The University of York is working with English Heritage on a new two-year research and community project to restore the legacy of Margaret Cavendish, the 17th-century philosopher and scientist who was the first woman ever allowed to attend a meeting of the Royal Society. For centuries afterwards, she was remembered mainly by a dismissive nickname: “Mad Madge.”
The Margaret Cavendish Mind Lab project, supported by a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, will challenge historic narratives surrounding women in STEM and philosophy. Local school children, community groups, artists and University of York researchers will work together to explore Cavendish’s philosophical ideas and translate them into heritage content that Bolsover Castle — one of Cavendish’s former homes — could present to visitors for years to come.
Some of the resulting collaborative ideas were already featured at MindFest!, a family-friendly festival held at the castle this summer, offering hands-on creative workshops and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) activities inspired by Cavendish’s theories.
“Mad Madge” on the fringe
Visitors to Bolsover Castle are currently invited to follow in the footsteps of William Cavendish, who owned the estate and established it as a place for lavish aristocratic entertainment. Known as a pioneer of early modern horse dressage and a patron of the arts and sciences, William was also a strong supporter of his wife’s work — even as history confined her to the fringes of science under the nickname “Mad Madge.”
Professor Keith Allen, from the University of York’s Department of Philosophy, said: “Whilst it is only appropriate that English Heritage represent the life and works of William Cavendish through the estate of Bolsover, Margaret is still a person of great fascination, and it is truly exciting that we now get the opportunity to restore her to Bolsover and represent her in a way that resonates with visitors, and in particular the next generation of artists and scientists.”
He added: “She was prolific in her output, publishing theoretical essays, poetry, plays, and early science fiction, as well as breaking the glass ceiling and being the first woman allowed to attend a Royal Society meeting.”
He continued: “Some of her ideas may have been labelled as ‘mad’, but by looking at her work through a modern lens, we can see just how ahead of her time she was. Her views on technology for example, and how new tools of science can sometimes distort reality, diminishing the value of what human sensory experience of the natural world can tell us, is the very debate we are facing today with the development of AI and autonomous machines.”
As a visual and sensory tribute to Cavendish’s imagination, MindFest! also featured the Luminarium Daedalite, a large walk-in pneumatic sculpture by Architects of Air, designed by Alan Parkinson, which invited visitors into a labyrinth of winding paths and colour-illuminated domes.
Megan Leyland, senior curator of history at English Heritage, said: “Margaret Cavendish was one of the most original minds of the 17th century. We hope to introduce more people to her remarkable life and work, and to show why her ideas still matter hundreds of years later.”
By the end of the project, organisers hope the collaboration between researchers and the community of visitors to Bolsover will help create a permanent and lasting legacy for Margaret Cavendish — reshaping how the public views the historical role of women in philosophy and science, celebrating her achievements as an individual, and marking the successful partnership she built with her husband, William.
More information about the project is available on the English Heritage website.
