Norah Kathleen May Gurney, nee Dewar (1921 – 1974) was the second Director of the Borthwick Institute for Archives in York..   She was born in 1921 in London,

Mary Sessions (1841 – 1926) was married to William Sessions who died at the age of just 43 in 1886.  By then he had established himself in

Jeannie Mercer (1880 – 1969) was sworn in as a magistrate in September 1920, one of the first women on the York bench. A schoolteacher,

Charlotte Naish (1908 – 1959) spent much of her working life in York contributing to the development of medical services and knowledge. Born to parents

Sue was born in Leeds in 1945. Her father joined the R.A.F. and was posted to India where Sue and her mother joined him in

Lucy Macbean Ross (1887-1932) was born in London where her father was manager of the London branch of the Commercial Bank of Scotland. When he

Maud Sellers (1861-1939) was the first female member of The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York in nearly 400 years; she was

Thea was born in Sydney, Australia in 1961 and came to the UK in 1974. She obtained an MA in Botany and postgraduate diplomas in

Lemare, Iris Margaret Elsie (1902–1997) was the first professional British woman conductor, and also a keen supporter of the music of British composers. She was

‘A kind-hearted retired teacher well known in York for teaching generations of families in Clifton and Rawcliffe, and for her voluntary work to help others‘

Violet (1979 -) was born into a traditional Gypsy Family, living roadside in Yorkshire until a change in the law made that increasingly difficult. She

Doreen Bolton (1910-1996) was landlady of the Royal Oak, Goodramgate from 1938 until 1950, and claimed to be the youngest landlady in Yorkshire at the

Lisa Kelly is a transgender woman. She started life as Dave, growing up in a small Yorkshire town in the 1970s and 80s, and faced

Lauren Winfield (1990 – ) is an international cricketer, who currently plays for Yorkshire, Northern Diamonds and England. She is a right-handed batter and wicket-keeper.  Winfield was

May Kendall 4 December (1861 – 1943)  born in Bridlington, the youngest of four children of Rev. James Kendall, a Wesleyan minister and Eliza Goldworth Kendall.  The

Helen Crews joined the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in December 2014 as Director of Plant and Bee Health after a long career in

Sue’s dad was a lorry driver and her mum a cleaner. Her father was a POW in Poland for three and a half years having

In 2014 Alison was hailed as the country’s top female bus driver. She started working in the bus industry in York in 1988. The bus

On the 28th October 1940 the Luftwaffe bombed the city of York. The A.R.P. report of this raid states that Miss Joan Maw of No.41

Haleh Afshar (BA York, PhD University of Cambridge) teaches Politics and Women’s Studies at the University of York and serves as a Crossbench Peer in

Florence was the spinster daughter of Thomas, a Railway Porter, and Ann Umpleby of 214 Burton Stone Lane, York. She was an Assistant Mistress at

The two Plummer daughters bearing the business name, Emma, born 1856 and Alexandra Annie, born 1864 were set up in their millinery business by their

When meeting Miss Nasr, as a patient or interviewer, you are immediately struck by her amazing smile and the calmness about her. You feel safe.

Kath Gent (1930 – 2017)  Kath Gent worked her way up the ladder in Nursing and became a pioneer in dementia. She was a bright

Florence Wright (1917 – 1991) was education officer at the Castle Museum and used to give informative, historical talks to groups of schoolchildren about 45

Margaret Campbell Barnet (1917 – 2008) was born in Sunderland, daughter of Peter Campbell Barnet and his wife Margaret Bell. Educated first at Sunderland Church

Lisa started her police career in North Yorkshire Police in 1993 as a Special Constable in York. She joined as a regular officer in 1994

Nellie Nelson joined LNER York as a porter in 1940. In the second World War the Government needed to replace railwaymen who had joined the

Gina was born in 1938 in Hillsborough, Sheffield. She showed an early talent for tennis and on leaving school went to London to work for

Mona Armitage was the youngest of eleven children and her father was a furnace man. Born in Wallsend, Tyneside, she recalled that a day trip

Throughout her life, Jenny Zobel (1946 – 2018) never failed to connect with her ancestors. In her own words “I wanted the portrait of my

Kathleen Jones (1922-2010) founded the department of social policy and social work at the University of York in 1965. Daughter of a lorry driver and a dinner lady,

At the age of 56, Wendy was enjoying living by the river in York and her job in charge of a team preparing the Nursing

Dianne was born 3 days before the end of WW2. At 18 she left home, went to London, refused to go to University, married a

After some one thousand years, in December 2012 Dean Vivienne Faull was appointed as the first woman Dean to York Minster, breaking a tradition and

Mary Stuart (1886-1953) was born in Sudbrooke, Monmouthshire, Wales in 1886, the daughter of Alfred Donald Stuart and Emily Humble. By 1901 the family were

Rachael Maskell was born on 5 July 1972 in Winchester, on the anniversary of the NHS. She had a good childhood, growing up with her

Moyra Johnson (1915 – 2009) said that she “grew up a bit of a tomboy. I could drive before I was 17, and other girls’

Irene Whittaker (1923-2010) was from Lancashire and went to Liverpool University where she graduated in Geography. She became Head of Queen Anne Grammar School in

Ann first worked in York for the York Area Economic Development Unit with a small marketing agency in the city. She then moved to the

Sally Baldwin (1940-2003) came to York to study social administration and, on completing her diploma, was appointed the first research fellow at what would become

Cherie Federico came to ‘old’ York from New York, moving to the UK in 2002 to study for her Masters Degree at the University of York

YUMI (York Unifying and Multicultural Initiative) has had a major, positive impact on the lives of many who have come to live in York from

Catherine Beatrice Crane (1903 – 1988) trained at the London School of Medicine. In 1936 she was appointed assistant Medical Officer of Health for York

Lesley’s family were Jewish Refugees from Vienna. Her father was brought to England in the Kindertransport at the age of twelve and he was saved from the same fate

Almyra Gray (1862-1939) was one of the first woman magistrates in York and among the first in the country when she joined the Bench in 1920.

In 1973, Dame Margaret Kate Weston (1926-2021), announced that the historic city of York would become home to the National Railway Museum. The museum duly

Edna Annie Crichton (1876 – 1970) was a remarkable woman. At the age of 25 she came to live in York, which was to be

Nellie Buckley (1914 – 2008) was born in 1914 in Southlands, York and died age 94 on 18 April 2008.  She was baptised at Southlands

Magdelena (1953 – ) ran El Piano, a vegan and gluten free restaurant in Grape Lane, York. As a coeliac, I knew that it was

Lynn was born and bred in York and on leaving school in 1977 worked as a cadet nurse at the old private hospital, The Purey Cust Nursing Home. Cadet nurses

Sally grew up in London and describes herself as the daughter of a strong woman.  She started work at the GLC – in sewers (actually an administrative role in the Public

Ivy Wightman (1910 – 1982) was Lord Mayor of York from May 1961 – May 1962 and the second woman to be Lord Mayor after

Delma Tomlin is the Director of the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) on Walmgate, York. A musician (singer), she came to York in 1984 to

Sheila Dronfield (1912 – 1996) made a big contribution to public life in York as a doctor, and as a magistrate – she chaired the

Mary York (1931 – 2010) was born in Maltby, South Yorkshire where she began her guiding life by joining the Brownies. She studied at Leeds

Marion Paton (nee Hendry) (1923 – 2016) was born in Aldborough, near Boroughbridge and came to York when she was thirteen. She attended Mill Mount

Carol Miller (1949-) formed the York Haematology Support Group (YHSG) in 2012 for people with blood cancer. In 2004, Carol was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid

Janet moved to York in 1965, when her husband joined the, then very new, York University. She was pregnant, and looking after a two-year old. She