Finding Jane: Fallen Women in Victorian Belfast

How did society treat “fallen women” in the nineteenth century and how different are today’s expectations of women? Historian Dr Robyn Atcheson investigates through reconstructing the life of one Belfast woman described as “the notorious Jane McCance”. Piecing together snippets of this woman’s life, this talk will follow Jane’s incredible story before offering participants a chance to delve into the sources and think about how history has treated women like Jane.

This talk tracks one woman in nineteenth-century Belfast, the “notorious Jane McCance”. Historian Dr Robyn Atcheson takes us through the little glimpses into Jane’s life from the local press. Was Jane a criminal, a drunk, an abandoned wife, a con artist, a sex worker or all of the above? In recreating Jane’s life in Belfast, we will see the ways in which women were treated when they didn’t live up to society’s expectations. Jane’s story will lead to a discussion of the expectations and rules put upon women and the ways in which the Victorians sought to rescue women who had fallen. You’ll also get a peek behind the curtain into a historical investigation, following the process of reclaiming stories like Jane’s which were not championed and are usually missing from the historical narrative.

After the talk, there will be time for discussion, using primary sources as a guide. Looking at questions like: How different were attitudes to “fallen” or “bad women” then compared to now? How important was religion when it came to concepts of morality? Why have the experiences of fallen women been so sidelined in our history?

Dr Robyn Atcheson is a social historian and history communicator who specialises in the histories of the marginalised. She is well known as an expert on nineteenth-century Belfast and is passionate about women’s history.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Imagine! Belfast Festival of Ideas & Politics