From the Bronze Age to the present day, Queer History Cumbria explores the LGBTQ+ history of Cumbria
Queer History Cumbria is dedicated to exploring the history of LGBTQ+ people connected with Cumbria. We spoke to the project’s creator Neil Whalley
What inspired you to undertake the project and website?
I started doing research about 3 years ago but didn’t find much initially. It was only when I did a project for LGBT History Month at work earlier this year that I decided to dig deeper and put what I found online.
I’ve always wondered what my life might have been like as a gay Cumbrian if I’d been born at another time in history. Could I have led any sort of queer life? It’s easy to assume that an isolated rural place like Cumbria would be too socially conservative for that but I wanted to see if there was any evidence of queer lives here going back through history.
My aim was to create an easily accessible resource giving people an overview of the available information on Cumbria’s LGBTQ+ history and providing sources for them to do their own research. Broader LGBTQ+ histories often overlook rural communities like Cumbria, while local histories rarely consider queerness. I wanted to fill that gap.
I think it’s important to share our queer heritage to show that even a county like Cumbria has a history of diversity, which came with both tolerance and persecution. We’ve always been here.
What was your process for researching history and people’s stories?
I basically looked for any potential lead and followed it. I combed through websites and encyclopaedia entries for any mention of possible queer Cumbrian connections before researching further. It was important to me that things were based on good evidence. I read biographies and essays, looked at old newspapers, census and court records. I also read a lot of general LGBTQ+ and gender histories for useful information. It’s mostly a case of piecing together small bits of evidence.
Which one story really resonated with you?
There were so many surprising, interesting and moving stories. But reading the wartime diarist Nella Last’s descriptions of her son Cliff’s connection to an airman named George got me every time. Although Nella never fully grasped the nature of their relationship she recorded what she saw of their early excitement, planning for the future and their untimely end. After George was killed in action, Cliff said “I never knew death before — did I? — that dreadful ‘nevermore’ feeling, I mean. So much has gone.” It’s a heartbreaking snapshot of queer life in Cumbria told by a loving (but naive) mother.
Do you have a history background?
Although I’m not a professional historian I have always been interested in history and have written articles and given talks on historical subjects before. I’m particularly interested in local medieval history and languages, which gave me a good background to work from. Delving into queer history was something new for me but it’s been fascinating.
How can people get involved and help with the project?
I’d love to hear from anyone with information on any aspect of queer Cumbrian history that I’ve missed. They can get in touch via the website, email or Instagram.
I’d also love to hear about people’s personal experiences of being LGBTQ+ in Cumbria, whether they were raised here, have moved here or just visit. There’s a secure and anonymous form on the Share Your Story page.
Site: www.queerhistorycumbria.co.uk
Insta: www.instagram.com/queerhistorycumbria/
Email: queerhistorycumbria@gmail.com
Share Your Story: https://queerhistorycumbria.co.uk/share-your-story/