Eliza Gertrude Waters

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Member of the Women’s Police Service

Date of Birth: March 18, 1889 Date of Death: September 23, 1977

Biography

Information supplied through Research Project led by Nigel Crompton.

Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Eliza Gertrude Waters

Gender: Female

Date and Place of Birth: 18th March 1889, Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Date and Place of Death: 23 September 1977, Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Nationality: British

Childhood: She had 8 siblings.

Parents: Edward William & Anne Frances Sophia (nee Hulbert)

Parent’s occupations: Edward was by profession a carpenter and joiner.

Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/K

Occupation: Prison Officer

Place of residence at Gretna: Women’s Police Barracks, Eastriggs

Job title at Gretna: Police Constable

Marital status: Married Francis Frederick Curtiss in 1938.

Children: Step children.

Travels: N/K

Awards/recognitions: N/K

Trivia / any other information:

Eliza was the second child of Edward and Ann Waters who lived at 2 Thomas Street in Cirencester in Gloucestershire. Edward was by profession a carpenter and joiner. The couple had nine children. She was born on 18 March 1889.

The 1911 census indicates, Eliza had been employed a servant in the household of Col. Walter Childe Alers Hankey at 3 Bramham Gardens, Brompton, London. He was from a wealthy family and had the rank of Colonel in the Sussex Artillery and commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment.

The ‘Pioneer Policewoman’ by Mary S Allen shows Eliza going to Gretna in 1916 early 1917. She appears to have stayed in the barracks at Eastriggs for all the time she was at HM Factory, Gretna. Her name is on the 1918 petition to the Minister of Munitions and electoral roll for 1918-1919.

She remained as a police officer until 1919 when it seems she joined the prison service at HM Prison, Holloway in North London.Eliza quite often only used her middle name Gertrude during her career in the prison service and at Gretna.

For many years she lived in the accommodation provided for prison staff on Camden Road near the Prison.

It has not been possible to confirm when she retired from Holloway Prison but in 1938 she married Francis Curtiss in Warminster, Wiltshire living at 41 Market Place in the town. This is believed to be ‘The Three Horseshoes’ as Francis was the manager/ owner.

In later life Eliza moved back to Cirencester, living at 59 Melmore Gardens. On 23 September 1977 she passed away aged 86.

References

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