The Newsletter of Homerton College, Cambridge & The Homerton Roll

Joyce was a gifted student and a
scholarship to Lincoln Christ’s Hospital
Girls’ High School at the age of 10 led to
her going up to Somerville College, Oxford
to read history in 1938. A condition of her
free tuition was a requirement to teach
after graduation and in 1941 she attended
the Oxford University Department of
Education. It was during this period of
teacher training that she encountered a
schoolgirl named Margaret Roberts, of
Grantham, later better known as Margaret
Thatcher. It is reported that she was “not
that impressed by the young Margaret’s
aptitude for history”. She taught history
in a number of schools, including the
Perse School for Girls in Cambridge, where
she was Head of History from 1947–50.
Her teaching was scholarly, yet with
an ability to capture the interest and
enthusiasm of those she taught. She had
high standards for herself and expected
no less from others.
In 1952 she was appointed to a Senior
Lectureship at Homerton College,
Cambridge and became its Deputy
Principal in 1961. During her time at
Homerton she spent a year as a visiting
lecturer at Queen’s College in New York.
In 1964 Joyce returned to her native city of
Lincoln as Principal of Bishop Grosseteste
College. Her breadth of vision for teacher
education and a clear understanding of
national and local political issues enabled
her to guide the college through times
of great change and uncertainty. Under
her astute leadership the college became
co-educational, and its first degree course
in education was introduced. College
expansion saw the establishment of
outposts in Scunthorpe and Grimsby, an
in-service programme for serving teachers
and new buildings, including the library.
In 1974 she left to take up the post of
Director of the Cambridge Institute of
Education, becoming a fellow of Hughes
Hall. She served on many national academic
bodies and became the first – and so far
only – woman Academic Secretary of the
University Council for the Education of
Teachers. In 1975 she was honoured with
a CBE for her services to education, and
was subsequently awarded two honorary
doctorates.
On her retirement in 1984, she again
returned to Lincoln. A questioning, but
devout Christian, with a strong religious
belief, she had maintained a lifelong
association with the Cathedral. She
became an active member of the cathedral
community, chairing the Board of Mission
and Unity for the Diocese, editing the
quarterly journal of the Lincoln Cathedral
Community Association and acting as
a steward on the Information Desk. She
continued her role as a Bishop’s Inspector,
which involved reviewing theological
colleges and courses around the country.
The Cathedral’s services, with their rich
worship, music and splendour sustained
her quiet faith until the end.
Professor John Murrell MBE
Emeritus Fellow
OBITUARIES
Lilian Chapman (1922–2010)
HUS Secretary
When I first met her, as a fresher, in 1983
she was very much “Mrs Chapman”, wife of
the Head Porter, John Chapman. Indeed,
John and Lilian were married for 54
years and she saw her role very much as
supporting John in his job as Head Porter.
Many a time she told us of evenings when
John had been alerted to something
unusual happening in the grounds and
she would be up in the middle of the night
phoning the police and communicating
with John via walky-talky. She always went
the extra mile for other people.
She and John met when both were
working for London Transport. She was
down to earth and made people feel at
ease. She was practical and organised and
these skills proved useful when she worked
as a manageress for Lyons Corner House
Restaurants. She knew a lot about good
food, and later at Homerton would share
recipes with students who needed some
guidance in the culinary area! She was also
a very caring woman and this made her
well suited to working as a ward clerk at
Suffolk Hospital and as secretary to retired
NHS staff, arranging events and outings.
At Homerton she was HUS Secretary and
many former students will remember her
positive outlook. She would gently cajole
when students needed reminding to fulfil
certain tasks, but also had a great sense
of fun. In fact, one former HUS officer
specifically recalls her “chuckle”. Lilian was a
very interesting person and in turn always
showed great interest in the students,
including concern for their welfare. She
made many good friendships with both staff
and students and always made the effort to
keep in touch.
A lot of the principles that Lilian held dear
are still worth holding onto today, perhaps
even more so in our rapidly changing
society. Lilian’s optimism and generosity
of spirit saw her through the challenges of
Parkinson’s disease towards the end of her
life. The mutually supportive relationship that
she and John enjoyed throughout their lives
together is testimony to them both and one
that many have admired.
Lilian touched many people’s lives and made
a difference in this world with her caring
attitude towards others. For those of us
lucky enough to have known her, she will be
greatly missed.
Alison White
(née Hogg, 1983–87)
Homerton College 23