Gwendoline Beaumont, Florence Beaumont and Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett’s political legacy to equal franchise will be marked with a blue plaque in an evening of celebration at Hatfeild Hall on the 10th of March, hosted by Dream Time Creative, as part of 2026 International Women’s Day Celebrations.

Hatfeild Hall, the Wakefield home of the Beaumont family between 1899 and 1922 was a nationally significant regional centre for the campaign for Votes for Women. With momentous visits from the leader of the National Union of Women’s Suffragist Societies confirming Wakefield’s importance, Millicent Fawcett’s name will also appear on the plaque, something both the directors of the hall and the family are delighted with.

A spokesperson for Hatfeild Hall said: “Receiving a Blue Plaque is a moment of great pride for everyone connected with Hatfeild Hall, the home of Normanton Golf Club. It recognises the extraordinary history of the house and the people who have shaped it, and we are delighted to see the legacy formally acknowledged. It is a privilege to safeguard this heritage for future generations.”

Gwendoline Beaumont, inspired and enabled by her sister-in-law Florence, whose tireless campaign and advocacy for women’s rights at the League of Nations contributed significantly to the granting of all women the right to vote in 1928, went on to stand as the only female MP in the Rothwell district in the 1935 National Election.
Nigel Beaumont, Gwendoline’s grandson and Florence’s great-nephew, speaking on behalf of the Beaumont family said: “Our memories of our grandmother Granny Beau are such happy ones. We knew she had gone through much tragedy, losing her husband, her brother at the Somme, one of her sons and her sister-in-law far too early, but to us she always so loving and so happy. We are all so proud of the legacy the Beaumont women have left the country and are delighted this blue plaque is going on the old family home of Hatfeild Hall.”

Wakefield has a proud legacy of women’s activism and, with over 40 women named on blue plaques, is the only city in the country which actively celebrates the lives of women who have directly influenced the political, social, cultural, scientific, spiritual and creative landscape of Britain in this way. Our Women – The Forgotten Women of Wakefield by Dream Time Creative This is due to the tenacity of Dream Time Creative Forgotten Women of Wakefield’s founder, Sarah Cobham whose determination to put women’s history on the map has changed the vital role women play in history at local and regional and national level is viewed.

Sarah says: "Since starting this campaign in 2017 the cost of a blue plaque has always been the first barrier to overcome. In this case, it has been the generosity of the Beaumont family and the fund-raising efforts of Dream Time Creative volunteers who deliver Heritage walks, alongside the incredible support from Hatfeild Hall, which has taken that stress away and for that I am so grateful. I’m so excited about the evening itself. So many people have all given their time voluntarily to put together a truly memorable evening celebrating the lives and achievements of Florence, Millicent and Gwendoline."

The overall and Gathering and Preserving History Winners of the 2023 Community Archives Winners of the Community Archives and Heritage Awards, 2023 | Past CAHG conferences, Previous award winners, 2023 | Community Archives and Heritage Group for their sheer breadth of endeavours and work they have put into creating long term sustainability, Dream Time Creative’s focus on Florence Beaumont will continue until 2028 and the unveiling of a sculpture to mark 100 years since all women got the vote.

Whilst Florence has a blue plaque on Bond Street and there is a building named after her as part of Wakefield College’s campus on Margaret Street, we feel it is more than appropriate that both a blue plaque on Hatfeild Hall in 2026 and a sculpture in 2028 to mark the legacy of the suffragist cause is marked in this way. Wakefield is, after all a city of sculpture and Florence and Barbara Hepworth knew one another well.

A percentage of the proceeds from the evening of the 10 of March at Hatfield Hall will go towards the sculpture, with all monies raised between now and 2028 from the Heritage Walks delivered by the ‘Round Our Way’ Forgotten Women of Wakefield heritage team donated to the cause. Fundraiser by The Forgotten Women of Wakefield by Dream Time Creative : Forgotten Women of Wakefield - Florence Beaumont Sculpture

Dream Time Creative and the Forgotten Women of Wakefield project is a creative mission that aims to empower the community, in particular the women’s voice by upskilling women in historical research. With creative outputs including theatre, film, public speaking, crafting, writing and poetry, alongside the placement of blue plaques, this Wakefield based arts company address centuries old imbalances of women’s invisibility in public spaces.