Town's Second Woman Mayor in 392 Years - 1965

Bideford's new Mayor will be a woman, only the second in the town's long history - its charter was granted in 1573. She is 61 year old Mrs Ethelwynne Brown, a widow, who has been a member of the Town Council for nearly four years. Former Alderman Mrs Muriel Cox, who resigned from the Council last December, served as Mayor in 1954. News of the invitation to Cllr Mrs Brown to become Mayor-designate was announced at a meeting of the Town Council on Monday. Mrs Brown said: 'I hope that in so honouring me you are also paying tribute to all the women of the town who, by their love and labour, are contributing so much to the happiness of the community here.' Mrs Brown, of Trelee Park Lane, has lived in Bideford for 45 years. She was born in Truro, Cornwall, attending the High School, where she later became a student teacher. Her social work in the district is widespread. It ranges from road safety to furthering cancer research; from school governor to Civil Defence. Mrs Brown is chairman of the Council's Library Committee, and of the Torridge Townswomen's Guild; joint secretary of the local Cancer Research organisation; area organiser of the 'Tufty' children's road safety club; a governor of several schools; and a member of the local Road Safety Committee, the Women's Voluntary Service, the Handicapped Association, Barnstaple Port Health Authority, area Civil Defence, the Committee for the Hard of Hearing, and Toc H. Mrs Brown is a devout churchgoer, and is a member of Northam Parochial Church Council and the Mothers' Union. She is also a Sunday school superintendent and organist at the tiny Orchard Hill Church. Leisure occupations are toy making and floral arrangement. Mrs Brown has been a widow for four years. Her husband, Mr George Brown, was also a local councillor, in the early 1950s. The Mayor-designate does not yet know whether whe will be assisted by a Mayoress; she may even consider doing both jobs herself. Mrs Brown's dilemma; 'I haven't any immediate relatives and there are so many women I would like to see as Mayoress. I shall probably seek the advice of the Town Clerk about what to do', she said. The formal resolution at the Council meeting was proposed by Ald. W H Copp, who described her as a woman of outstanding merit. 'A good, conscientious and hardworking councillor' was the description of Cllr R D D Birdwood, who seconded.