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Eluned Allen-Williams

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Eluned Allen-Williams
Allen-Williams from a 1990 issue of The Guider magazine
Born
Eluned Jocelyn Allen-Williams

(1916-05-01)1 May 1916
Littlehampton, England
Died23 December 1989(1989-12-23) (aged 73)
Newport, Pembrokeshire, Wales
NationalityBritish
EducationLondon University
Occupation(s)Girl Guide executive
Magistrate

Eluned Allen-Williams (1 May 1916 – 26 December 1989) was a Girl Guide Association (GGA) executive. Between 1945 and 1946 she was a Guide International Service (GIS) volunteer, serving in post-war Europe and providing relief work in Waldbröl and Dickhause, Germany. She was heraldry advisor to the GGA from 1967.[1] She was a magistrate in East Preston, West Sussex for 27 years,[2] and was the first woman to hold the position of chair of the Arundel bench in 1975.[3]

Personal life and education

[edit]

Born to Brigadier General Sir Arthur Allen-Williams KBE, CMG (1916 – 1949) and Ursula Mary Allen, Allen-Williams had one brother and one sister.[4] She attended Rosemead School in Littlehampton[5] and Downe House School in Berkshire. She then studied science at London University. She was a "qualified hospital almoner",[6] her role being "to determine the patients' ability to contribute towards their own medical care". She spent much of her life in Littlehampton, West Sussex.[7]

In the 1930s she was an active member of the East Preston Rifle Club in Littlehampton, winning several shooting competitions.[8][9] In 1938 she was a member of the City of London Rifle Club and at that point had the best average score in the national ladies' league.[10] She was also a member of the Seagulls Ladies' Lacrosse Club and was a keen tennis player and sailor, owning an 18-foot centreboard sailing boat.[11]

She moved to Newport, Pembrokeshire, where her family came from, in 1979.[12][13]

Girl Guides

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Allen-Williams joined the Girl Guide movement as a Brownie. She moved through the organisation into leadership positions which included: [14]

  • Sea Ranger crew, captain, Littlehampton[15]
  • 2nd Apsley Company, captain
  • 2nd Sussex Lone Rangers, lieutenant
  • Sussex County boating advisor
  • Sussex division Guide commissioner[16]
  • Sussex County ranger advisor[17]
  • Headquarters Ranger trainer[18]
  • Arts committee, member[19]
  • Chair and subsequently president of East Preston and Rustington Girl Guides from 1973 to 1979.[20][21] When she resigned in 1979, she donated £500 to the local association. She also made an interest-free loan to help fund the building of their new headquarters.[22]

During a 16-month trip to Australia and New Zealand she attended New Zealand Guide's centenary camp and trained Girl Guide leaders in Australia.[23]

Her principal passion was sailing. She became lieutenant of Sea Ranger Ship (SRS) Victor in 1942, captain of SRS Vigilant in 1947 and lieutenant of Lone SRS Opportune in 1948. [24] She published The Girl Guide Knot Book in 1962.

Allen-Williams became heraldry consultant to the GGA in 1967.[25][26]

World War II and Guide International Service

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During WWII Allen-Williams worked as an almoner in London hospitals, including Brookwood Emergency Hospital, Woking, Kingston County Hospital and Hemel Hempstead Base Hospital.[27]

In 1945 Allen-Williams volunteered with the Guide International Service. She joined Relief Section 131, working with displaced people in Waldbröl and Hanover in Germany. [28][29]

Littlehampton

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Allen-Williams became a justice of the peace (JP) on the Arundel bench in Littlehampton in 1949, serving for 27 years.[30] In 1975 she became the first female chair.[31]

She was a vice-president of the East Preston Cricket Club. In 1962, when the club was unable to find an eleventh player for a match, she joined the team, having not played since she was at school, and "proved a valuable asset [...] especially when fielding at mid-off."[32]

She was president of the Littlehampton Dramatic Society for 12 years, having taken on the role from her mother,[33] and a member of the Rustington Horticultural and Allotments Holders Association for ten years.[34]

Allen-Williams was a regular speaker for local organisations such as the Women's Institute, the Trefoil Guild and East Preston & Kingston Preservation Society. Topics included "The History of East Preston",[35] "Introduction to heraldry",[36] "Sharing the experiences of a JP",[37] "Norwegian coastal trip",[38] "A walk along the Sussex Downs",[39] "My world tour",[40] and "Birds of Australia and New Zealand".[41]

References

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  1. ^ "Heraldry is her job and her hobby". Worthing Gazette. Worthing, UK. 1968-06-26. p. 6.
  2. ^ Brenda Hughes (April 1990). "Obituary". The Guider (Vol. 79 No. 4 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. p. 25.
  3. ^ "JPs first woman chairman". Worthing Herald. Worthing, UK. 1975-11-14. p. 29.
  4. ^ "The late Sir Arthur Allen-Williams". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1949-12-02. p. 1.
  5. ^ "Servant of the Guides is dead". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1990-01-26. p. 2.
  6. ^ "'New chapter' for Eluned". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1979-11-23. p. 12.
  7. ^ "Paying for healthcare: Life in Britain before the 'free' NHS". historyextra.com. 2018-08-18.
  8. ^ "Fine shooting by East Preston". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1956-01-27. p. 5.
  9. ^ "One victoriy and one defeat". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1956-01-06. p. 5.
  10. ^ "Guildford crackshot scores 40 bulls". Daily Express. London, UK. 1938-03-30. p. 15.
  11. ^ "New magistrate". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1949-09-23. p. 3.
  12. ^ "Author comes over to see his hotel comedy". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1979-11-23. p. 20.
  13. ^ "Servant of the Guides is dead". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1990-01-26. p. 2.
  14. ^ Brenda Hughes (April 1990). "Obituary". The Guider (Vol. 79 No. 4 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. p. 25.
  15. ^ "New magistrate". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1949-09-23. p. 3.
  16. ^ "Parents invited to help new unit". Eastbourne Herald. Eastbourne, UK. 1951-12-15. p. 4.
  17. ^ "Ranger Co. reformed". Sussex Express. Eastbourne, UK. 1958-05-09. p. 1.
  18. ^ "Guide news". Hemel Hempstead Gazette. Hemel Hempstead, UK. 1950-03-17. p. 3.
  19. ^ Eluned Allen-Williams (November 1967). "From the heraldry advisor". The Guider (Vol. 54 No. 11 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. p. 380.
  20. ^ "'New chapter' for Eluned". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1979-11-23. p. 12.
  21. ^ "oak tree gift from Guides". Worthing Herald. Worthing, UK. 1973-11-23. p. 4.
  22. ^ "£500 gift softens the blow". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1979-09-09. p. 14.
  23. ^ "Lancing Guide 'do it yourself' brigade is proud". Worthing Gazette. Worthing, UK. 1957-11-27. p. 4.
  24. ^ Brenda Hughes (April 1990). "Obituary". The Guider (Vol. 79 No. 4 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. p. 25.
  25. ^ Eluned Allen-Williams (November 1967). "From the heraldry advisor". The Guider (Vol. 54 No. 11 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. p. 380.
  26. ^ "Servant of the Guides is dead". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1990-01-26. p. 2.
  27. ^ "New magistrate". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1949-09-23. p. 3.
  28. ^ "New magistrate". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1949-09-23. p. 3.
  29. ^ Brenda Hughes (April 1990). "Obituary". The Guider (Vol. 79 No. 4 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. p. 25.
  30. ^ "New Justices welcomed". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1949-10-07. p. 1.
  31. ^ "JPs first woman chairman". Worthing Herald. Worthing, UK. 1975-11-14. p. 29.
  32. ^ "Woman player makes up a men's side – and she bowls underarms!". Worthing Gazette. Worthing, UK. 1962-08-22. p. 15.
  33. ^ "Society 'struggles' to find new stage talent". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1980-08-29. p. 24.
  34. ^ "'New chapter' for Eluned". Littlehampton Gazette. Littlehampton, UK. 1979-11-23. p. 12.
  35. ^ "Autumn public meeting". Worthing Gazette. Worthing, UK. 1972-11-08. p. 43.
  36. ^ "She had a happy day". West Sussex County Times. Horsham, UK. 1972-07-07. p. 25.
  37. ^ "Findon valley". Worthing Herald. Worthing, UK. 1972-03-24. p. 19.
  38. ^ "WI Reports". Worthing Herald. Worthing, UK. 1974-11-08. p. 17.
  39. ^ "She made Downs 'walk' exciting". West Sussex County Times. Horsham, UK. 1974-09-20. p. 24.
  40. ^ "Tour talk". Worthing Herald. Worthing, UK. 1972-11-03. p. 5.
  41. ^ "North Lancing and Coombes". Worthing Herald. Worthing, UK. 1973-10-19. p. 27.
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