Disability histories at the places in our care

Portrait of Cecilia Strickland by George Romney. She is a young woman from 18th century dressed in a pink and white gown. — Cecilia Strickland by George Romney | © VTR/Alamy Stock Photo

Many of the places and collections we care for reflect the experiences and challenges people with disabilities faced throughout history, and the individuals who supported them. Learn more about the people behind these connections and how their legacy can shape perceptions and our work today.

Cecilia Strickland (1741–1814)

Cecilia lived at Sizergh in the Lake District during the late 18th and early 19th century. She was an heiress in her own right, inheriting the significant Lancashire estates of Standish and Borwick.

Later in life, Cecilia suffered from rheumatism, a condition that causes pain and swelling in the joints. She wrote about it in a 1790 letter to her brother Charles, saying, 'my limbs so stiff and uneasily swelled that everything is a trouble to me'.

Her bed was lowered to make it easier to get in and out of and she also used a very early model of a wheelchair where small wheels were attached to the legs of a simple armed chair. She referred to this as a ‘chariot’ and arranged to have a ramp built into the grounds so she could continue enjoying the gardens.

Sizergh is currently fundraising to reinstate this ramp in Cecilia's honor alongside other changes to improve access for visitors. These include the Holesack Accessible Trail, a circular route around the estate that is suitable for wheelchair users like her.

Learn about Cecilia's Ramp

Courtenay Morgan (1867–1934)

Tredegar House in Newport was home to Courtenay Morgan, who inherited the title Lord Tredegar in 1913. Over the years his eyesight worsened, so he made adaptations around the house, which included adding handrails inside and outside his home. Courtenay even removed the glass cover from his watch so that he could feel the hands to tell the time.

Courtenay also made arrangements and adjustments for his employees and estate residents who had a range of disabilities. These changes helped them all to have more active lives.

He supported the Cardiff Institute for the Blind and the Newport and Monmouthshire Blind Aid Society, and his uncle set up guided visits to the estate for blind visitors.

Learn about Tredegar House

Oval framed photographic portrait of Henry, Airmyne and Charles Jenney, aged about 8, 9 and 10. They're shown bust-length, wearing summer clothing. It's signed on the lower right; 'Debenham G.?/Bournemouth/1929' — Photographic portrait of Airmyne Jenney with her brothers, Henry and Charles, by G.Denham, Calke Abbey, Derbyshire | © National Trust/David Midgelow

Airmyne Jenney (1919–1999)

As a child, Airmyne Jenney visited Calke Abbey in Derbyshire regularly to see her grandparents. She lived there from when her brother Charles inherited the estate in 1949.

In the 1940s, Airmyne worked at the Army Remount Centre at Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, where the military trained horses and mules. It was here that she was kicked by a horse, which left her unable to speak.

Over many years and with the support of her family and a speech therapy book, Airmyne learned to talk again. As part of her therapy, she was asked to write seven sentences to practice. These sentences reveal her warmth and sense of humour, and also show the value she placed on her relationship with her brother Henry – who she described phonetically in her book as ‘Hen-ry the lis-ner’.

Learn about Calke Abbey

Glass eyes individually separated in a wooden display case — Glass eyes in a wooden display case at the Back to Backs, Birmingham | © National Trust Images/Robert Morris

Herbert Oldfield (1818–1897)

Herbert Oldfield was a glassworker who specialised in making glass eyes during the late 1800s. It's likely that he created these prosthetics from a workshop in his home in the Birmingham Back to Backs.

At this time, Birmingham was going through an industrial boom, with a large percentage of its inner-city population working in factories. Accidents and casualties were common as there was an absence of health and safety laws and no National Health Service to support people. Those who had lost eyes from injury or through illness would purchase glass replacements from craftsmen like Herbert.

Learn about the Back to Backs