This is a compilation of the information collected by BHF members on the life of Phyllis Nicklin. Thanks to all who contributed. Viv.
The Wright family
Phyllis's grandparents
Alfred George Wright (b.1856) and Elizabeth Amelia (b1856, d. 29 Oct 1940)
Phyllis's mother
Amelia Jane Wright b.18 July 1879, d. June 1969, aged 89
Phyllis's uncles
Alfred J Wright (b1878),
William C Wright (b1882)
Harold C Wright (b 1893).
Phyllis's aunt
Annie Elizabeth Wright (b.1885), who later married Denston and was widowed by 1940.
In 1891 Alfred and Elizabeth were living at 58 Erasmus Rd, Bordesley with their children Amelia J, William C and Annie E. By 1901 they were all living at 44 Gillott Road, Edgbaston, with the addition of Harold C.
The Nicklin family
Phyllis's grandparents
William Nicklin (b. 1839) and Emma (b.1837)
Phyllis's father
Charles Horace Nicklin b.1880, d. 1920, Birmingham
Phyllis's uncles
Francis W (b. 1867), Albert (b.1870) and George H (b.1877).
Phyllis's aunts
Henrietta (b.1874) and Emma L (b. 1875).
In 1881 William and Emma were living at 30 Vaughton Street, Aston with their children Francis W, Albert, Henrietta, Emma L, George H and Charles H. By 1891 they had all moved to 73 Umbersley Road, Balsall Heath. In 1901, Charles was living with just his mother at 82 Stoney Lane, Yardley and was at this time working as a Traveller for a warehouse.
Phyllis Amelia Nicklin
In 1906, Phyllis's parents, Charles Horace Nicklin and Amelia Jane, were married in the district of Kings Norton. Phyllis Amelia was born on 9 May 1909. In 1911 they were living at 18 Link Road, Ladywood, Birmingham.
Between 1927 and 1940 Phyllis, Amelia Jane (Phyllis's mother) and Amelia's mother, Elizabeth Amelia (Phyllis's maternal grandmother) were living at 44 Gillott Road, Edgbaston. Elizabeth Amelia died aged 84 on 29 October 1940 at 1 Western Road (Dudley Road Hospital).
In 1945 Amelia Jane (Phyllis's mother), Phyllis and Harold C (her brother) had moved to 84 Willow Avenue in Edgbaston. In 1948 Harold married Marjorie D Fry in Birmingham. Harold died in Rhyl, Wales in 1985.
Phyllis's mother, Amelia Jane, died on the 17th June 1969 at her home, 16 Middle Park Road, Selly Oak. Phyllis would be the official witness to her mother’s death, and would sadly pass away herself months later on the 18 November at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Below are various contributors describing Phyllis's life and work.
Posted by Astoness and contributed by Professor Carl Chinn:
"She attended George Dixon Grammar School for Girls and went on to Birmingham
University where she obtained her BA in Geography 1930 and MA in 1931. In
1934 she published a pioneering article on 'The Early Historical Geography
of the Forest of Arden' in the Transactions of the Birmingham Archaeological
Society. In the same year she was appointed Senior Geography Mistress at
Sutton High School and ten years later became Lecturer in Geography at
Nottingham University, where she also took responsibility as Sub-Warden of
the Women Students Hostel.
In 1946 Phyllis accepted a post, which brought her back to the West
Midlands, as Lecturer in Geography at Dudley Training College. Four years
later, in 1950, she was appointed Lecturer and later Staff Tutor in
Geography in the University of Birmingham's Extra-Mural Department, a post
she held until her death on 18 November 1969".
An extract posted by Toby 44. Phyllis Nicklin's obituary from ‘Geography’ Vol. 55, No. 2, April 1970 – (c) The Geographical Association:
"With the sudden and untimely passing of Miss P. A. Nicklin, for many years the indefatigable Honorary Secretary of the Birmingham Branch, the Association in particular and geography in general has lost one of its staunchest adherents. A graduate and postgraduate of the University of Birmingham, Phyllis Nicklin gained wide teaching experience in schools and colleges before becoming Staff Tutor in Geography to the Extra-mural Department at Birmingham. For well over twenty years she has been the driving force behind what is possibly the most successful liaison between an academic department, an extra-mural department, and a local branch of the Association that could be found in any university city. In that time she saw the growth of the Branch to a present membership of 1200, the holding of a most successful Spring Conference in Birmingham in 1965, and the publication by the Branch of a series of excursion guides to the West Midlands. She will be long remembered for her valuable contributions to Council and Executive meetings, for the stimulating courses that she arranged on behalf of thousands of extra-mural students, for her well-organized excursions, and, not least, for her kindly, effective and dedicated service to the Birmingham Branch".
An extract posted by Vivienne14 from Avril Maddrell's book "Complex Locations: Women's Geographical Work in the UK, 1859 - 1970". She described Phyllis as a "great rock in the world of geographical education" and was kind and efficient. Her full description is below.
