Leading Historian of Catholicism, A Woman of Our Time and member of CWL Our Lady’s Catechists. Born on 11th February 1932, Marie lived in Penn, Wolverhampton. She attended a girl’s convent school, had a thorough knowledge of Shakespeare and was an accomplished pianist. Her school taught that there were three vocations for women: marriage, religious life or being single. With four unmarried aunts, two being particular role models (a seamstress and a pharmacist), Marie said she was very aware of the advantages of being single: independence of action and finances. From a young age she had no doubt that this was her appointed path.
Her faith was the centre of her life: she was deeply involved in Catholic education, parish catechesis and a stalwart member of CWL Our Lady’s Catechists. In 1950 Marie studied history at King’s College, London and completed postgraduate secondary teacher-training. Having worked as a schoolteacher in Wolverhampton, she attained higher degrees in history from Aston and Birmingham Universities and worked with the Diocesan Archivist. She was a research assistant at Keele University before reaching the pinnacle of her professional career as Head of History at the newly founded Newman College of Higher Education (now Newman University). She was awarded research fellowships at Lucy Cavendish, Cambridge, and the University of Wolverhampton, remaining Emerita Research Fellow at Newman until her death.
Achieving great recognition as a professional historian, her research and publications changed the perception of the role of laypeople, particularly women, in fostering the life of the Catholic community in this country and in educating the young in the centuries after the Reformation. Marie produced a remarkable body of work, based on close forensic research in archives, particularly in the Midlands. She spent her life researching the lives and experiences of ‘ordinary Catholics’.
In 2020, following the publication of Marie’s book ‘Recusant Women 1560-1646′, Marie was awarded the Benemerenti Medal, by the Pope to recognise her exceptional service to the Catholic Church. Remaining intellectually active to the end of her life, Marie attended the 2025 CRS (Catholic Record Society) Conference online, during the last week of her life.
At her funeral Mass, on 12th August, Fr Cecil Rogerson eulogised that Marie should be lauded in the same ranks as St John Henry Newman for her services to the Church. Many past pupils attended her funeral, along with Sarah, Margaret and Veronica from Wolverhampton CWL Section, to pay their last respects to a truly inspirational woman of our time.
Footnote: St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Wolverhampton is the oldest Roman Catholic church building in England and played a central role in the revival of Catholicism in the nineteenth century. It is of great historical importance. In the early 60’s it was earmarked by local and national government for demolition to make way for the new ring road. Marie led a fierce and successful campaign and prevented its demolition.
Sarah Andrews, Birmingham Branch President