWL/2/2 Portrait photograph of Ethel Williams).

You can then place your order by linking to our Request Form. 

Finding Aid 

Archival catalogue available via the Archives Hub.

Unable to visit our Reading Room?

If you are unable to visit our reading room, we also have a virtual reading room service and a digitisation service. 

Other resources

Material from the collection has been included in an exhibition, The North's Forgotten Female Reformers.

Material from this collection was used in our Treasures of the Month feature for June 2013 and February 2018.