Margaret Winifred Vowles

Margaret Winifred Vowles (née Pearce) (b. 4 January 1882, Gloucester – d. 4 March 1932, Kingston^[1]) was an English author on science.

Margaret Winifred Vowles, née Pearce

Parentage

She was the daughter of Francis Tring Pearce (16/3/1846 - 19/5/35) and Martha Allen of Lorraine House, Gloucester, England. FT Pearce was a director of Priday, Metford and Company Limited millers of Gloucester and he was the son of Maria Tring (died 19/10/1853) and Thomas Pearce (died 13/1/1895). Thomas Pearce owned a Chemist at 134 Westgate Street, Gloucester from 1841-1870^[2]. Thomas Pearce was the son of Joseph Pearce (died 7/7/1847 at Birlingham, Worcestershire, a "yeoman").

Her maternal grandfather was Henry Allen who was Mayor of Gloucester in 1873.

Education

She took a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of London for which she studied at Cheltenham Ladies' College. She became a member of the History of Science Society and the Women's Engineering Society. Prior to her death she had been living in Wimbledon for two years and was a member of the local branch of the Women Citizen's Association. She published one book and a number of articles on science with her husband Hugh Pembroke Vowles.

Margaret Winifred Vowles, née Pearce

Golf

She was a keen golfer and played for both Gloucestershire and Glamorganshire. Her golfing achievements included winning the Midland Counties' Championship and the Radyr Ladies' Cup competition. Whilst living in Wales, she won the latter competition and set a course record. Whilst playing for the Glamorgan County Ladies' Club she won the County Cup and the Coronation Medal.

Siblings

She was member of the Pearce family who co-owned Priday, Metford and Company Limited for six generations.

Her siblings were:

• Charlotte Mary Pearce (17/7/1872 - 24/10/1948) married Hubert Cecil Booth, inventor of the powered vacuum cleaner
• Henry Allen Pearce (15/10/1873 - 12/11/1931) married Mary Yeoman Hardinge Vowles (1879–1960) In the 1901 census, Henry Allen Pearce is noted as a miller.
• Francis Thomas Pearce (10/5/1875 - 17/2/1964) married Rose Marianne Parmenter
• Helen Marion Louisa Pearce (18/1/1877 - 7/11/1961) married Dr John Pottinger emigrated from England to New Zealand
• Herbert Elliott Pearce (3/2/1880 - 14/3/1957) was injured with the Royal Flying Corps in the first world war and later owned the "Hobday and co" ironmonger store in Pimlico, on the corner of Moreton and Tachbrook streets. He also published two books on poetry^[3][4].
• Margaret Winifred Pearce (4/1/1882 - 4/3/1932)
• Edward Oscar Pearce (12/9/1885 - 31/8/1963)awarded a Order of the British Empire (military) in 1919 whilst a Captain (acting Major) in the Royal Engineers. He is thought to have been a civil engineer and to have lived in India for a long while, retiring back to England.

Publications

• The Quest for Power (Chapman and Hall, London, 1931 book published with Hugh Pembroke Vowles)
• Science and Industrial Insanity. Article published with Hugh Vowles. Date uncertain.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=vOy1O5P53igxEE0JJve7FQ&scan=1. Retrieved 9 July 2010. 
2. ^ From a letter of 1978 by BJ Drake: 134 Westgate street "would be present no. 58, the Gloucester Handicap Shop on the corner of College street. But the building itself was demolished in 1890 when College Street was widened and the Gresham (now Lamprey) hotel built. In the time of Thomas Pearce College Street came between no.s 132/131; No. 131 is now No. 60 part of H. Young Tailors
3. ^ Humorous verse and stories in rhyme, Albert E Smith, Gloucester 1957
4. ^ Poems and Rhymes, Arthur H Stockwell, 1953
5. ^ "Obituary". Citizen Newspaper of Gloucester. 8 March 1932. 

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Name	Vowles, Margaret Winifred
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