Exceptional History student has bright future after remarkable dissertation achievement

Sadie Spencer, 22, from Flintshire, has always enjoyed learning History and chose to study the subject at Chester. Having achieved a First in the BA History programme, Sadie excelled in her Master’s, earning a remarkable 92% for her dissertation. The soon-to-be graduate is now in the process of applying to a variety of doctoral programmes.

Sadie said of her studies: “I had a great experience studying History at Chester, both at undergraduate and Master’s level. The small class sizes and fantastic academic and pastoral support from staff created a friendly and engaging learning environment. By the end of my Master’s, I had studied diverse topics ranging from the persecution of witchcraft to British imperial decline, and the politics of war commemoration.

“My dissertation investigated the cultural representations of urban victims of gender-based violence in London at the fin de siècle, the closing decades of the 19th century defined by their climate of anxiety surrounding a multitude of cultural, gender, and class shifts. It found that these prevailing anxieties were inherently linked to cultural, social, and legal narratives of male violence and ‘unideal’ female victimhood in late-Victorian London.

“One of the main aims of my research was to challenge the dominant script within historiographical understandings of gender-based violence, which overwhelmingly favours analyses of male offenders over female victims. This is most evident in the study of Jack the Ripper, a field saturated with sensationalist, popular histories seeking to historicise ‘Jack’s’ offending and the cultural response to it.

“Through my victim-centred approach, I sought to address this historiographical oversight by re-administering a sense of agency to female victims of violence or at least offer insight into how they were perceived by their contemporaries as women and as victims.”

Looking ahead, Sadie said: “I am now in the process of applying to PhD programmes across the UK, where I am looking to secure funding, either through research councils or academic scholarships. It’s an extremely daunting and competitive process, so I’ve had to get used to really putting myself out there, something that’s out of my comfort zone!

“Throughout the process, though, I have received lots of support from my tutors in the History Department, even now, after I have left Chester, which has been a huge help.

“For the last few months, I have also been working in a voluntary research position with an external heritage organisation, which has been a fantastic opportunity for career development and has been greatly beneficial to my PhD prospects, and is a role I was only made aware of because of its circulation by Chester’s History team.

“I really do credit a lot of my academic success, and the desire to pursue this career path, to the learning environment I have studied in, and the academic support I have received, whilst studying History at Chester.”

Sadie added that, during her time as an undergraduate, she was employed as an Academic and Events Ambassador, representing the University of Chester and its History and Archaeology team to prospective students, as well as being involved in student-led voluntary groups, working as a peer mentor to younger undergraduates, and volunteering with external organisations.

Dr Hannah Ewence, Head of Humanities, Cultures and Environment, added: “Sadie developed a keen interest in gender history during her undergraduate degree, eventually writing her dissertation on infanticide in Victorian London. This was a truly exceptional piece of work, drawing from a range of cultural, social and legal sources. Sadie was awarded the History prize upon graduation. Sadie continued to pursue this research interest into her MA dissertation, mining this topic further still to once again demonstrating her skills as an accomplished researcher and historian. ”

Professor of Modern European History Tim Grady said: “Sadie's performance as an MA student was exceptional. She achieved over 70% in all modules, with two modules in the 80s and then a remarkable 92% for her dissertation. This is one of the highest (if not the highest) marks awarded for the dissertation module.”

Hannah added: “Sadie is now being considered for several funding awards for her doctoral studies and is clearly a highly sought after student.” 

• For details on studying History at the University of Chester, visit: https://www.chester.ac.uk/study/course-search/history-ba-hons/ 

Pictured: Sadie Spencer with a poster she presented at Chester’s Postgraduate Academic Research Conference last June.