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Lucy Maud Polmen
Member of the Women’s Police ServiceBiography
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): Lucy Maud Polman
Gender: Female
Date and Place of Birth: 16th April 1877, Walmer, Kent
Date and Place of Death: 1952, St Albans, Hertfordshire
Nationality: British
Childhood: She had five siblings, 1 sister and 4 brothers.
Parents: George & Jane (nee Peckham)
Parent’s occupations: George Polman was a career soldier, serving in the Royal Marines.
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/K
Occupation: Dressmaker
Place of residence at Gretna: Women’s Police Barracks No2, Gretna
Job title at Gretna: Police Constable
Marital status: Never married.
Children: None known.
Travels: N/K
Awards/recognitions: N/K
Trivia / any other information:
George Polman was a career soldier, serving in the Royal Marines. He had joined up in 1861, aged 19.
On the 18th June 1868, George married Jane Peckham in Alverstoke, Gosport, Hampshire. George and Jane were blessed with seven children but unfortunately only six have been positively identified.
George was required to serve at different military establishments and it was whilst at Deal Royal Marine Depot near Walmer, Kent that on 16 April 1877 Lucy was born. George left the marines in 1882 after 21 years service and the family moved to St Albans in Hertfordshire.
On the 1891 census, Lucy’s status was given as ‘pupil teacher’.
Ten years later, aged 22, Lucy is now a self employed dress maker. She was still in St Albans and a dressmaker at the time of the 1911 census. Her father, George senior, was the caretaker of the County Museum whilst her brother, George junior, was pursuing a career in the Royal Marines; following in dad’s footsteps.
It is not known when Lucy joined the Women Police Service or moved north to Gretna but her name appears on the 1918 petition to the Minister of Munitions, Winston Churchill and the 1918-1919 valuation roll for HM Factory, Gretna. She lived in Women’s Police Barracks, No 2 at Gretna.
Lucy’s father died in early 1921 by which time she was living on Marlborough Road in St Albans, having returned to her previous occupation of dressmaking. She remained as dressmaker, living with her sister Sarah at 8 Cornwall Road still in St Albans at the time of the 1939 registration, having never married.
Lucy passed away during the second quarter of 1952.
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