Female clerks photographed in 1916
You might be surprised to know that women were employed in the GWR Works from as early as 1874. It was not only Swindon’s sons who could benefit from a father employed in the Works but so could Swindon’s daughters.
By the 1870s the GWR was finding it difficult to recruit skilled men to move to Swindon. The problem was caused by a shortage of jobs for young women, the railwaymen’s daughters. The men wouldn’t move their families to Swindon if there was no work for their daughters. Joseph Armstrong, Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Superintendent, addressed the problem by extending the Carriage Works on London Street and creating a separate upholstery department for the employment of girls only.
Women were probably most obvious in the Works during WWII when they were employed in engineering and other roles previously unavailable to them. Many were sorry to leave when servicemen returned to take up their jobs once again.
The employment of women as clerks, once traditionally a male role, began in about 1910 and by 1915 was increasing rapidly. In 1914 sixteen year old Florence Gladys Trehorne started work in the accounts department where her father Edwin also worked. Florence started work on April 6, 1914 joining others such as Winifred Sims, Grace Wright and Lilian Plaister, who went on to become supervisor.
After eight years Florence resigned from her job just two days before her wedding on July 5, 1922 (married women were then not allowed to continue working in the GWR) when she married Percival Stanley Richards at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Victoria Road. Perhaps Florence was looking forward to leaving her job and stepping off the 9-5 treadmill. Perhaps she was looking forward to being a housewife and all that cooking and cleaning!
Sadly, Florence died on July 26, 1928, aged 30 years. She was buried in grave plot D149 with her father Edwin Charles Trehorne who died in 1923. Her mother Amelia Ellen Trehorne died in 1940 and joined them both. Florence does not appear to have had any children. Percival never remarried. He moved back to Bath where he died in 1974.
You may also like to read:
Celia Morkot – the first woman employed in the Works
Radnor Street Cemetery 
Very interesting – thank you; and what a useful site – keep up the good work. It’s important to remember these people.
Am now exploring your other posts, especially those about railway staff and accidents. We’d love to know if you find any crossover with the Railway Work, Life & Death project, on accidents to railway workers. Thanks to an excellent team of volunteers, we’re assembling a free and growing database, detailing accident records produced within the rail industry; so far there are c.50,000 cases, with a lot more to come, including from the GWR. That may contain more information about some of those buried at Radnor Street.
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Thank you for your kind comment. I am now following your RWLD work. Please feel free to add anything that appears on here that maybe of use. A link is always much appreciated.
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