Sheffield Evening Telegraph – Wednesday 11 January 1939

Busy Thurnscoe Woman

Few people can have had the distinction of serving on two municipal authorities at one time, but that was the experience of Mrs. Bertha Spencer, of Lidgett Lane, Thurnscoe, a few years ago.

As an Independent representative, she became the first woman member of the former Bolton-on- Dearne Urban Council, but before her three-year term of office expired she moved to Thurnscoe, and there, in her first contest, she topped the poll, to become also the first woman member of Thurnscoe Urban Council.

At that time she still had three months to serve at Bolton. For three years she was also a member of two school governing bodies, the Mexborough Secondary School and Wath Grammar School respectively, and although she is no longer a member of those authorities her active interest in educational matters he maintained my membership of the Dearne education committee, to which she is elected as a County Council representative

Work For Hospital

But amongst many interests which she holds throughout the district, perhaps the greatest is that in the Montagu Hospital. For 21 years Mrs. Spencer has been a member of the Ladies’ Committee, and during the past year she has served as a ladies’ representative on the Management Board and on the House and Finance Committees. She is also responsible for considerable collections at the Thurnscoe end of the district.

For 10 years also, Mrs. Spencer has been a county nominee on the local Child Welfare Clinic, and recently she became the district representative on the Women’s Committee of the Mexborough Employment body, which is concerned with the placing of female labour.

Music Her Hobby

Mrs. Spencer is also well known as a prominent worker on behalf of St. Hilda’s Church, and is a member of the Church Council. She supervises the feeding of 70 schoolchildren each day in the Church Hall. Despite all these activities, Mrs. Spencer also finds time to assist a variety of other causes, and is president of the local N.S.P.C.C. branch, and treasurer for two unemployed movements.

Yes, it is a busy life, but she also has a hobby!

It is music. She is member of the Evening Institute Choral Class. She was also a founder member of the Dearne Choral Union, which formerly was a widely-known organisation