Meet ‘Halton’s most extraordinary woman' Edith Fildes following public vote

Edith Fildes has been recognised as part the Halton Heritage Partnership when many historic attractions opened their doors for free to showcase the borough’s heritage.

Those who visited some of Halton’s most iconic sites were encouraged to vote for the most extraordinary people.

The women featured in Halton were Aethelfleda, Margaret and Mary Baker, Deborah Ellam, Edith Fildes, Sophia and Arabella Furnell, Chloe Gambia, Alice Liddell, Margaret McCann, and Frida Mond.

Following the vote count, it was revealed that Edith had secured first place.

Frank Lawless, chairman of Halton Heritage Partnership, said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to tell the stories of all these extraordinary women, many of whose achievements were unknown until now.

“Thanks to everyone who voted; Edith was a very worthy winner,”

Edith grew up without her father, who was killed before she was born.

She lived with her mum and her uncles in a modest house down by the Mersey.

Encouraged and inspired by a teacher at school, she persuaded her mother to let her take the scholarship and gained a place at Wade Deacon Grammar School.

At 18 she had won a scholarship to study English at the University of Liverpool, one of a tiny number of women of her generation to go to university.

It became clear that education had been life changing for Edith, and her life’s work as a teacher went on to change the lives of thousands of students in the area throughout a distinguished career at Wade Deacon and the sixth form college.

Alongside her role as a teacher and a mother, Edith was a devoted daughter and daughter-in-law.

She supported her blind mother throughout her life, provided end-of-life care for the best part of two decades to her uncles and nursed her mother in law for many years.

Edith is a fondly remembered congregation member at St Luke’s Church in Farnworth and it was the parochial church council at the church that nominated Edith.