Women’s Employment In North Devon
Suggested Gloving School At Bideford

At a meeting of the Women’s Sub-Committee of the Barnstaple Local Advisory Committee the following were present: Alderman A J Reavell (in the chair), Mrs R Pinkham, Miss S Baulkwill, Miss B Jewell, Mrs T Gregory, Miss F B Wright, Mrs Heriz-Smith, and Mr J W Brannam.
It was agreed to recommend that the local industries, lace-net manufacture, glove, collar and basket making, and pottery manufacture should be included on Ministry of Pensions list of trades for which War widows might be trained.
Mr W Pinkham, of the National Glove Co., addressed the Committee on the possibilities of the glove trade as a field of employment for women. He said that there was a splendid opportunity of capturing German trade, and suggested that a technical school, to train workers for the glove industry, should be started at Bideford.

Gazette article dated 21 December 1918