MARY BEATRICE DAVIES ,CBC, MBE, (nee DAVIES), DIRECTOR, SOCIAL SERVICES DEPT:., Manchester England, UK.

Aunt Mary, 1920s, on post card to the Aunt Bea

Tom Armitage Mary Beatrice Davies husband at Copehale 1970s

Mrs Mary Beatrice Armitage (nee Davies), born in Manchester, England, United Kingdom, on 2ND January, 1920. She died on 6th January 1985. It seems a travesty that a lovely woman -died. She is much loved and will always be loved and remembered by all her friends and her family including her extended family members.

BRIGHT, DILIGENT AND PROFESSIONAL.

Mary Beatrice was the sister of my husband Roderick W. Ramage's mother Effie Hilda Ramage nee Davies.

"Aunt Mary" as she was called lived a diligent, hard-working single professional woman's life until she was in her sixties. Her whole life was dedicated to social services work, from the day she graduated to the day she retired as the Director of the Social Services Department in Sheffield, England, UK.

Myself, I have always had enormous respect and huge admiration for this brave and diligent lady, Mary Beatrice, as a woman, as a single young female graduate; for dedicating her whole life to social services in her capacity as a fully qualified social worker; for her unswerving dedication to children in her care.

She is my hero and a most fitting example to ALL WOMEN IN THE WORLD, BECAUSE SHE STUDIED HARD, READ FOR A DEGREE IN "SOCIAL CARE AND ADMINISTRATION" AT MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY, GAINED HER SOCIAL WORK DEGREE AND LATER GAINED HER LICENCE TO PRACTICE AS A QUALIFIED AND RECOGNISED PROFESSIONAL FEMALE SOCIAL WORKER.

Mary Beatrice made steady progress in her career by dint of dedicated hard work.

For almost all of her adult life, Mary Beatrice lived alone, but not far from the home of her sister in Stafford. Mary Beatrice's single-minded dedication in her chosen career path TO HER CAREER OF SOCIAL WORK WAS IN THE UK GOVERNMENT'S SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT DURING HER WHOLE ADULT LIFE.

At age 53, she was introduced by family members to MR. TOM ARMITAGE, A COTTON TRADER AT THE STOCK EXCHANGE. MR ARMITAGE WAS THE FATHER OF ONE OFFSPRING, A DISABLED (THEN) ADULT DAUGHTER.

In all of her adult single professional working-life, Miss Mary Beatrice Davies had always paid her own bills; bought her own home; paid her own mortgage repayments, and did her own housework after working FULL-TIME as a Government-appointed Social Worker. Mary Beatrice Davies later held the position of Director of Social Services, City of Sheffield, England, United Kingdom.

This was a tremendous Feat of Achievement for a WOMAN in those days-to decide to forego marriage and children for her career as a social worker. I GREATLY ADMIRE HER.

Social Worker Mary Beatrice Davies rose above emotions and male prejudice in those early days of equal opportunities, to efficiently administer the Government Social Services Department for the Local Authority in Manchester.

This writer personally has enormous Respect and Admiration for MARY BEATRICE DAVIES, WHOSE FATHER WAS A PRACTISING MANCHESTER SOLICITOR, (ALBERT DAVIES OF LLOYD, DAVIES and PICKSTONE, MANCHESTER SOLICITORS) AND WHOSE BROTHER WAS ALSO A PRACTISING MANCHESTER SOLICITOR (RODERICK ALBERT DAVIES).

MARY BEATRICE DAVIES (later ARMITAGE)died at age 63.

It is a travesty of humanity that this lady, having worked in the best interests of our children, did not live to be rewarded a remaining long life of calm and pleasant enjoyment, which she so greatly deserved. She was robbed of living out her retirement which she so richly deserved and should have had. MARY BEATRICE DAVIES died alone in her home, possibly of a BRAIN ANEURYSM a few years after her husband Tom Armitage had died. He had been much older than her and had died a natural death of old age. Nevertheless, Mary and Tom only enjoyed ten years of married life.

This world can seem to be very unfair. However we have to do the best we can with what life puts in our path, and doing "the best we can" means soldiering on diligently.

May God Bless Your Soul Forever MARY BEATRICE DAVIES.

xxxxx