Info about women caving before World War 2

[dudley bug]

E.A.Baker was also a friend of Dr Cotes/Coote (not sure where dudley bug got the name Gwendolen from), who took photographs in Dan-yr-Ogof in August 1937 and was then invited to accompany him the following month

Just having a good search through some old records, her letters are signed Gwendolen K G Coote. From looking at the correspondence her visits appear to be confined to 1937.

 

[mikem]

During the summer Mr. T. A. Morgan's old enthusiasm blazed out. Using a two-man boat of wood and canvas with side air chambers, he and Miss Coote and Mr. Ashford Price crossed the Coracle Pool. It must be recorded that Dr. Coote swam the whole way back.

http://www.yrc.org.uk/yrcweb/index.php/journal/vols6-11/77-vol7-cat/no23/426-v7n23p.52

3 trips listed for her in May & Sept 1937:
http://www.yrc.org.uk/yrcweb/index.php/journal/vols6-11/77-vol7-cat/no23/422-v7n23p79

Mike

 

[mrodoc]

I have just remembered AliM's mother, Winifred Hooper. Winifred's Wriggle in Baker's Pit is named after her.

 

[andybrooks]

While not within the requested time period, let's not forget the brave young ladies who accompanied Bob Leakey on his early Mossdale explorations in 1940-41.

 

[Jenny P]

The photographic albums of the Rev. George Black include photographs of the lady who afterwards became his wife (Agnes?) caving with him before the 2nd. World War.  He also refers to her in the chapter of his memoirs relating to his caving exploits.  In some of the photos she is wearing, not a helmet, but a "pixie hood", such as little girls wore! 

This material is online via the British Caving Library website caving-library.org.uk where the photo albums and the memoir are digitised as part of the BCRA Archives.

Note also that the BSA Conference held in Swansea in August 1939, which was attended by Rev. Black and his then fianc?e, made arrangements for accommodation for men and women in separate dormitories at Swansea University.  So there must have been a number of ladies expected.

 

[mikem]

Oliver Wells mentions Winifred Cooper on page 8:
https://nsscds.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/UWS_Vol_15_004.pdf

Mike

 

[robjones]

Barrington & Stanton "Mendip: the complete caves", 3rd ed, 1977, includes an early C20 photo of a woman in an underground group photo, if I recall correctly. Can't remember if she is named though...

 

[mikem]

I guess you mean the Edwardian looking pic in Goatchurch, although being virtually a showcave it could be anybody...

I also found these from US:
https://burgewords.com/tag/women-cave-explorers/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Caverns
http://members.socket.net/~joschaper/luella.html

Mike

 

[andybrooks]

In his  book "A Glimmering in Darkness", Graham Balcombe states in reference to operations in 1934: "My sister, Phyllis, was no mean caver and had had many exploits on Mendip; I think she was one of the first to do Swildon's without ladders."

 

[robjones]

Just i n case you miss it, this thread notes a woman involved in exploring the newly found Ogof Pwll Swnd in south Wales in 1939:

https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=21692.0;topicseen

 

[rhychydwr1]

A couple more names:

Ruth Johnson who later married  Hywel Murrell and Mary Hall.

A "Ladies Day" was organised, c 1936  to free dive sump 1 in Swildon's.
re: Wookey  Hole 75 years of Cave Diving & Exploration page 25 

 

[RobinGriffiths]

Hi Tony,

I suspect you may have left some punctuation out there, or it might have been some special arrangement.

Robin

 

[rhychydwr1]

Hi Tony,

I suspect you may have left some punctuation out there, or it might have been some special arrangement.

Robin

Correct Hywel did not marry both of them.  Thanks 

 

[moletta]

Sorry I haven't replied -I've been away. Thanks for all the input.

Still no stories about peoples grandmothers etc. Did they put their offspring off?