A LUDLOW woman has been highlighted as Shropshire marks Black History Month.

This year, Shropshire Council is highlighting the story of Mary McGhie of Ludlow. She was a botanist and natural historian, who was born in Jamaica and lived at Castle Lodge, Ludlow, between 1817 and 1844.

Shrewsbury Museum curators featured her in their Women in Science leaflet for Darwin History Month. There is a short film about her, which was produced for the Darwin Festival. This is on the museum's website here: https://youtu.be/gDW-b6o6Ey0?feature=shared

In sharing her story, the council is setting out to not only reclaim her narrative but also show how she inspired further narratives too, as the story of Mary McGhie also inspired the character of Etta in the fiction book ‘The Gifts’ by Liz Hyder.