This blog has been written by Dee Love, one of the volunteers on our maternity care project. Project volunteers are researching maternity care in Northumberland with particular focus on Castle Hills Maternity Home, Berwick, and Mona Taylor Maternity Home, Stannington. The project is supported by the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Bright Charity and the Northumberland Archives Charitable Trust. We will post more blog content from the project over the coming months.
Margery Taylor was born on 11th January 1883 at Chipchase Castle. She was the second child of Mona and Thomas Taylor. Her father Thomas was a wealthy mine owner and was also a County Alderman and a magistrate. Her mother Mona was a campaigner for women’s suffrage.
There is no doubt that Margery had a privileged childhood. The 1891 census records a long list of staff at Chipchase including a governess who would have been responsible for Margery’s education. Her mother’s involvement in the campaign for women’s rights begs the question did she support her daughter’s education outside the home?
In 1934 Margery was elected to Northumberland County Council representing the ward of Humshaugh. Northumberland County Council was established on 1st April 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888. It was preceded by a number of district councils. For most of the twentieth century Northumberland’s County Hall was situated within an enclave of Northumberland in the Moot Hall precincts within the County Borough of Newcastle upon Tyne where Margery would have attended meetings. In 1974, when Newcastle became part of Tyne and Wear, the leaders of the Country Council decided they needed a purpose built County Hall in the country of Northumberland. The new building in Morpeth opened in 1981.
Throughout her long career in local government she served on and chaired various committees. There is a recurring theme to the purpose of the committees Margery sat on. They set out to improve the health and welfare of the people of Northumberland. In 1935 to 1936 Margery sat on the Public Health Committee, the Blind Persons Committee, Maternity and Public Assistance. The following year she added Finance to her list and in 1938, West Guardians and Vagrancy committees.
In addition to the above, in 1935 she was the treasurer of The Northern Women’s Hospital in Jesmond and was still in that role in 1942. The hospital was founded by Ethel Williams, the first female G.P. in Newcastle. Dr. Williams was active in the Suffrage Movement and was a friend and supporter of Margery’s mother, Mona. While I have found no evidence that Margery was actively involved in the Suffrage Movement she fought the battle for women’s rights from another standpoint, using her influence on the County Council to work for the provision of better health and maternity care in Northumberland.
In 1931, before her election to the council she became a magistrate and continued to sit as a magistrate alongside her work on the council until her death.
As if all of that wasn’t enough to occupy her time Margery became a County Alderman in 1938. Aldermen were senior members of a county council chosen by other councillors. Aldermen were equal in status to the mayor and were elected for a term of six years but could be re- appointed to serve further terms.
Until 1938 Margery continued to live at Chipchase Castle. After the death of her father, she moved to Osborne Road in Jesmond in Newcastle where she shared a house with her younger sister, Violet.
In the 1940’s Margery added a raft of new committees to her portfolio; Civil Defence, Joint Planning, Water Supply, the Joint Hospitals Committee and the Midwifery and General Nursing Sub- Committee.
The minutes of the Public Assistance Committee for 10th June 1942 revealed that Tynemouth Public Assistance Committee had requested increased Maternity provision at Preston Hospital. Miss Taylor, the chair of the committee, said “ that it was most undesirable at the time and that the hospital block at Thomas Taylor Homes could be adapted for use as a maternity ward capable of accommodating all the county cases at the Preston Emergency Hospital and possibly some of the Tynemouth cases as well for the duration of the war.”
Margery moved to Ellwood House at Barassford near Hexham in 1947. The grade ll listed building had been, at one point in its history, an orphanage and is part of the Chipchase Estate.
In1947, the Central Midwives Board approved a national uniform for midwives. The approximate cost of the full uniform was £35.00. The seven domiciliary midwives employed by Northumberland county received an annual uniform allowance of £12.00. At that time five of these midwives required a complete renewal of their uniforms and two would require renewal before September 1948. Margery and Councillor Mrs Cookson formed the Maternity and Child Welfare sub committee which was set up in 1947 to ascertain the views of midwives as a result it was decided to increase the uniform allowance to £16.00 per year.
Taking the place of Alderman Garrow who was unwell Margery also carried out an inspection at Dilston Hall Maternity Hospital. Her signed report still exists and is held in the Northumberland Archives. It had been proposed that a bathroom which was used by pre-natal patients should be transferred to the use of the staff. If that proposal was approved the patients would have a long walk to a bathroom at the opposite end of the building. Margery recommended that the bathroom should be retained for the use of the patients and another bathroom should be found for the staff.
Her reputation had also spread far beyond Northumberland. The British Journal of Nursing in August 1936 commented. “We commend to the attention of Public Assistance Committees of all County Councils the proposals made by the Public Assistance Committee of Northumberland County Council and which have been approved by the council. It is proposed to erect several village group buildings whereby aged people shall be able to live almost as if in their own homes. The Chairman of the Public Assistance Committee Miss Margery Taylor deplores the present method of housing people in communal buildings.”
These are only two of many examples of the compassion and pragmatism Margery displayed throughout her career. Her tireless work for the welfare of the people of Northumberland was recognised in 1944 when she was awarded an OBE in the Birthday Honours List that year.
After a life dedicated to public service Margery died at Ellwood House on 27th August 1957 having served on the council for 24 years.
In the minutes of the Midwifery and General Nursing Committee on November 5th 1957 the Chairman mentioned Margery’s death. As a mark of respect the committee members stood in silence in their places.
