Worker of the Week is a series of blog posts which highlights the workers at H.M. Factory Gretna that our volunteers researched for The Miracle Workers Project. This project aimed to centralise all of the 30,000 people who worked at Gretna during World War One and, although it may be over, our amazing research volunteers are continuing to uncover more stories about H.M. Factory Gretna workers to be added to this database. We are always looking to learn more about H.M. Factory Gretna workers. If you know anything about a H.M. Factory Gretna worker please feel free to get in touch with us by contacting info@devilsporridge.org.uk   A huge thank you to all our amazing research volunteers for continuing to make this possible.

This week’s Worker of the Week is Maria Armstrong, who once had too much to drink during her time working at H.M. Factory Gretna.

Early Life

• Firstly, on 23rd April 1879 Maria was born in Carlisle.
• Her parents were Christopher and Isabella Armstrong.
• Maria was one of eight children, although only six survived.

• According to census records the family lived in Botchergate, Carlisle in 1881 and Maria’s father, Christopher, worked as a printer compositor.
• Following this, the family had moved to Hexham by 1891. At this point Christopher worked as a printer and stationer.

• Census records show us that the family continued to live in Hexham.
• However, by the 1911 census Isabella is described as a widow.
• Meanwhile, Maria is working as a Stationer, similarly to her father in years gone past.

Time at H.M. Factory Gretna

• After this, that we have found a record of a Maria Armstrong working as a munition worker at H.M. Factory Gretna.*
• Is this the same Maria? What do you think?

• Although we don’t know exactly when this Maria started at the factory we do know that she was working there in January 1917.
• This is because she appears in the local newspaper in court at Dumfries, after having too much to drink.
• Seemingly:

“Maria Armstrong, a munition worker, pleaded guilty to committing breach of the peace.”

– The Dumfries and Galloway Standard newspaper, Wednesday 17th January 1917. [1]

• Now, it is important to note that we don’t have too much information about Maria Armstrong and it’s hard to know the full context of what led to this situation.
• According to the newspaper it took place in one of the factory hostels, which seemingly Maria would have been staying at during this time.

• However, according to the report in the Dumfries and Galloway Standard, Maria Armstrong…

“was the worse of drink and used very threatening language towards the matron.”

– The Dumfries and Galloway Standard newspaper.[1]

• From what the newspaper report suggests this “threatening language” appears to have been violent threats concerning murdering the matron.
• Naturally, this behaviour wasn’t something that wouldn’t go unpunished.
• Ultimately, Maria Armstrong was given a £3 fine or “the alternative of fourteen days’ imprisonment.” [1]
• According to the bank of England inflation calculator, this would be equivalent to aproximatly £182.32 as of February 2026. [5]

Messroom inside a Hostel.

• Hostel matrons were supposed to look after those who lived in the hostel.
• One example of a hostel matron that we know more about is Christina Muddie Thom. [2]
• Significantly, we have no evidence to suggest that Christina was the matron who was threatened in this instance though.

We don’t know which hostel this happened in.  Many of the hostels were named after well-know people, like the one shown above.

• Additionally this case led…

“The Sheriff said they must put a stop to this disgraceful conduct.”

– The Dumfries and Galloway Standard. [1]

Another ‘Threatening’ Incident at the Factory

• Indeed, this was not the first threatening incident that a happened at the factory.
• Notably, James Cecil Wallace Auld [4] and Robert Wotherspoon [3] were threatened with a knife in a local cemetery after this in May 1917.
• However, neither Maria Armstorng or any hostel matrons appear to have been involved in this incident.

Life After the Factory

• In 1939, we have found a census record showing a Maria Armstrong went to live with her sister in Hexham.
• By this point she is described as a retired stationer.

• Unfortunately, we don’t know much more about Maria Armstrong.
• Do you know more about Maria or anyone else who worked at H.M. Factory Gretna? We would love to hear from you! Find out how to get in touch at the end of this blog.

Sources and Further Reading

1. “Woman Munition Worker Fined,” Wednesday  17th January 1917, The Dumfries and Galloway Standard newspaper.
2. Worker of the Week: Christina Muddie Thom –  www.devilsporridge.org.uk/worker-of-the-week-christina-muddie-thom
3. Worker of the Week: Robert Wotherspoon – www.devilsporridge.org.uk/worker-of-the-week-robert-wotherspoon
4. Worker of the Week: James Auld – www.devilsporridge.org.uk/worker-of-the-week-james-auld
5. The Bank of England Inflation Calculator – www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator

Find Maria Armstrong’s online database entry by clicking here>

*Although, the factory was named H.M. Factory Gretna by the government at the time, it is important to note that the rural site actually went from Dornock in Scotland to Longtown in England. It’s namesake, Gretna (not to confused with separate Gretna Green, which already existed prior to this) and Eastriggs were the two townships built to house and facilitate the influx of people who came to work at the munitions factory during World War One. Both these townships played a vital role to the factory and would have been an integral part in the lives of many of those who worked there.

Do you have a relative who worked at H.M. Factory Gretna? We would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us by emailing info@devilsporridge.org.uk. You never know maybe your relative could feature in a future Worker of the Week blog post! You can also have a look at some more H.M. Factory Gretna workers on our online database here>

Worker of the Week is a series of blog posts which highlights the workers at H.M. Factory Gretna that our volunteers researched for The Miracle Workers Project. This project aimed to centralise all of the 30,000 people who worked at Gretna during World War One and, although it may be over, our amazing research volunteers are continuing to uncover more stories about H.M. Factory Gretna workers to be added to this database. We are always looking to learn more about H.M. Factory Gretna workers. If you know anything about a H.M. Factory Gretna worker please feel free to get in touch with us by contacting info@devilsporridge.org.uk  

This week’s Worker of the Week is Annie Corrin. A huge thank you to Annie’s granddaughters for their kind assistance with our research project and another thank you to all our research volunteers!

Early Life

• Firstly, Annie  Woods was born on 1st April 1897  in Port St.Mary, Isle of Man.
• At this point, Annie was the youngest of five children.
• Her parents were Richard Wilkinson Woods and Ann Jane Radcliffe.
• Additionally, her father, Richard, worked as a miner.

Time at H.M. Factory Gretna

• When Annie was 19 she left the Isle of Man to go and work at H.M. Factory Gretna.
• Although, the government at the time chose to call the factory H.M. Factory Gretna, it is worth noting that the rural site of the factory ran from Dornock to Longtown. Additionally, the two townships of Eastriggs and Gretna were built to serve and facilitate those who worked there.

According to an interview with Annie about her time at the factory [2]:

• Originally, she stayed in the Central Hotel in Carlisle (now demolished) as this used to house munition workers.
• After this hotel becoming a hospital for the wounded, the munitions workers living there were sent to live in hostels in Gretna.
• Many of the factory hostels were named after famous people, such as the Florence Nightingale Hostel where Annie then lived.
• Below is a photo of inside of a hostel. Could where Annie stayed have looked like this?

• At the start, Annie worked at the Cordite section of the factory.
• Here:

“Her job was to separate large trays of cordite, by taking a handful and smashing the end, to separate the strands the strands. The strands were then put into boxes… and weighed.”

Interview with Mrs Annie Corrin, Stranraer Museum Gretna Girls Booklet, E. Ritchie [2]

• After this, the boxes were sealed with lids.
• To do this work she was provided with a “mop cap, tunic and trousers.” [2]

• Next, Annie changed to working at the loading sheds outside.
• Here she loaded boxes of cordite onto a tuck.
• After this she would have:

“pushed these trucks outside on rail tracks, for about a mile to another shed.”

Interview with Mrs Annie Corrin, Stranraer Museum Gretna Girls Booklet, E. Ritchie [2]

• Notably, she is recorded as not knowing what happened inside the sheds, but:

“does remember there were usually a couple of girls lying outside in what appeared to be a drunken state, caused by exposure to cordite.”

Interview with Mrs Annie Corrin, Stranraer Museum Gretna Girls Booklet, E. Ritchie [2]

• Consequently, she was given “oilskin coat and sou’wester hat” [2] for working outside. Could this be what she is wearing in the photo below? What do you think?

• Additionally, a man called Geordie appears to have given the munitions workers some direction on the best way to load the trucks.

Life After the Factory

• Next, near the start of 1919 Annie returned to the Isle of Man.

Charles and Annie Corrin. This photo was kindly shared with us by their granddaughters. A huge thank you to them.

• On the 5th November 1921 Annie married Charles Corrin.
• Following this, they went on to have three children.

• Lastly, Annie died in March 1993.

Sources and Further Reading

1. Annie Corrin – https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/annie-corrin-gretna-girl
2. Interview with Mrs Annie Corrin, Isle of Man (Aged 88) from Stranraer Museum The Gretna Girls booklet, E. Ritchie produced as result of Falkirk and Stranraer Museum Services joint exhibition “Women at War.”

Read Annie Corrin’s online database entry by clicking here>

Do you have a relative who worked at H.M. Factory Gretna? We would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us by emailing info@devilsporridge.org.uk. You never know, maybe your relative feature in a future Worker of the Week blog post! You can also have a look at some more H.M. Factory Gretna workers on our online database here>

Worker of the Week is a series of blog posts which highlights the workers at H.M. Factory Gretna that our volunteers researched for The Miracle Workers Project. This project aimed to centralise all of the 30,000 people who worked at Gretna during World War One and, although it may be over, our amazing research volunteers are continuing to uncover more stories about H.M. Factory Gretna workers to be added to this database. We are always looking to learn more about H.M. Factory Gretna workers. If you know anything about a H.M. Factory Gretna worker please feel free to get in touch with us by contacting info@devilsporridge.org.uk  As always a huge thank you goes to all our awesome research volunteers! 

This week’s Worker of the Week, is Reginald Keen, who you can read more about below.

Early Life

• On the 4th June 1889, Reginald was born in Meare, Somerset.
• Notably, he had seven siblings including a twin sister.
• His parents were Robert John Kelway Keen and Emily Rachel Burrough.
• According to census records his father was a farmer.

Time at H.M. Factory Gretna

• During World War One, we know that Reginald worked as a Fireman at H.M. Factory Gretna.
• How do we know this? Well, he appears on a photo kindly shared by relative of fellow factory worker Wilfred Edmonson. [1]
• This photo was taken in April 1918 according to the information on the back, so it seems as though Reginald must have been working at the factory from at least that point.
• Additionally, it was taken in Frank Holbrook, Alexander Studios, Dumfries and Annan.

Photo kindly donated by Wilfred Edmondson’s relative. [1] Wilfred is on the far right of this photo.

• In the photo above, Reginald is sat fourth from the left in the front row.

Farmer and Fireman

• Notably,  Reginald is the only munition worker described with another occupation in addition to working at the factory on the photo.
• This reads “Reginald Keen (farmer) fireman.”
• If you fancy leaning more about Firefighting at the factory and the fire stations in the two town townships built for it (these were Eastriggs and Gretna with the rural factory site running from Dornock to Longtown) we can recommend watching a recording of an online talk about this on our You Tube. [3]

Photo kindly donated by Wilfred Edmondson’s relative. [1]

• Interestingly, when conscription was introduced in 1916 during World War One, farming was considered to be a reserved occupation, as it was thought to be essential for the war effort.[3]
• However, it is highly likely that Reginald would have had to apply for an exception certificate on the grounds of his work to qualify for this, but we have found no evidence to suggest that he ever did so far. [4]
• Also, it doesn’t seem to have been unusual for farm labours to be conscripted. [5]

• Indeed, Bonnie White’s article concerning the impact of the war on a neighbouring county, highlights the impact this had on agriculture and cited a 1923 study by T. H. Middleton, which “estimated that between August 1914 and April 1918 approximately 273,000 men between the ages of 18 and 41 left agriculture for military service or munitions work.” [6]
• Could Reginald have been one of these? What do you think?

Marriage

• Following this, we know Reginald did indeed return to Somerset and farming.
• In fact, he married Amy Look in the Wells district on the region in 1919.
• Reginald and Amy went on to have two children.
• Both of these appear to have gone on to become farmers.

Later Life

• Later it seems that Reginald was living in Weston-Super-Mare.
• Lastly, Reginald died in July 1955.

Sources and Further Reading

1. Worker of the Week: Wilfred Edmondson – https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/worker-of-the-week-wilfred-manson-edmondson
2. Nearly a decade! Fires and Firefighting at H.M. Factory Gretna YouTube online talk recording. – https://youtu.be/TrKHKzIKztA?si=cdFefSFOOiaBREpF
3. World War One: Military Service Tribunals and Those Who Did Not Fight, 9th November 2014, BBC News – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-29954113
4. WW1 – Applications for Exemption from Service website, Thornbury Roots in Partnership with Thornbry and District Museum  – https://www.thornburyroots.co.uk/war/ww1-exemptions-a-m/
5. World War One – Agriculture and Industry, Historic UK website – https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/World-War-One-Agriculture-Industry/
6. Feeding the war effort: Agricultural experiences in First World War Devon, 1914–17 by Bonnie White, page 95 – 95. (Quote cited in this essay as T. H. Middleton, Food production in war (1923), p. 266). An extract can be found on the British Agricultural History Society’s website as a PDF – https://bahs.org.uk/AGHR/ARTICLES/58_1_5_White.pdf

Find Reginald Keen’s Miracle Worker’s Database Entry here>

Do you have a relative who worked at H.M. Factory Gretna? We would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us by emailing info@devilsporridge.org.uk. You never know maybe your relative could feature in a future Worker of the Week blog post! You can also have a look at some more H.M. Factory Gretna workers on our online database here>

Worker of the Week is a series of blog posts which highlights the workers at H.M. Factory Gretna that our volunteers researched for The Miracle Workers Project. This project aimed to centralise all of the 30,000 people who worked at Gretna during World War One and, although it may be over, our amazing research volunteers are continuing to uncover more stories about H.M. Factory Gretna workers to be added to this database. We are always looking to learn more about H.M. Factory Gretna workers. If you know anything about a H.M. Factory Gretna worker please feel free to get in touch with us by contacting info@devilsporridge.org.uk  

This week’s Worker of the Week, is Lily Bruce, who features in a group photograph of munitions workers at the factory. Keep reading to find out more about Lily’s life.

Early Life

• On 28th March 1901 Lily was born in Cordon, Durham.
• In total, Lily appears to have had 10 siblings.
• Additionally, her parents were Thomas and Emma Bruce.
• According to the 1911 census, Thomas was a miner.

Life at H.M. Factory Gretna

• Although, we don’t know exactly when Lily would have started working at the factory, it seems that she would have been a munitions worker.
• This is because she appears in a photograph of a group of munitions workers who worked there.
• Information on the back of the photo suggests that she could have been part of the “Cotton Prep Dept.  A Shift.”

• Interestingly, there are many more names of munitions workers also on the back of this photo.
• For instance, the back of the photo suggests that Maud Bruce (of no relation to Lily) is sat in third row, 4th from the left.
• We know Maud Bruce definitely worked at H.M Factory Gretna and even was awarded a medal for her bravery during her time working there. [1] [2]
• Additionally, we have other photos of Maud Bruce. Do you think the two photos below look like the same person?

• Meanwhile, Lily is described as being the second from the right in the first row of the photo.

• Unfortunately, we don’t have any more information about Lily’s time working at H.M. Factory Gretna.
• We don’t have a comprehensive list of everyone who worked at H.M. Factory Gretna and sometimes all the evidence we have is a name on the back of a photograph… What do you think of this source?
• Ideally, a relative of Lily’s might come across this blog post and kindly get in touch with us (or someone might come along and loan us a time machine), until then this is the information we have found about Lily Bruce…

Marriages and More

• After her time working at the factory, Lily seems to have returned to Durham.
• This is because she married there!
• More specifically, it appears that Lily married in Auckland, Durham in September 1927 to James Henry Lee.
• Following this, James and Lily had three children all born in the Durham area.

• Sadly, in March 1933 James passed away.
• In June of that same year James and Lily’s last child was born.

• It seems that Lily and her children continued to live in the Durham area.
• Similarly, Emma, Lily’s mother lived there right up to her death in 1962.

• However, prior to that Lily married again.
• On 9th September 1950 Lily appears to have married Henry Kipling in Durham.
• We’ve also found that their wedding was witnessed by Robinson and Sarah Kell.
• Additionally, their vicar was Hector Stanley Horobin.

• Lastly, Lily died on the 7th February 1971.

Sources and Further Information

1. The Marvellous Miss Maud: From Gretna Girl to Aycliffe Angle. – https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/the-marvelous-miss-maud-from-gretna-girl-to-aycliffe-angel
2.  Maud Bruce Online Database Entry – https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/hm-factory-gretna-workers-database/name/maud-bruce

Find Lily Bruce’s online database entry by clicking here>

Do you have a relative who worked at H.M. Factory Gretna? We would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us by emailing info@devilsporridge.org.uk. You never know maybe your relative could feature in a future Worker of the Week blog post! You can also have a look at some more H.M. Factory Gretna workers on our online database here>