Education and Science and the local Community
Plymouth women have a history of passionately supporting and investing in education as a core contribution to the development of the city and its citizens. Amongst the many dedicated headmistresses and teachers, a handful have stood out for their extended and extensive contributions. Plymouth has also been at the forefront of developments promoting opportunities in science and science education and research, linking this also to business – during the Great War, Nancy Astor sponsored training in light electrical industry for women, with an eye to the post-war era, and the Women’s Electrical Association had one of its earliest branches in Plymouth.
Doris Dixon (1919-2018) Headmistress of Stoke Damerel High School for Girls 1959 to 1979, and a greatly respected and devoted teacher, she has been described as a ‘legend’ by one former pupil. In tributes, it has been said that her legacy of inspiring her girls has been passed down… Read More »Doris Dixon
E.M. Jago (c1884- The grand-daughter of George Jago, one of the great figures in Plymouth education, Miss Jago also was a significant figure – focusing on education and training for girls. After training in domestic science in London, she started work in Plymouth in 1906,… Read More »E.M. Jago
Barbara Jones County Durham-born, Barbara Jones’ whole life has focused on the creative process. Encouraged from a child to to use my artistic interests, her talents blossomed at Bishop Auckland Grammar School, before she went on in the 1970s to study on a Foundation Course… Read More »Barbara Jones
Miss Margaret McMillan (1860-1931) She must count as an honorary Plymothian because of the legacy of her impact on Plymouth’s approach to education. Margaret, and her sister Rachel (who died in 1917), were significant innovators in terms of their approach to nursery education and its… Read More »Margaret McMillan
Miss Daisy Moore As headmistress of the Devonport High School for Girls, she was a passionate advocate for better secondary education for girls, and for them going on to university afterwards. She retired in 1946, but left a considerable legacy behind her. The previous headmistress, Miss Hill, had campaigned for… Read More »Daisy Moore
Mrs Mary Normington (d 1950) The headmistress of Headland College 1906-1949, when she retired on medical advice. On her death, the college closed because it had been evacuated to Gunnislake from its original site on North Hill, Plymouth, and never returned. She was a notable musician. The… Read More »Mary Normington
Miss Emma Scott (1857-1932) Miss Scott was a much-loved headmistress at Plymouth College for Girls on Lockyer Streetk, for a quarter of a century. She was also, in her own right, a noted amateur scientist and naturalist. She was elected as President of the Athenaeum… Read More »Emma Scott
Miss Violet Turner Appointed to the role of Headmistress of the Plymouth High School for Girls in the autumn of 1931, and from the start she signalled her commitment to girls staying at school to achieve the best possible educational qualifications as preparation for their subsequent… Read More »Violet Turner
Marjorie Alison Wilson (1903-1978) Plymouth-born, Marjorie Westfield attended Keppel Place Central School in Stoke Damerel, where she was encouraged under the headmistress in her interests in science. She went on to do her degree in Botany at Westfield College, University of London, graduating in 1924,… Read More »Marjorie Alison Wilson
Jackie Young An important local activist and community co-ordinator, with a particular interest in environmental issues.