Bedminster Archives - Bristol Radical History Group

Outcasts of Medicine

Epilepsy, Poverty, and the Workhouse System

As part of the The Bristol Medico-Historical Society meeting, 'History Around Us', Rosemary Caldicott will be giving a talk: Outcasts of Medicine: Epilepsy, Poverty, and the Workhouse System Discover how epilepsy was misunderstood, feared, and stigmatised in the 19th century, often leading sufferers into the harsh realities of the workhouse. Rosemary uncovers the intersection of medical prejudice, social class, and poverty, revealing hidden lives at the margins of history. This talk brings to […]

Bedminster Coalmines

The Greater Bedminster area was once covered by coal mines stretching from East Street to Long Ashton. This walk will take you around the sites of nine of the mines, each of which have their own stories, many ending in tragedy for the mineworkers. Although there is little left above ground now, this will soon change with plans to memorialise the memories of the thousands of almost forgotten working class Bristolians who worked, and often died, in the deep pits below the surface of Bedminster, […]

Beating the Blackshirts: Militant anti-fascism in south Bristol in the 1930s

During the 1930’s militant anti-fascist responses to Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts were established amongst the Bristolian working-class. Discouraged by their defeats in the inner-city districts of Bristol, the British Union of Fascists (BUF) turned their attention to south Bristol, Bedminster and the new garden suburbs springing up on the outskirts of the city. This illustrated talk traces the migration of pre WWII physical resistance to fascism in Bristol from the smoky and overcrowded slums to […]

Beating the Blackshirts

Militant anti-fascism in south Bristol in the 1930s

During the 1930’s militant antifascist responses to Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts were established amongst the Bristolian working-class. Discouraged by their defeats in the inner-city districts of Bristol, the British Union of Fascists (BUF) turned their attention to south Bristol, Bedminster and the new garden suburbs springing up on the outskirts of the city. This illustrated talk traces the migration of pre WWII physical resistance to fascism in Bristol from the smoky and overcrowded slums to […]

West Street Coal Mines

Ever wondered why there’s a pub called the Jolly Colliers on West Street? Do you know that the first Bristol Co-op was founded at 88 West Street by miners—who also set up a ‘Gospel tent’ and school on the site of what’s now United Reformed Church? The Somerset coalfields included the Malago and Argus pits, both of which were located on West Street, more or less where Tesco and Airpoint are now. The West St BS3 Neighbourhood Group is continuing its local history project supported by BS3 charity […]

The radical face of Bedminster in the early 20th Century

Meet: 2.00pm Dark Horse pub (formerly the Rope Walk) – 5 Nelson Parade, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 4JA Come with us on a journey through time and space in Bedminster, Victoria Park and Windmill Hill… This two hour history walk uncovers the radical political groups and individuals active in Bedminster in the pre-WWI and post-war periods, the strikes and trade union actions of the growing labour movement and how these networks of activists combined to resist the war. We also look at the changing […]

Bedminster Union Workhouse – The Life and Death of Hannah Wiltshire

'The Life and Death of Hannah Wiltshire' Accusations of murder and cover up in the Bedminster Union Workhouse were reported in the press during 1855 Thursday, 7th March 2024 at 19:30 This talk by Rosemary Caldicott is based on her popular booklet which delves into the treatment of the mentally ill and other vulnerable patients resident in the former Bedminster workhouse during the mid-19th century. Situated in Flax Burton, North Somerset, just outside Bristol, this workhouse played a pivotal […]

The Dean Lane Pit disaster of 1886 and its repercussions

In September 1886, an explosion deep underground at the Dean Lane Colliery led to the deaths of 10 miners and life changing injuries to many others. Tony Dyer will explain the mistakes that led up to the disaster, how and why the explosion happened, the repercussions both for the miners and the local mining industry, and how it impacted safety regulations in the Bedminster mines immediately following the explosion. A descendent of Bedminster coalminers himself, Tony will look at how the […]

West Street Stories

Did you know that West Street was once the busiest high street in Bedminster? Or that there was a coalmine on the actual street, and the first ever Co-op shop in Bristol was started at number 88 by the miners? We'll be bringing the Facebook page 'West Street Stories' to life with a photo exhibition and printed memories, and inviting local people to pop in to add their stories to our collection. Organised by Way Out West, the West Street BS3 neighbourhood group: weststreetbs3@gmail.com

From Bedminster to Van Diemen’s Land

In the early 1800s ten female convicts in Bristol Newgate Gaol (now the site of The Galleries shopping centre) were sentenced to ‘transportation beyond the seas’ – Australia. While much is known about these women after they were transported, almost nothing is known of their lives, and crimes, here. We’re exploring their Bristol stories through a series of workshops with women who have experienced the criminal justice system today. Two of the ten women transported lived in Bedminster and […]