Grace Olive Rowles - Sailmaker

[stuart rowles]

Does anypne know exactly what duties a 'Sailmaker' had.

 

Grace Olive Rowles was born on Tuesday, 21st February 1899 at No. 6 Paget Place, Penarth, Cardiff, youngest daughter of Christopher Tom and Lucy Rowles (née Jones) of Penarth, a ‘Sea Pilot’.

Grace Olive was admitted to Grangetown Elementary & Junior School (girls) in 1907.

In the 1911 census Grace is age 12 and living with her parents at 36 Blaenclydach Street, Grangetown, Cardiff.

She volunteered for the Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps on 3rd May 1918, giving her address as 36 Blaenclydach Street, Grangetown, Cardiff.
Originally the ‘Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps’ it was renamed ‘Queen Mary’s Auxiliary Corps’ in 1918. She was almost immediately transferred to the Women’s Royal Air Force on 16th May 1918.
Her trade was given as ‘Sail Maker’.

She married Edmund Patterson, a ‘Carpenter’, at Cardiff in 1924. They had 1 daughter, Olive R. Patterson, born in 1926.

In the ‘1939 Register’ they are living at 130 Broad Street, Cardiff. She is listed as a housewife.

They emigrated to Canada, arriving in Washington, USA on 23rd December 1950. They resided in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, as far as we know.

 

 

[alf mcm]

Stuart,

  As a sailmaker she would have repaired the canvas fabric on the aircraft or perhaps baloons.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

Edited 8 December , 2019 by alf mcm
baloons added

[Keith_history_buff]

This thread refers to WRAF trades. Unfortunately, the table of weekly pay to technical grades was not reproduced from  'F S Pub 14. Classes of Employment and Pay Rates 1918.' as reproduced in Escott's publication.