Maud Amy Margaret White (née Wall) (1891–1959)
Mayor of Oxford 1942/3
Maud White in 1942/3 (Picture Oxon 0618238)
Maud Amy Margaret Wall (Mrs John White) was born in Bengal, India on 12 May 1891 and baptised at Christ Church, Kasaul on 1 September.
She was the daughter of the civil engineer Benson Parsick Wall and Jessie Margaret Wilson, who were married in Jhansi, Bengal on 4 February 1889. .
Maud spent her early childhood in India, and on 30 September 1898 her father was gazetted Second Lieutenant in the infantry of the Indian Army Reserve of Officers.
By the time of the 1901 census Maud (9) was living at 6 Richmond Road in Bedford with her mother Jessie (33) and her older sister (Jessie) Irene (11), plus two servants.
According to the Sladden family letters, Maud fell in love with Cecil Brown Constable, but her parents did not think he was a suitable match as he was her first cousin. He died at the Somme in July 1916.
On 28 January 1918 Maud joined the Women's Royal Naval Service as a Chief Officer. Her service record for 1918/19 (210 pages) shows that she went to Crystal Palace for training on 28 January 1918, and was appointed Assistant Principal at Westgate, Deputy Principal at Deal, and Principal at Dover. She had ten naval stations under her command. On 21 November 1918 she stated in writing that she would like to remain in the WRNS, but her appointment was terminated on 29 July 1919 because of the cessation of hostilities. She was awarded an MBE (Military Division) on 6 May 1919.
After the First World War Maud entered the Liverpool School of Architecture, and the 1921 census shows her at the age of 30, described as an architectural student at the University of Liverpool, living at 2 Columbia Road, Birkenhead with her parents and her older sister Jessie (31), who was an inspector of reformatories and industrial schools for the Home Office, plus their three servants. Her father Benson Parsick Wall (55) was now working as a civil engineer for the soap manufacturers Lever Brothers at Port Sunlight.
Maud became an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1925. She was the first woman architect to be employed by London County Council.
On 24 May 1928 at St John the Evangelist Church, Holborn, London, Maud Amy Margaret Wall (37), described as an architect of 35 St George's Mansions, Red Lion Square, Holborn, married Captain John White (58) of Temple Cowley, an instructor in the Royal Navy.
Maud moved to Cowley, Oxford with her new husband, but less than six years after their marriage, on 28 January 1934, John White died at Temple Farm, Cowley at the age of 63. He was buried at Cowley St James Church three days later.
The newly widowed Mrs White was first elected to the City Council as a Conservative later in 1934 (the first women ever to represent Cowley & Iffley Ward), and retained her seat in 1937.
The register taken on 29 September 1939 register shows Mrs White, described as a councillor of the city of Oxford and a retired chartered architect, living at Temple Close in Cowley with a housekeeper. Her parents were now living not far away at “Old Nans”, Abberbury Road, Iffley with one servant, and her father described himself as a retired civil engineer in the Royal Engineers Reserve.
Maud was temporarily recalled to the WRNS, and the navy list lists Mrs Maud Amy Margaret White, MBE as a Chief Officer (Calliope) from 7 December 1939 and Tyne in 1940.
She returned to Oxford in June 1940 for family reasons, probably to help her newly widowed mother, as her father Benson Parsick Wall had died at the Radcliffe Infirmary on 10 February 1940 at the age of 74. He was living at Temple Close, Iffley Turn at the time of his death and was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery on 13 February (Grave J4/27). His effects came to £2935 2s. 9d., and his widow and daughter Jessie Irene Wall were his executors.
On her return Maud resumed her seat on the council, and in 1942 was elected Mayor of Oxford (for 1942/3).
Her mother Jessie Margaret Wall died at Leys Close, Abberbury Road,, Iffley on 6 June 1948 at the age of 80 and was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery on 9 June. Her effects came to £1166 5s. 5d., and her executors were her two daughters.
Mrs White lost her seat on the council after moving over from the Conservative to the Labour Party, but was later returned for the same ward as a Labour councillor. She became an alderman in 195r2.
On 3 January 1953 Mrs White's sister Jessie Irene Wall died at Leys Close, Abberbury Road, Iffley at the age of 62 and was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery on 7 January. Her effects came to £721 9s. 6d., and Mrs White was her executor.
Mrs White retired from the council through ill health in October 1955.
† Mrs Maud Amy Margaret White née Wall was living at Rick House, 101 Church Way, Iffley when she died at the Acland Nursing home at the age of 68 on 25 May 1959. She was buried with her husband in St James's churchyard in Cowley four days later: see her grave.
Her effects came to £45.510 13s. 9d., and her executors were Commander Peter White R.N. and Miss Phillis Gertrude Clarke.
See also:
- Oxford Times, 29 May 1959, p. 7 (obituary)
