The First Women Admitted to the Inns of Court between 1919 and 1929: Diversity, Networks and Untold Stories.

This thesis examines the stories and achievements of the 236 women admitted to the Inns of Court between 1919 and 1929. It draws on two methodologies: digital research and collective biography. Through statistical analysis, it compares the number of men and women admitted and called to the Bar to identify trends in admissions and calls, and to understand diversity in terms of sex. It then focuses on the attributes of the first women at the Inns of Court to explore the diversity between them. Through this analysis, we can better understand the composition of the Inns of Court between 1919 and 1929 and identify that there was not much diversity in terms of educational and family background: most were university-educated and from middle-class backgrounds; however, there was some diversity in terms of age compared to men. Through collective biography, this research tells the untold stories of the uncalled (but not necessarily unfulfilled) and international women at the Inns of Court between 1919 and 1929, thus significantly extending the historical record of the first women barristers. It identifies the potential reasons these women were not called to the Bar, finding that there was variation in terms of professional motivations and ideas. In addition to this, it identifies the international women at the Inns of Court and finds that, at the point of admission, the Inns of Court appear to have been ethnically diverse when compared with more recent diversity data, but that this diversity significantly declined at the practising Bar. Finally, this research identifies the number of women who may have practised at the Bar, and the interactions and connections they had with each other. It finds that sex and ethnic diversity significantly diminished at the practising Bar and women remained a minority. Nevertheless, although marginalised, there was some kind of solidarity among the few women barristers through their professional and social connections and networks. Identifying these connections and networks presents a more holistic and perhaps positive picture of the first women barristers.