Comments

Few women in this photo and also they are all (?) 'Miss'.... I am sure I remember hearing that in some (or many) local councils is was pretty much the rule that it was expected that a woman quit her job when she got married.  I think that applied right up into the 1960s in some councils

Mention of an interest in schools reminds me of a small mystery in my tree. My maternal 3xGGF was Rhoda PHIPPEN who was apparently born in Blagdon c1801. I haven't found a baptism record although I believe she was the daughter of Robert PHIPPEN and Hester HOOKE who were married at Bedminster on 4 September 1797. Rhoda PHIPPEN married William COLES at St Pauls, Clifton on 13 July 1825. William COLES died in 1833 and was buried at Butcombe.

Now to the point...At the time of the 1851 census Rhoda COLES was living at Broadfield Down, Blagdon. Her Rank, Profession or Occupation was recorded as "Formerly School Misstriss (sic)". So, my question is: can anyone help identify which school she taught at, please?

These were the main Council Officials listed in the 1941 Street Directory - probably not surprising that there were no women here at all!  There was just one female Borough Councillor - Mary BROWN representing East Ward.

• Town Clerk & Solicitor - Lawrence G WATSON
• Borough Surveyor & Water Engineer - Harold A BROWN
• Borough Treasurer, Accountant and Rating & Valuation Officer - A.E.Remmett WEAVER
• Sanitary Inspector - H.W. BLADON
• Publicity Manager - Edward TURNER
• Librarian & Curator - W.H. Sydal ROBERTS
• Commercial Manager - I DAVIES

...only one row of females in the Borough photograph...!!

I've been taking another look at Martha GRANT.  When she married in 1803, the witnesses were a William and Sarah LEWIS and I have found that a William LEWIS had married a Sarah GRANT at Woolley on the 1st Oct 1798.  Could Sarah have been a sister of Martha?  I believe that Sarah GRANT might have been the d/o Richard and Ann GRANT, christened in Woolley in 1780.  Note that the baptisms of Sarah GRANT and several of her siblings are transcribed as the children of Richard and Elizabeth but the original entry has a correction which states that the mother should be Ann.  Haven't found the marriage of Richard and Ann!  I know that Woolley and Swainswick are not in this area but hope that someone may have some ideas about Martha GRANT.

The Society of Genealogists is in the process of relocating and they have modified their criteria for accepting deposits. Haven't read the details so I don't know what effect this will have.