My aunt Barbara Megson, who has died aged 93, was an educator, historian and writer. She was dedicated to training for everyone – significantly for folks from deprived backgrounds.
Barbara wrote six books over the course of her life. Her best-known title, Kids in Misery, co-authored with Alec Clegg, was revealed in 1968. She noticed it as certainly one of her most beneficial works: it had an enduring influence on coverage concerning youngsters from deprived areas, and was used as a educating useful resource in universities for a few years.
Born in Twickenham, Middlesex, Barbara was the daughter of Gladys (nee Phillips), a trainer, and Norman Megson, who grew to become deputy director of the Royal Plane Institution. She attended Girl Eleanor Holles (LEH) college in close by Hampton, and supported it all through her life. One of many rooms in its new constructing was named after her.
Regardless of successful a scholarship to Newcastle College to review historical past, she was decided to go to Cambridge College, and received a spot at Girton Faculty. LEH helped her attend with a mortgage from its Nora Nickalls belief fund. She started finding out historical past in 1948, the primary yr that Cambridge granted levels to girls, and maintained a robust reference to Girton.
After a interval as a analysis assistant to Professor WK Jordan, who was primarily based at Harvard College, Barbara taught historical past in faculties for quite a few years. Her first educating position was at Cheltenham Girls’ faculty. She then moved to Yorkshire to tackle a two-year traineeship within the training workplace of West Using training authority. In 1969 Barbara grew to become an inspector of faculties, transferring from West Using to work throughout England in West Yorkshire, Kent, Birmingham, Surrey, Devon after which Buckinghamshire earlier than retirement to Cambridge in 1990.
A fascination with historical past led to Barbara researching on a regular basis life and unsung organisations. She wrote English Properties and Housekeeping, 1700-1960, and researched a number of Metropolis of London livery corporations, publishing The Pinners’ and Wiresellers’ Ebook 1462-1511 (2009), The Farriers of London and Such Goodly Firm: A Glimpse of the Lifetime of the Bowyers of London, 1300-1600. She grew to become a Freeman of the Metropolis of London in 2012, and her analysis got here to a cease solely not too long ago, when she grew to become bodily unable to work.
She had a robust curiosity in music and antiques, in addition to historical past. When she retired she grew to become concerned within the Nationwide Belief, main excursions abroad. She was additionally chair of the Cambridge Alumni Affiliation, and was lively within the Girton Affiliation, the Soroptimists and the College of the Third Age.
Fiercely impartial, Barbara discovered it troublesome when she needed to be taken care of within the closing months of her life, though she appreciated the individuals who cared for her.
She is survived by her youthful brother, Greville, her nieces, Linda and me, and a nephew, Richard.
