Personal statement

Kate James is a doctoral researcher at Bath Spa University, and Lecturer in History, Heritage, Oral History, and Newton Park and Country House History. She was instrumental in the creation of the Bath Spa University Archive 2011-2016.

Academic qualifications

  • MA, Heritage Management
  • BA (Hons), History

Professional qualifications

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

"The best things about being a postgraduate researcher at Bath Spa are my PhD colleagues and networks."

Thesis title

Mary Dawson's Women: Education, Teacher Training and Expressions of Citizenship in the Long 1950s

Research supervisors

Dr Alison Hems, Professor Lynn Abrams (Glasgow University).

Research overview

Kate is researching women's history in the long 1950s, through the case study of Newton Park Teacher Training College and its Principal, Mary Dawson, along with oral histories of former students. She has been the historical consultant for the book '70 years of Teacher Education' (Bath Spa University, Institute of Education, 2017) and the site-specific production 'Christmas at Newton Park', staged in December 2016.

Research interests

Postwar Britain, oral history, country house history, Newton Park.

Research outputs

Book chapter or section

  • James, K (2016) 'The Sale of Earl Temple's Newton Park Estate, 1941' Bath History (Volume XIV) ISBN 9780922633813

Conference or workshop item

  • James, K (2013) @BSUArchive, In: Educating Mind, Body & Spirit: Adult Education since 1838, 24/25th April 2013, University of Westminster, London, UK
  • James, K (2013) @BSUArchive: One University, Many Voices (Poster Presentation), In: 1st October 2013, Institute of Historical Research Symposium, Corsham Court, Corsham, UK
  • James, K (2013) Mr. Langton’s Place (Poster Presentation) In: Georgian Pleasures, 24th September 2013,
  • James, K (2014) Newton Park: Memory & Place: Reconstructing a feminist narrative, (Poster Presentation) In: Institute of Historical Research: Oral History Society Spring School, 24th April 2014, University of London, London, UK
  • James, K (2014) A Mixed Blessing: Challenges to Digitisation, In: First Annual Early Career Researcher Conference, 13th June, 2014, Corsham Court, Corsham, UK (with Georgina Moore)
  • James, K (2014) Newton Park and the Country House in Transition, George I: 300 years on: Reconstructing the Succession, In: 18th-20th June 2014 Bath Spa University & Gottingen University, Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution, Bath, UK
  • James, K (2015) Public Engagement: Finding the Words, In: Second Annual Early Career Researcher Conference, 4th June 2015, Corsham Court, Corsham, UK
  • James, K (2015) Mary Dawson’s Women: Worth the Investment, In: Women’s Agency, Activism and Organisation, 4th September 2015, Women’s History Network Conference 2015, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
  • James, K (2016) One Woman’s Archive: The Mary Dawson Collection at Newton Park, In: Women’s Material Cultures and Environments, 16-17th September 2016, Women’s History Network Conference, Leeds Trinity University, Leeds, UK

"I recommend Bath Spa because it's beautiful and has a fantastic history."