History academic hosts workshop on the early history of teacher training colleges

In June, Programme Leader for History and Military History at Lincoln Bishop, Jack Rhoden, hosted a workshop in Liverpool in collaboration with colleagues at Edge Hill University. 

The focus of the workshop was The Early History of Teacher Training Colleges from 1836 to 1918 – bringing together over 25 academics, archivists, librarians and independent scholars who are interested in this area of research.

Jack is the principal investigator on an externally funded three-year project entitled: ’Lincoln Diocesan Training College: a biographical register of its earliest students (1862-1918)’. The workshop was the inaugural meeting of a network formed as part of the project. 

Jack shared more about the project: “The roots of this project stretch back to work completed in collaboration with several History MA students, examining the history of our own institution and using that information to inform taught programmes and community outreach events. What rapidly emerged was a large amount of archival material that existed on site and its untapped research potential.

“The funded project initially focused on gathering primary data and digitising full runs of surviving documents for over 1,800 individual women who trained to be qualified teachers here between 1862 and 1918.” 

A key outcome of this project has been the formation of the first national research network, comprising academic and heritage professionals nationwide who are interested in the early history of teacher training and teacher education. The workshop was the first face-to-face meeting of the network. 

Jack said: “I presented an update on my project and briefly introduced the institutional history of Lincoln Bishop. Academics from Lincoln Bishop presented short papers, as did representatives of 10 other institutions. Research assistants Elaine Johnson and Abigail White also participated in the day's discussions.

“Lots of questions and discussions were had and it was a great opportunity to learn about some of the great work that has been done on the early history of teacher training, as well as finding out about work that is ongoing and to explore opportunities to join together to work on national projects and funding bids in future. The network will meet again in autumn 2026.” 

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