2-3pm, Wednesday 21 October 2026 (by Zoom)

Who were the women who lived in Cheshire’s country houses and halls? How did they manage their households and their families?

Lady Mary Booth, Countess of Stamford (1704 – 1772), a true Cheshire lady. Image from National Trust, Dunham Massey collection, NT 932303.

In this talk, Daisy Hughes explores the lives and experiences of some of the remarkable women who inhabited Cheshire’s country houses between 1600 and 1800.

Drawing on women who feature in her PhD research, she will examine the often-overlooked work of the Cheshire lady, from the emotional labour of managing households, relationships and social networks to petitions, estate management and family affairs.

Through these women’s stories, the talk reveals the varied ways in which Cheshire’s country house women exercised authority, negotiated challenges and shaped the families, estates and communities around them.

Daisy Hughes is a PhD researcher at Bangor University, specialising in the history of women and country houses in Wales and Cheshire between 1600 and 1800. Daisy is also a public historian and a member of the Institute for the Study of Welsh Estates (ISWE).

Please email membership@hslc.org.uk for the Zoom link to this free online talk.

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Dr Helen Cooke explores the history of apothecaries with the records of a 17th-century Nantwich man, Raphe Walley. Would his medicines cure you or kill you?

2-3pm, Wednesday 18 November 2026 (by Zoom)


The origins and roles of apothecaries are introduced, followed by a study of a 17th-century Nantwich apothecary, Raphe Walley. Walley’s interesting family history is discussed briefly. Many insights into the medicines and ingredients in his shop in Town Square were uncovered following the discovery of the probate inventory of its contents. The talk explores some of the remedies he would have supplied, and how efficacious, or otherwise, they would have been.

Dr Helen Cooke: After graduating in chemistry at the University of Manchester, Helen worked briefly in scientific publishing and then as a librarian and lecturer at UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology), where she also completed her PhD on the history of chemistry. After 20 years at UMIST, Helen moved to the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, working for 10 years in the USA and UK. Now retired and living in Nantwich, Cheshire, she volunteers for the Royal Society of Chemistry and Nantwich Museum, which has provided opportunities to feature chemistry through talks, publications and exhibitions.

Please email membership@hslc.org.uk for the Zoom link to this free online talk.

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