Lesley Trotter

Lesley Trotter was awarded a PhD (University of Exeter, 2015) for her thesis on the experiences of wives ‘left behind’ by emigrating Cornish miners in the 19th century, published as The Married Widows of Cornwall. In 2019 she organised the Cornish Women’s History Conference and edited the subsequent ICS publication, Cornwall Herstory (2022). She is a professional genealogist with a special interest in combining genealogical and academic research techniques to explore, and increase public understanding of, the social history of Cornwall and the Cornish diaspora, and supports ICS outreach through talks, webinars, exhibitions and the media. Her work includes Beyond the Names, a booklet on the men commemorated on St Day War Memorial, and The Cornish Diaspora and the Resilient Women of St Just and Pendeen exhibition for Geevor Tin Mine (geevor.com/resilientwomen/). As historical consultant Lesley works with heritage-based community and arts projects such as Perthi Kov (www.perthikov.org.uk), St Day Old Church (www.stdayoldchurch.org) and the Day-Light Group (thedaylightgroup.wixsite.com/stday).

Lesley holds an Undergraduate Advanced Diploma in Local History (University of Oxford), is a trustee of the Devon and Cornwall Record Society, Associate of AGRA (Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives) and past Vice-Chair, Cornwall Association of Local Historians.

Website: www.humblehistory.com