Penry, Mrs Marian, School House, Hele’s School, New North Road, Exeter
Marian Penry née Dyke (1873 – 1945)[1] was born in 1873 in Hackney, London to Edward and Martha Dyke. Edward Dyke is described on the 1881 census, when the family were living at 127 Amherst Road, West Hackney, as a stationer, employing five men. By 1891 the family had moved to Velindre, Holdenhurst in Bournemouth. Edward had evidently retired and was described as ‘living on his own means’, and Marian was described as a scholar. Ten years later the family are still in Holdenhurst; Marian is still at home; and she is described as a music teacher.
In 1904 Marian married James Rowland Llewellyn Penry in Christchurch, Hampshire. J.R.L. Penry had obtained a degree in Natural Sciences at Queen’s College, Cambridge, and was teaching. He had obtained a post as second master at Reigate School in 1903, and in 1906 he was appointed to the post of head master of Hele’s School, Exeter.
Marian Penry appears initially in accounts in local newspapers supporting church and charitable events at her local church, St David’s,[2] and city-wide for charities such as the Watercress and Flower Girls Christian Mission.[3] As a member of the National Union of Women Workers she presented a report at the Annual General Meeting in 1912 on behalf of the Women’s Local Government Sub-Committee.[4] She also used her musical talents to sing and play the piano at local events.[5] In 1910 the Penrys’ daughter Margaret was born. The family employed two domestic servants in 1911.
From 1911 onwards Penry took on the role of joint secretary (together with Mary Willcocks, q.v.) to the newly-formed South West Federation of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies.[6] In that capacity she was responsible not only for the regular Federation meetings and programme of work[7], but also for events such the visit of the Countess of Selborne, Conservative and Unionist Women’s Franchise Association.[8] She remained in post until September 1913 when her husband was appointed as the headmaster of the King Edward VII School, Lytham and the family moved to Lancashire.[9]
In later life Penry was appointed as a JP in Lancashire. Her husband died in 1937, and Marian herself died on 9 February 1945 at St Anne’s in Lancashire, leaving approximately £9000.
Entry created by Julia Neville, October 2018
[1] Family and census information from www.ancestry.co.uk Accessed 19 October 2018.
[2] WT, 11 Jan 1907.
[3] DEG, 2 Apr 1907.
[4] DEG, 29 Oct 1912.
[5] WT, 12 Jul & 10 Dec 1912; 23 Apr 1913.
[6] CC, 4 May 1911.
[7] WT, 8 Sep 1912.
[8] DEG, 1 Nov 1912.
[9] WT 11 Apr & 7 Jul 1913.