Anne Godwin
Encyclopedia
Dame
Anne Godwin (1897–1992) was a British
trade unionist.
Born in 1897 in Farncombe, Surrey
as Beatrice Anne Godwin, the daughter of a draper, she attended the British School, Bridge Road, Godalming
, until age 16, when she left school to start working as a counting house clerk in the West End of London.
In 1916 she moved to the Army Pay Office as a civilian clerk. Her pay was 16s per week.Some of the women working at the office organised to unsuccessfully request a higher salary from the Army Paymaster. Moving to an engineering office in 1920, she joined the Association of Women Clerks and Secretaries (AWCS). By 1928 she was a union
organiser; at that time most temporary women civil servants were AWCS members until they were made permanent in 1930 and were required to join the National Association of Women Civil Servants (NAWCS). The two unions united as the Clerical and Administrative Workers Union in 1940. Following the amalgamation, one of Godwin's responsibilities as Assistant General Secretary was to edit the union's journal, The Clerk.
Godwin was the fourth woman to head a major British union -- the TUC (1961-62) -- following Margaret Bondfield
, Anne Loughlin
and Florence Hancock. Between 1966-70, Godwin served as a member of the Public Schools Commission, which was set up to consider the future of Britain's independent schools.
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
Anne Godwin (1897–1992) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
trade unionist.
Born in 1897 in Farncombe, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
as Beatrice Anne Godwin, the daughter of a draper, she attended the British School, Bridge Road, Godalming
Godalming
Godalming is a town and civil parish in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, south of Guildford. It is built on the banks of the River Wey and is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt. Godalming shares a three-way twinning arrangement with the towns of Joigny in France...
, until age 16, when she left school to start working as a counting house clerk in the West End of London.
In 1916 she moved to the Army Pay Office as a civilian clerk. Her pay was 16s per week.Some of the women working at the office organised to unsuccessfully request a higher salary from the Army Paymaster. Moving to an engineering office in 1920, she joined the Association of Women Clerks and Secretaries (AWCS). By 1928 she was a union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
organiser; at that time most temporary women civil servants were AWCS members until they were made permanent in 1930 and were required to join the National Association of Women Civil Servants (NAWCS). The two unions united as the Clerical and Administrative Workers Union in 1940. Following the amalgamation, one of Godwin's responsibilities as Assistant General Secretary was to edit the union's journal, The Clerk.
Godwin was the fourth woman to head a major British union -- the TUC (1961-62) -- following Margaret Bondfield
Margaret Bondfield
Margaret Grace Bondfield was an English Labour politician and feminist, the first woman Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom and one of the first three female Labour MPs...
, Anne Loughlin
Anne Loughlin
Dame Anne Loughlin, DBE was a British labour activist and organiser.Loughlin was born in Leeds, England. Her father, Thomas, was a boot and shoe operative of Irish descent. When Anne was 12 her mother died, and she had to care for her four sisters...
and Florence Hancock. Between 1966-70, Godwin served as a member of the Public Schools Commission, which was set up to consider the future of Britain's independent schools.
Honours
In 1962 Godwin was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.