Blue plaque to honour Preston hero Beatrice Todd on International Women’s Day

The members who ran the Preston Free Buffet on Preston railway station

The life of a remarkable Preston woman who was a hero of the home front during the First World War is being recognised with a blue plaque that fittingly will be unveiled today, International Women’s Day.

Beatrice Todd was the prime mover in establishing the Sailors and Soldiers Buffet on Preston Railway Station, which welcomed more than 3.5 million servicemen and women between 1915-1919 as they passed through the town.

She was leader and chair of the executive committee that set up the free service, funded entirely by donations and staffed by more than 400 volunteers working 12-hour shifts in teams.

As well as having an impact on those who passed through Preston on their way to and from the battlefields of the Great War, she played an important role in improving the lives of local people.

Beatrice Todd Pic: Friends of Winckley Square

She concerned herself particularly with women and children’s social, educational and welfare issues. A suffragist, she established mother and baby care in Preston and Leyland.

Beatrice led the committee to establish the Preston Infant Welfare Voluntary Women’s Association, two years before corporations were required to set them up by the government.

Her public work was wide-ranging. Between 1908 and the 1930s she was secretary of the Preston branch of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), honorary treasurer of The National Women’s Citizens Association and president of Preston Women Liberals Association, as well as being a Justice of the Peace.

Beatrice, who was born in 1876 in Essex and died in 1958, was also very active in the Leyland area when living at Farington Lodge, helping establish the Leyland Day Nursery.

The Soldiers and sailors Free Buffet Plaque

Her husband James Todd was a leading Liberal. He started his accountancy business in Preston from scratch and went on to chair international companies.

Beatrice’s story was forgotten over time until it was rediscovered by researcher Steve Harrison, with the support of other members of the Friends of Winckley Square (FoWS) group.

She is being honoured with the unveiling of a plaque on a property at her former address, 13 Starkie Street in the Winckley Square Quarter, today (Wednesday 8 March).

The building is now the office of award-winning recruitment business Service Care Solutions.

Preston’s blue plaque scheme celebrates the links between notable figures of the past and the buildings in which they lived and worked.

The plaque has been commissioned by FoWS and endorsed by Preston Historical Society and is the second to be unveiled in honour of the city’s women of note in recent months. It will be unveiled by the Mayor of Preston Neil Darby in front of invited guests.

Patricia Harrison, who chairs the Friends and is also a member of Preston Historical Society’s committee, said: “Beatrice was a truly remarkable woman and it is fitting that we are unveiling a plaque in her honour on International Women’s Day.

“She remains an inspiration for her tireless and committed work on so many fronts, not least for the part the Preston station buffet played in the war effort and the comfort it gave to millions of servicemen and women.

“We have been working with the historical society to address the gender imbalance when it comes to blue plaques dedicated to women in Preston and this is another step on that journey.”

Chris Musgrove, managing director of Service Care Solutions, said: “We were delighted to find out that Beatrice used to call Arthur House her home.

“Learning about the significance of her accomplishments has been fascinating and something we are proud to celebrate.

“As a Preston based business, we understand the significance of community and Beatrice’s work is a testament to the difference people can make to their communities.

“It’s great that we can mark the occasion on International Women’s Day, helping champion equality and reflect on the progress we have made as a society.”

The unveiling ceremony, which will take place at 12.30pm, will be attended by city and county councillors, the chamber of commerce, members of the FoWS and PHS groups, teachers and pupils from Penwortham Primary School and students from Newman and Runshaw Colleges.

Chris Musgrove and Richard Freye, owner of Service Care Solutions, will also attend, alongside staff from the business.

Preston’s blue plaques honour a wide range of people with city links, including the Young Pretender, Prince Charles Edward (Bonnie Prince Charlie), Benjamin Franklin and suffragette, Edith Rigby.