The Trailblazing Louisa Russell

Not many people realise that women were appointed to the office of local Registrar of Births and Deaths in the Victorian era. The first in England that I can find was 1874 in Surrey . Additional women registrars came along slowly. By the 1880s it was still a great rarity, and that's when Marlow appointed one for itself.

In 1882 the existing Registrar John Guildford Bishop Russell died suddenly.* The ratepayers of Marlow were unanimous in who they wanted to take over from him- his widow Louisa. In her mid 40s her work experience to date was that of a wife and mother but the locals believed her fully able to take the post. The Registrar General was typically hesitant. Could she really manage it? Letters from Marlow reassured him of local confidence in the likelihood that she could. Her appointment was made for a cautious 12 months only. She still held the job nearly 20 years later! 

I have noticed that other early female local registrars were appointed as successors to their husbands. It seems they must have been involved, unofficially, in the men's job during their lifetimes, gaining knowledge and experience all the while. Certainly John Guildford Russell was a busy man. He was also the Marlow Relieving Officer.

Background:

Louisa Brack [or Black] Hodges married John in London in 1861. Her census entries say that she was born in Commercial Road there, which is in the East End. It is not normal to describe your place of birth so precisely on a census form. Her early instinct towards the recording precise information coming out perhaps!  

Louisa and John lived in Chapel Street Marlow before moving long-term to West Street. 

*Husband John had also served as the school attendance officer, vaccination officer, and the relieving officer (the person applied to in order to receive relief from the Wycombe Union). He died after an operation to save his life from a strangulated hernia failed. He is buried at Holy Trinity Church. His funeral was marked as it had to be stopped shortly after the lowering of the coffin into the grave. The grave had been cut too small and so the poor mourners had to wait for it to be enlarged by the sexton armed with a mattock. He performed before a "large, astonished and by no means edified audience". He left 6 children. In addition he was the secretary for the local lodge of the Oddfellows friendly society.

For other pioneering Marlow women see this post here

To search for people on this blog use the Person Index on the top drop down menu.

Researched and written by Charlotte Day.

Sources:

The Englishwoman's Review of Social and Industrial Questions Volume 13 edited by J Bourchet, 1882.

GRO marriage index.

Censuses- my transcription of census page images on microfilm then at an LDS family history center. Now available online.

South Bucks Free Press, June 1882. 

©Marlow Ancestors.