Mary Dorothy Rose Leys (1890 - 1967)

Born 8 Oct 1890 in Tyles Green, Buckinghamshire, England

Ancestors

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Biography

Mary Dorothy Rose Leys (1890-1967) was an Bristish Historian and academic, who was involved in the work of the Catholic Social Guild and the Catholic Record Society.^[1] She was the daughter of John Leys and Ellen Holligan.

In 1891, Mary (aged 6 months) was living with her parents John Kirkwood Leys (Author and journalist) and Ellen Leys and a visitor, her mother's Aunt Dorothy Holligan.^[2]

In 1901, Mary was living at Richmond Villa, Hampton, Middlesex with her parents John Kirkwood Leys (Novelist Author) and Ellen Leys, and siblings Helen Madeline, Colin Maclaren, Duncan Gerald, John Alan Leys and a visitor Caroline Holligan (Aunt).^[3]

In 1911, Mary was living at Park View, Sands, High Wycombe, West Wycombe, Bucks, with her mother and siblings.^[4]

In 1939, Mary was living in Bath, Somerset with her mother Ellen Leys and her sister Helen Mag [Madeline] Leys. Her occupation was Tutor Oxford Home Students.^[5]

Mary co-authored A History of the English People in 1950 and A History of London Life in 1958 with her sister in law Rosamond Joscelyne Mitchell.

She passed away in 1967 and was buried at St. Margaret and St. Andrew Churchyard, Littleham, Devon.^[6]

Probate
LEYS Mary Dorothy Rose of Burton Lodge Highfield Lane Exmouth Devon died 6 September 1967 Probate London 20 December to John Adam Leys television producer. £7628

Death Notice LEYS.-On 6th September. 1967, at Burton Lodge, Highfield Lane, Exmouth. MARY DOROTHY ROSE (previously Vice-Principal of St. Anne's College. Oxford), and daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. JOHN KIRKWOOD LEYS. Requiem Mass at the Church of the Holy Ghost, Raddenstile Lane, Exmouth, Saturday, 9th September, 9.30 a.m. followed by interment at Littleham Churchyard. Exmouth. Family flowers only.^[7]

Obituary MISS MARY LEYS,Miss Mary Leys, fellow and lecturer in history, and a former vice-principal of St. Anne's College, Oxford, died on Wednesday at Exmouth. She was educated at home, because "the family was too poor to afford school fees". She was awarded a scholarship to Somerville in 1911, where she read history and took her degree in modern history in 1915. After that she gained valuable experience in a variety of jobs, as county secretary for the Women's Land Army, and in the Women's Royal Air Force. In 1919 she began what was to be her life work, teaching history for the Society of Oxford Home-Students, as St Anne's College then was. In 1938 in addition to her work as history tutor she was appointed vice-principal. She was twice acting principal, once while Miss Hadow was abroad, and again, after Miss Hadow's death, in 1940. She resigned her history tutorship in 1952 but continued her connexion with the college as Fellow and lecturer in history until 1955.

She was deeply interested in all Catholic religious and educational work, and much of her spare time was spent in voluntary service for the causes in which she believed. She published a book, Men, Money and Markets. in 1936, and with her sister-in-law, Rosamond Mitchell, A History of the English People in 1950. After her retirement she first published Between Two Empires, a Study of France. 1814-48.

In 1957 she was awarded a Leverhulme Research Fellowship, to assist work on a book on Catholics in England, 1559-1829, which was published in 1961. In 1958 appeared A History of London Life written by R. J Mitchell and M. D. R. Leys.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._D._R._Leys
2. ↑ 1891 England Census, Accessed via Ancestry
3. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9X4-GRZ : 20 May 2019), Ellen Leys in household of John Retswood Leys, Hampton, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Hampton subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
4. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7VP-CX8 : 22 July 2019), John Alan Leys in household of Ellen Leys, West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
5. ↑ 1939 England and Wales Register, The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/7003B, Accessed via Ancestry
6. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/219531730/mary-dorothy_rose-leys
7. ↑ 'Deaths' (1967) Times, 08 Sep, 18, available: https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS302476584/TTDA?u=61slsa&sid=bookmark-TTDA&xid=8ffed5e5 [accessed 01 Sep 2021].
8. ↑ "Miss Mary Leys." Times, 8 Sept. 1967, p. 12. The Times Digital Archive, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS203517224/TTDA?u=61slsa&sid=bookmark-TTDA&xid=41e43106. Accessed 1 Sept. 2021.