Former Student, Edith Lord, dies aged 101.

Centenarian and former student Edith Lord died in December 2019 aged 101 years old. A reflection on her life and how the Rossendale Valley has changed during her life was published in the Rossendale Free Press and can be accessed here.

Edith was born on April Fools' Day 1918 and was the youngest of five children.  She attended St Mary's School in Rawtenstall, walking over a mile through farmland and across level crossings and trams in Rawtenstall before winning a scholarship to BRGS.  At the time, many children were in employment at the age of 14 but Edith was able to sit her exams and then embark on a career.  She became the first woman to be employed in Rawtenstall Town Hall.  Edith enrolled as a student nurse around the time of the Second World War but then had to resign when she married her husband in 1947 as married women could not be employed as nurses.  Edith then worked in her husband's shop, P. Lord and Sons Ltd. and became director of the company.  She became Director at Rushbank Holdings Ltd and continued as a working director and company secretary until retiring at the age of 94 after working for 78 years. Outside of work, music played a prominent part in Edith's life as a member of the Rossendale Ladies' Choir and as an organist at Waterbarn Baptist Church.

Photo courtesy of the Rossendale Free Press.