Papers relating to Frances May Greenup, Joseph Greenup and Elizabeth Bridge

The archive consists of reminiscences of May Greenup about St. Gabriel’s College, Camberwell, 1922-1924, written by Angela Raby in 1998 and illustrated with original photographs; transcript biographical notes relating to May Greenup, Joseph Greenup and Elizabeth Bridge, compiled by Angela Raby and illustrated with original photographs.

Frances May Greenup (1902-1998) was born in 1902, the daughter of George Tuckwell, a police constable. At the age of fourteen she began her training as a pupil teacher in Coleshill, Warwickshire. In 1922 she went on to study at St. Gabriel’s College, Camberwell, London. Once qualified she took up a teaching post in Tottenham. Two years later, in 1926, she married the artist Joseph Greenup (1891-1946). He had been educated at the Birmingham School of Art, South Kensington College of Art and at the Royal Academy School and he worked as an illustrator for newspapers, books and periodicals and as a portrait painter. In the 1930s May also took up painting and was elected to the Royal Institute of Water Colourists. In 1940 she joined the Auxiliary Ambulance Service as a driver and was promoted to Station Officer at 39 Weymouth Mews, London. Joseph died in 1946 and after his death May left London to live in the Cotswolds and then in Cardiganshire with her friend Elizabeth Bridge (1912-1996), also an artist, and continued to teach and to paint. She died in 1998.

This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

Donated to the then Fawcett Library by May Greenup’s niece, Angela Raby, in 1999.

The Women's Library Catalogue

Papers relating to May Greenup’s service at London Auxiliary Ambulance Station 39 are held at the City of Westminster Archives Service.