Old records mostly wrote about men: kings, lords and priests. That doesn't mean women weren't here! These are women connected to Redbridge that we know about. Can you find out about more?
T
Lady Tillotson
Had a house built
Valentines Mansion was built for her in 1696. She was the widow of John Tillotson, Archbishop of Canterbury.
HK
Harriet Kerr
1859–1940
Born here
Born in Wanstead in 1859. She was a suffragette and the office manager of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU).
LF
Lynn Fontanne
1887–1983
Born here
An actress, born in 1887 in what is now Woodford. Her first acting training was from Ellen Terry. With her husband Alfred Lunt she starred on Broadway and in the West End; they were known as 'The Lunts'.
LS
Lydia Sokolova
1896–1974
Born here
A ballerina, born in Wanstead as Hilda Tansley Munnings. She danced with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes from 1913 to 1929.
RP
Ruth Pitter
1897–1992
Born here
A poet, born in Ilford in 1897. In 1955 she was the first woman to receive the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry.
KR
Kathleen Raine
1908–2003
Born here
A poet who was born in Ilford and spent her early years there.
DL
Denise Levertov
1923–1997
Born here
A poet who was born in Ilford and spent her early years there.
MS
Maggie Smith
1934–2024
Born here
An actress, born in Ilford in 1934. She won two Academy Awards and played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films.