Millicent Wilhelmina Scharina

To search our directory of workers at HM Factory Gretna either enter any name, place of birth or place of death in the search box or if you know what their job was from select from the drop-down menu.

Go back to directory.

Member of the Women’s Police Service

Birthplace London Charlton Place of Death Troon Date of Birth: July 16, 1882 Date of Death: November 18, 1970

Biography

Information supplied through Research Project led by Nigel Crompton.

Name: Millicent Wilhelmina Scharina
DoB: 16 July 1882
Place of birth: Charlton/ Woolwich, London
Parents: Wilhelm Edward Herrmann & Janet (nee McKay)
Parental Home: 1880’s – 4 Delafield Road, Charlton, London
Siblings: Margaret Clara (1880-1957), Marion Alice (1885-1931), Archibald McKay (1884-1885), Hermann McKay (1889-1942)
Spouse: Stuart Bell
Date of Wedding: 21 September 1928
Children: None identified
Marital home(s): 27 Bentinck Drive, Troon
Employment: Stenographer
1911 Census: Living at home: Mount Park, Victoria Road, Gourock, Scotland
Date of death: 18 November 1970
Location: 27 Bentinck Drive, Troon

Gretna details
Name: Millicent Wilhelmina Scharina
Clock No
Date joining: Not confirmed
Date leaving:Not confirmed
Addresses: Women’s Police Barracks, Eastriggs
Rank on start: PC
Promotion: None confirmed
Career after: Private Secretary
1921 Census: 23 Bentinck Street, Kelvingrove, Glasgow

Addresses after Gretna:
1921 – 23 Bentinck Street, Kelvingrove, Glasgow
1925 – 14 Crown Gardens, Hillhead, Glasgow
1928 – 5 Buckingham Terrace, Glasgow
1970 – 27 Bentinck Drive, Troon

Additional information

Millicent was born in Charlton, although the registration district was Woolwich South London in 1882 into the family of Wilhelm & Janet Scharina where she had 4 siblings. Wilhelm, a German national, was an electrical engineer and inventor, working on a number of projects. At some stage, the family moved to Scotland quite probably due to Wilhelm’s work. He was now employed by Siemen’s organizing the wiring onboard new vessels being constructed on the Clyde. In 1897, Wilhelm and his children took out British citizenship, their naturalization documents shown below. Janet, his wife, did not need to as already a British Subject. The 1911 Scottish census shows Millicent employed as a Stenographer, still living at home. At what stage she joined the police during the Great War has not been found, neither do we know if she joined at the same time as her sister Margaret Clara, who on occasions dropped her first name. Both served at Gretna and lived in the Women’s Police Barracks, Eastriggs. Whilst later documents indicate Millicent working as a secretary, it is not known if directly after the war she followed her sister, Clara, into policework prior to being a secretary. She did not marry until late in life (46 years old) and lived in Troon with her husband Stuart, passing away at home on 18 November 1970 in her 88th year. Stuart had died in 1952 aged 82. Served at Gretna with her sister, Margaret Clara Scharina

For other details relating to Millicent’s brother’s Great War service & her father, see Clara’s record.