Charity Shop Find

Hunting for bargains in a charity shop is always a great way to spend an afternoon and earlier this year, amongst the pewter jugs, bric-a-brac and Best of Doris Day LP’s in the RSPCA shop in Morpeth, one of our Archive Assistants spotted an interesting looking document in a large frame.

NRO 12625/1

On first inspection it appeared that the item was of the sort that we see regularly in the Archive; namely a historic legal document. However as it was framed, the problem we immediately had was knowing whether it would fit within our collecting policy; I.e. did it refer to Northumberland or somewhere else in the country? If it did refer in some way to the county, then its rightful place should be with us in the archive. Unfortunately, it soon became obvious that this crucial information was on the first page of the document and would be completely inaccessible unless the item was removed from its frame. We decided to take the risk and purchase it, knowing that even in the worst-case scenario we would have rescued something of historical significance, and at the same time, contributed to aiding the plight of some stricken animals into the bargain.

Once back in the office, we removed the item from its frame and discovered that the first page remained impossible to view as the two pages had been glued together at the edges. However, our decision to acquire the document was justified as, with some very careful prying and manipulation, we were just about able to make out the word ‘Alnwick’ on the second page.

NRO 12625/1

It seems likely that at some point in its life, the attractive appearance of the document, with its late 19th century handwriting and wax seals, had proven aesthetically pleasing enough for someone to want to display it in their house or office, at the expense of being able to actually read it. Due to being in contact with direct sunlight, presumably by being hung on the wall, the document had suffered a degree of fading. Not only that but as well as severely restricting access, the glue that had been used to stick the two pages together risked severely damaging the paper over time.  Although we do of course appreciate things that look nice at the archive, for us the informational value of papers is usually of more importance than their appearance. And so, in a bid to free both pages of the document and allow them to be properly cared for, we contacted our conservator Lindsay Gibson to see if she could help. After checking how the two pages were affixed, Lyndsay was able to use the skills and conservation tools at her disposal to separate them and we were finally able to discover that the item was a mortgage document relating to a property on Clayport Street in Alnwick from 1877.

ZHE/5/11 Plan of Alnwick, 1827

This type of document contains potentially very useful information for several possible audiences. Anyone interested in the history of Alnwick, its dwellings or businesses, may find vital details within it, perhaps relating to their own property. Or perhaps family historians researching specific ancestors could find clues to their history by researching the names that appear in the text.

The document is now conserved, correctly packaged in archival standard acid-free enclosures, and it safely resides in one of our seven strong rooms. Its life expectancy has been extended immeasurably; out of the sun, away from any glue and available for consultation in our Search Room for anyone who may be interested in it. So, if in the course of your bargain hunting in Northumberland’ numerous charity shops, remember to keep an eye out for any documents that may have historical significance. And if you spot any, be sure to let us know.

Women’s Service during the Second World War – Part Two

Working on the Home Front

Civil Defence workers often worked during air raids which was extremely dangerous and sometimes led to fatalities. In 1939, women joining knew little of what was to come and by 1941 many had faced traumatic experiences. Written in NCC’s Civil Defence committee minutes of September 1941, 17/6d was paid in expense to Mrs Ewbank of Whitley Bay in respect of the expense incurred by the death of her daughter, Doris Ewbank. (7). Doris is commemorated, today, in a memorial in Whitley Bay. She was a schoolteacher and ambulance driver for the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service who was killed when a bomb hit the
ambulance she was driving on 28th April 1941. What may be the most devastating detail of this story is that her death wasn’t widely reported at the time as it was feared that anxious female volunteers (influenced by their families) would withdraw from the ARP scheme (4).

Reported in the Shields Daily News after an air raid on Tyneside in October 1941, Mrs Isobel Ali, an air raid warden on duty in North Shields, “was buried in rubble but another warden and herself managed to get clear and assist in rescuing a family from a buried Anderson Shelter (15).” Across the Tyne in South Shields, the first air raid warden, a unknown woman, in that area was killed during the same air raid. (16).

Often women’s heroic effects during air raids went unrecognised. On the night of 3/4th May 1941, Mrs Ellen Lee, an air raid warden, saved the lives of 32 people when an air raid shelter was hit in North Shields. Of the 197 people in the shelter 107 died. While three other men on duty that night received the George Medal, Ellen received no official recognition until 2023 when a blue plaque was erected near the former site of the factory to commemorate her heroic effort on that night in 1941 (18).

While there was worry that women were reluctant to take on dangerous work – which some were – it is evidently clear that women were taking matters into their own hands and making their contributions without being asked. The women of Berwick were denied the opportunity to join the Local Defence Volunteers. So, they set up the Women’s Warden Corps in Tweedmouth in May 1940 to act as air raid wardens. A target of recruiting 50 women was set and 30 volunteers joined in just 2 days (5)(6).

Ashington ARP c.1940. Linda appears to be pictured again, as an ambulance driver, in
the far right NRO 07023/2/1/14.
Linda Mccullough’s Anti-Gas
Precuations training certificate
c.1939-1940 NRO 7023/2/3/10

Mary’s Story
Mary, from Westerhope, was an ambulance attendant during the Second World War. She remembers her first job in the ambulance depot involved both men and women working together. Later she was based in Cramlington and recalls they were sent to London to help during the blitz. She remembers how ‘hair-raising’ it was to hear the doodlebugs overhead; there would be a terrific noise but when it cut out the bomb would come down. When she was based at Newburn, during air raids, she had to make her way to Westerhope. The air raids and anti-aircraft guns nearby were quite loud. One night, when she was on duty
with her sister, the ambulance overturned at Hillhead Road. Mary’s sister was the only casualty, sustaining a broken shoulder. During her time in West Wickham, there was one air raid after another. After air raids, the men would go out to help with the demolition and clearing up, but the women weren’t allowed to help. She felt that her time in the ambulance service had broadened her life as she went away with work for months at a time and she had made a lot of friends. After the war she went to work in a post office but as the men returned home, they got their jobs back and she had to leave (2).

It must have been incredibly difficult for the thousands of women who returned to their old jobs after gaining so many skills, new experiences and memories. By around 1949, most had returned to their previous jobs (many were housewives) and it would be nearly two decades before women’s equality in the workplace was campaigned for and the Equal Pay Act was passed in 1970.

Bibliography/references:
1 – Historic England Blog Women in the Workforce During the Second World War: Taking on Men’s Roles
2 – T/480 – Mary Pringle Oral History
3 – NRO 10442/4 – Northumberland Air Raid Precautions booklet
4 – South East Northumberland at War by Craig Armstrong, p48
5 – North Northumberland at War by Craig Armstrong, p39
6 – The Berwickshire News Victory Souvenir Issue, Tuesday May 15, 1945
7 – CC/D/ED/ARP – Minutes of Northumberland County Council’s Civil Defence Committee from 1939 – 1945
8 – Newcastle Journal and North Mail, Monday August 10 1942
9 – Blyth News Ashington Post, Thursday April 11 1940
10 – Blyth News Ashington Post, Thursday March 21 1940
11 – Shields Daily News, Thursday 26 February 1942
12 – Shields Daily News, Saturday 19 July 1941
13 – Blyth News, Monday 11 May 1942
14 – Shields Daily News, Monday 21 October 1940
15 – Shields Daily News, Wednesday 01 October 1941
16 – North East Diary 1939 – 1945 by Roy Ripley and Brian Pears
17 – Blyth News Ashington Post, Thursday April 11 1940
18 – https://northshields173.org/

Further information on images used:

NRO 07023/2/1/14, NRO 07023/2/3/10 – Linda Mccullough was an ambulance driver from c.1939-1942
before joining the ATS in October 1942. She was from Ashington and based in this area until she moved away with the ATS to Fenham Barracks

Women’s Service during the Second World War – Part One

In anticipation of the Second World War, the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) was formed in 1938. As the war progressed, more women joined the service as fire watchers, wardens and ambulance drivers/attendants. In December 1941 the second National Service Act was passed in parliament, making the conscription of single or widowed women aged 20-30 legal (1). They could serve in several services/industries and one of them was the Civil Defence (as it was later renamed from ARP in 1941).

Later in the war, the conscription age was extended to 19 – 50 and by mid-1943, almost 90 per cent of single women and 80 per cent of married women were employed in essential work for the war effort across the country (1). Most research on women’s stories from this era has only been done in recent years – in 2005, a monument to the women of the Second World War was erected in Whitehall, London to remember those that served on the home front.

Women’s experiences in the Civil Defence

NRO 8868/1/4 – Civil Defence volunteers, Hirst School, Ashington c. 1939-1940

The ARP Headquarters of Northumberland were in Morpeth, co-ordinating the local activities of the Civil Defence throughout the war (3). In Northumberland County Council’s (NCC) Civil Defence committee minutes from September 1939, it stated men would be paid £3 and women paid £2 per week. This difference in pay was highlighted in the Shields Daily News from February 1942, stating ‘Mr Morrison said the women had a wage of £2 7s as against the men’s wage of £3 10s, and he took the view that that was rather severe discrimination (11).’

Inequality of pay was not the only issue faced by women of the Civil Defence; they faced judgement about how well they would replace men’s jobs. As frustrating as it must have been it was clear women were trying their hardest despite the uncertainty they faced in their new roles. In the Newcastle Journal from August 1942, a report from parliamentary secretary, Ellen Wilkinson, reflected on women as fire guards – ‘Women of Britain would do their compulsory job of fire watching with no fuss, no heroics, just a job to be done and no hesitation about it.’ While the article is, overall, vague about commending women and expressing concern for women working in male environments she does say, “After this war, there will be millions of children who’ll ask – ‘What did you do in the Great War mummy?’ – or for that matter ‘grannie.’ “It’ll be pleasant to be able to say –‘Oh, nothing much, I just helped to beat the Luftwaffe.’” (8). In a more subtle message to women this last quote implies women will know their own victories after the war.

Not only were women under scrutiny to meet the demands of their work, but they were also met with criticism about their appearance. This recruitment poster (from IWM’s collection) shows an ambulance driver looking ‘made-up.’ Despite makeup being discouraged in the services they were, confusingly, encouraged to wear ‘natural makeup’ to boost morale (for the men).

Recruitment poster c.1940 copyright IWM Art.IWM PST 3399

Emphasis on the uniform is an important detail to this poster as well. In an article from the Blyth News, women expressed their verdict on the new ARP uniforms (featured in the poster) introduced in April 1940 involving a wrap-over overall with pockets to hold necessities and a felt hat with ribbon – they said, “we expected that our uniforms would be efficient but unbecoming, instead of which they are both neat and becoming (17).” It’s clear that these women joined without the uniform in mind but were pleasantly surprised by both the smartness and practicality of it. In a news report from the Shields Daily News in July 1941, it was stated that ‘Women’s [Civil Defence] uniform will be blue serge with either skirt or trousers as the local authority may decide (12),’ implying local authorities seem to have taken away their female employees choice between skirts and the practicality of trousers. In the image of Linda, an ambulance driver, she is seen wearing her wrap-over with a pair of ‘slacks’ compared to her colleague who wears a skirt.

NRO 7023/2/1/8 – Ambulance Drivers of from Ashington ARP c.1940. Linda appears to be pictured on the left

Women’s trousers were still a very new fashion at the time with older and younger generations having varying perspectives on them. From the Shields Daily News in October 1940, Women’s Diary by Jane Percy reported ‘It is suggested by some of the younger women that the slacks might become popular for everyday wear, but I personally doubt it. For air-raid shelters or over sport wear they are splendid and women on national defence work [Civil Defence] have nothing but praise for their comfort, but there are still many middle-aged women who will never get used to the idea of wearing trousers (14).

NRO 3441/254 – Betty Reilly and an unknown woman in their Serge Civil Defence uniforms c.1941

Bibliography/references:

1 – Historic England Blog Women in the Workforce During the Second World War: Taking on Men’s Roles

2 – T/480 – Mary Pringle Oral History

3 – NRO 10442/4 – Northumberland Air Raid Precautions booklet

4 – South East Northumberland at War by Craig Armstrong, p48

5 – North Northumberland at War by Craig Armstrong, p39

6 – The Berwickshire News Victory Souvenir Issue, Tuesday May 15, 1945

7 – CC/D/ED/ARP – Minutes of Northumberland County Council’s Civil Defence Committee from 1939 – 1945

8 – Newcastle Journal and North Mail, Monday August 10 1942

9 – Blyth News Ashington Post, Thursday April 11 1940

10 – Blyth News Ashington Post, Thursday March 21 1940

11 – Shields Daily News, Thursday 26 February 1942

12 – Shields Daily News, Saturday 19 July 1941

13 – Blyth News, Monday 11 May 1942

14 – Shields Daily News, Monday 21 October 1940

15 – Shields Daily News, Wednesday 01 October 1941

16 – North East Diary 1939 – 1945 by Roy Ripley and Brian Pears

17 – Blyth News Ashington Post, Thursday April 11 1940

18 – https://northshields173.org/

Further information on image used: NRO 07023/2/1/8 – Linda Mccullough was an ambulance driver from c.1939-1942 before joining the ATS in October 1942. She was from Ashington and based in this area until she moved away with the ATS to Fenham Barracks