Edith Hiley - a life dedicated to the welfare of others

This is taken from an obituary of Edith written by her friend Angela McKenzie:

After some time and much thought Edith decided the Probation Service was the career for her. Such was the good relationship she invariably established with clients, that one murderer whom she had on licence, invited her to his wedding. There are countless life stories of those whom she met in her professional life to testify to the esteem in which she was held.

Not only was she highly thought of locally, but she had the opportunity of even greater promotion to the Home Office, but in typical humble fashion, she eschewed this, preferring infinitely the day to day contact with the people around her in the place where she lived and worked - Halifax.

Just as there seemed nowhere in this country she had not visited either on her bicycle or in her car, or through work, so was her journeying into faith via Methodism, Roman Catholicism and finally Anglicanism. Her life was spent searching for truth which she personified.

Edith was a founder member of Relate (known in those days as the Marriage Guidance Council), having trained for this type of work in London. She was also a founder member of the Ludlam Trust which helped the families of men in prison. For many years she was a member of the Supplementary Benefits Tribunal.

As a member of the Halifax Parish Church she took communion to the housebound and visited many parishioners over several decades, giving succour and comfort to those in need, and having fun with the younger members of the congregation.

Beauty, music, books and discussions of deep issues were also among her loves.

Though it may have been said as a joke, she was known as "Miss Halifax" - everyone seemed to know and love her.

It is often said about someone when they die that we will not see their like again. In Edith Hiley's case this is true. Every life she touched was indeed glorified. Her last home was in Trinity Fold. Her active and varied life, with its unique contributions and total integrity, can best be summed up as a dedication to the welfare of others.

Edith at Bolton Abbey

Edith with three of her grand nephews

Edith Hiley - working for the National Children's Home

Henry continues his memories of his sister Edith and her time with the National Children's Home after leaving school.

Her saving, apart from her own spirit, was her joining the Girl Guide movement in Rochdale, in the company run by Sister Dorothy Moodie at the Champness Hall, a Methodist Mission Church. I seem to remember that Edith taught Sunday School.

I do know that she applied for a place at the training school in Highbury of the National Children's Home and was admitted, the youngest recruit, just twenty one years old, to the very first training course. Previously, the sisters had joined and learned 'on the job'. Her first appointment was to the Frodsham Branch. I cycled from Littleborough to visit her there.

Edith served at Frodsham, Harpenden, Chipping Norton and Bramhope. I remember her best at Bramhope. She was in a girls' house, pre-war, and returned after our stepmother died, so that she was nearer to our Littleborough home. Indeed, somehow or other she stood by our father, who had gone to pieces, helped to shut up our home in Littleborough and had him moved to an empty house on the Bramhope estate, to be close at hand. Then, gradually, he picked up. I was serving a three year stretch in the Mediterranean in the Royal Navy at the time.

I can only wonder at Edith's work and efficiency. You see, when she became a sister in a children's house, looking after twenty five children between the ages of five and fifteen, or thereabouts, there would be three sisters to share the work and responsibility. Very often, during the war, and shortly afterwards, Edith was the only lady caring for twenty five boys in the one 'family'. There was a little domestic help, but she seemed to me, when I was ever visiting, to do the cooking, she darned socks and mended the clothes, she supervised the going to bed and the getting up and off to school, she took the children on their afternoon walks. It was phenomenal.

The photos below, taken c.1939, are from Edith's time at Hilton Grange National Children's Home, Old Lane, Bramhope, nr Leeds.

The war eventually ended, I suppose things became a little easier, but not much. Mr Lytton, the head man in the Children's Home, encouraged Edith to apply for a Diploma Course in Social Science at Leeds University, intending her to return to the Children's Home, which she did, I think, but only for a year, working from Exeter, interviewing prospective foster parents, or couples wishing to adopt children from the Home, suiting children to the adults wishing to undertake the work. This did not last long, Edith joined the Probation Service, she was appointed by the West Riding Authority, sent to Halifax, where she spent the rest of her working life and retirement.