Madelyn Walker
Elected to Craft Membership in 1921.
Served as Hon. Secretary: 1923-1928Brian Walker
Elected to Fellowship in 1989.
Linda J Damon Warren ( nee Viliesid)
Elected to Craft Membership in 1932.
Sheila Waters (nee Salt) (1929-2022)
Elected to Fellowship in 1951.
Sheila Waters nee Salt was born on 13 March 1929 and died 18 March 2022. She graduated from the Medway College of Art in Kent and the Royal College of Art in London. She developed her calligraphic skills under the tutelage of Dorothy Mahoney (assistant to the great pioneer of calligraphy, Edward Johnston). At twenty-two, Sheila was elected a Fellow of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators (proposed by Dorothy Mahoney and seconded by Irene Wellington) and began a career devoted to commissions for royalty, museums, libraries, collectors and publishers. A gifted teacher, Sheila shares her extensive knowledge and techniques with calligraphers the world over. She emigrated to the USA in 1971. Sheila inaugurated the programme of calligraphy courses at the Smithsonian Institution and later developed her own private classes and annual workshops. The first President and founding member of the Washington Calligraphers Guild, Sheila was included in the 1981 World Who's Who of Women. Her work is included in most of the important books which have been published about calligraphy.
Mrs Watteville
Elected to Craft Membership in before 1926.
Irene Wellington (nee Bass) (1904-1984)
Elected to Craft Membership in 1929.
The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Roll of Honour for the 2nd World War. Taught mainly at Central School of Arts and Crafts 1944-59. Wykehamist Roll of Honour, Borough of Lydd panel. Quartet of the Seasons.
Taught at: Edinburgh College of Art
Studied under: E Johnston.
Marion R Welton
Elected to Craft Membership in 1932.
Miss C West
Elected to Craft Membership in 1921.
Linda West
Elected to Craft Membership in 1975.
Wendy Westover (1928-2013)
Year of Election to Fellowship unknown.
Brendan Bracken Memorial Book for Churchill College Cambridge, 1961, with gilding by Joan Pilsbury: Memorial to Gerald, 4th Duke of Westminster, 1969, with Prof. Sean Crampton, sculptor, and with gilding by Joan Pilsbury: Vol 11, Books of Record of the Prime Wardens of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, 1969: RNLI Memorial Book with 4 other Fellows of the SSI,(decorations only) 1973. Richard Middleton's article 'Wendy Westover: 'Abstract Artist' in The Scribe No.65 Winter 1995, a factual and reliable resume of work. Recorded life story with the National British Library Project (Interviewer Frances Cornford of the British Library) 2012 Wendy died on 31st December 2013.
Studied under: William Bishop, Margaret Alexander.
Kathleen M White
Elected to Craft Membership in 1922.
Mary White (1926-2013)
Year of Election to Fellowship unknown.
Mary created lettering works on ceramic media and artefacts. She wanted students to use their imagination, believing that calligraphic skill alone is not enough, creativity is important to make letters 'live'. Mary taught at Welsh Grammar Schools and Swansea College of Art: also at Atlantic College, St Donats Castle, Llantwit Major from 1950 onwards. Later she moved to Germany where she focused on her lettering on ceramics. She died on 26 June 2013. An obituary will be found in a subsequent edition of "The Scribe".
Studied under: Daisy Alcock, Vera Law, M. C. Oliver.
David Williams (1951-2008)
Year of Election to Fellowship unknown.
Joined Donald Jackson's Studio in 1974, follwing three years at Camberwell Art School. Worked with Donald and Wendy Selby to create the new Royal Charters needed in 1974 following reorganisation of county boundaries: in 12 weeks, the three completed 72 Royal Documents and mounted two exhibitions. When Donald left shortly afterwards for a teaching tour in the USA, David ran the Studio single-handed. He retained his art interests and for two years running his calligraphic compositions were exhibited at the Royal Academy. (Obituary by Donald Jackson)
Miss V Wilson
Nancy Winters (1930-2017)
Elected to Fellowship in 1972.
Served as Chairman: 1996-1999Nancy Winters, who died on December 31 2017, had lived in Chingford for almost 70 years and taught at many schools in the area. Born in Filey, Yorkshire in 1930, Nancy showed much academic promise as a young woman and moved to London to study teacher training at Goldsmiths College. It was there she met her husband, Leslie, and after getting married in 1950, they moved to his hometown Chingford. Alongside bringing up sons Ross, Gareth and Simon, she also pursued careers as a teacher and calligrapher, becoming well-respected throughout England for her work. In her early years she worked as a supply teacher at Chingford Church of England Junior School, then as art teacher at St Paul's School for Girls in Woodford and the Dominican Convent School in Forest View, Chingford. While teaching, she continued to develop her love for calligraphy and began to lead adult education classes in the subject at Friday Hill House and at Chingford County High School. Nancy became a leading member of the Society for Italic Handwriting, for whom she wrote the book “A Simple Guide to Italic Handwriting”, which is still available. She was elected as a Craft Member / Fellow of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators in 1972, and became Chairman in 1996. She was also a member of The Art Workers Guild. She undertook calligraphy commissions for many clients including The Daily Telegraph, Christ Church Spitalfields, Penguin Books, The Saudi Royal Family, and the The Fellowship of Engineering. As funding was being withdrawn for the adult education classes to which she dedicated much of her time, Nancy then founded and promoted The Chingford Calligraphy Circle. She is survived by her three sons and sister, Margaret. Paying tribute, son Gareth, said: “Nancy will be fondlyremembered by family and friends alike as a kind and gracious woman. At home, she was a caring, gentle and patient wife and mother, and a welcoming hostess. In her teaching she was always calm and endlessly encouraging and her skill as a calligrapher speaks for itself. We will all miss her quiet, constant and above all loving loyalty and support.” Courtesy of The Guardian
Elsie Woffenden (nee Webber)
Elected to Craft Membership in 1930.
Ruth Mary Wood
Elected to Craft Membership in 1922.
Dave Wood
Elected to Fellowship in 1990.
Margaret Wood
Elected to Craft Membership in 1977.
Margaret Wood trained first as a librarian from 1967 to 1969 and gained her Associateship of the Library Association. Then as a professional calligrapher, illuminator and heraldic artist, on a full-time three year course at Reigate School of Art and Design from 1977 to 1980, where she gained a First Class Honours Diploma. In 1976 she was approved as a tutor by the Inner London Educational Authority and elected a Fellow of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators in 1977. She was a member of the Society of Heraldic Arts for ten years and Chairman of the Blackmore Vale Scribes for seven years. She retired from both Offices because of pressure of work.
She worked for the Crown Office in the House of Lords, at the Palace of Westminster, initially as a librarian and then as one of the five Queen's Scribes from 1978 to 1987, producing illuminated Letters Patent creating Notaries Public, Judges, Life Peers, Heralds and Kings of Arms. She also painted heraldry for several of the Officers at the College of Arms, including John Brooke-Little (Richmond Herald), Rodney Dennys (Somerset Herald), and Sir Colin Cole (Windsor Herald and later Garter Principal King of Arms).
Margaret was a keen gardener, creating a beautiful garden at Quillion House out of rough farm land, and she was also well read and knowledgable about English literature in which she took a great delight.
She returned as a tutor and visiting lecturer at Reigate School of Art and Design, now part of East Surrey College, from 1979 to 1987. She moved to Somerset in 1987 and established an enviable reputation as one of the best tutors of the Craft in the Country. She was in much demand at Colleges of Adult Education, Community Education Centres and Universities as a resident tutor and lecturer. Her ability as a teacher was extraordinary. She was able to encourage and inspire everyone she taught, and was regarded with enormous affection by all her students and everyone who met her. She had endless patience and understanding not only with her students` work but with their problems as individuals. She was someone who all felt able to turn to and confide in. Her work was sensitive and imaginative and is much prized by everyone who owns it.
Her commissioned work included the design and execution of formal documents on vellum and paper, calligraphy, manuscript painting, gilding and heraldic design and painting. She also undertook commissions for Letters Patent, illuminated addresses and scrolls for the Armed Services, County and Municipal Boroughs and the Church. For private collectors, commissions included manuscript books, genealogical and armorial family trees and armorial library paintings.
Her commercial work involved calligraphic and heraldic design for reproduction, publishers' book jackets and titling, greetings cards, book tokens, logo designs, and graphics for television and advertising.
She was married to Anthony Wood
Anthony Wood (1925-2022)
Elected to Craft Membership in 1949.
Anthony Wood was born in Edgbaston, Birmingham in 1925. After attending art school he trained as a professional calligrapher, illuminator and heraldic artist.
For some years he painted heraldry for various Officers at the College of Arms. From 1965 to 1986 he taught the subjects at Ealing and Wimbledon Schools of Art. In 1968 he founded a full time three-year Diploma course in Calligraphy, Heraldry and Manuscript Illumination at Reigate School of Art and Design, and directed it as a Senior Lecturer until 1987. He has been responsible for the training of many scribes and heraldic artists from all over the world who subsequently have achieved eminence in their chosen profession.
He is the only artist to have been elected a Fellow of both the Heraldry Society and the Society of Scribes and Illuminators of London. He is President of the Society of Heraldic Arts and is a member of the Heraldry Society of Scotland, the White Lion Society, The Russian Heraldry Society, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1999 and a Distinguished Fellow of the American College of Heraldry in April 2000. He is now retired from teaching and undertakes commissioned work from all over the world. He lectures and has written numerous articles on calligraphy, manuscript illumination and heraldic art and design, was co-author of A European Armorial, and the principal contributor of the articles on the artistic aspects of heraldry in The New Dictionary of Heraldry.
His latest book, Heraldic Art and Design was published in the Autumn of 1996 (Shaw & Sons Ltd) He painted of the arms of John Brooke-Little, and contributed an essay, 'The Art of Heraldry' in the book Tribute to an Armourist published in 2000 by the Heraldry Society in London to commemorate Brooke-Little's contribution to heraldry. He was made a Freeman of the City of London in 1955 and was Master of the Worshipful Company of Bowyers of London, (one of the Mediaeval Craft Guilds of the City) from 1980 to '82 and from 1983 to '84.
His approach to his work has always been heavily influenced by his formal training as a calligrapher and illuminator of manuscripts. Much of the best two-dimensional heraldic art, since its beginnings in the second quarter of the twelfth century, is to be found in illuminated manuscripts, whether heraldic in character or not. Accordingly, he works mainly on calf or goatskin vellum and in gouche colours, 23 carat gold and sometimes aluminum, mainly in modern styles, using the techniques of the mediaeval illuminator of manuscripts and miniaturist.
If the work is intended for reproduction, precious metals are not used and the work is carried out on watercolour board. He is able not only to produce armorial art of the highest quality but also formal and semi-formal manuscripts from the simplest to the greatest degree of complexity. Much of this work is commissioned by clients such as the Houses of Lords, Commons and the Craft and Merchant Guilds of the City of London, and by Local Authorities, Schools and Universities. His constant aim over a professional career of over half a century has been to explore, practice and teach the ways in which calligraphy and heraldry may be combined in manuscripts as a satisfying whole.
He attended the 22nd International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences in Ottawa as an artist delegate by invitation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority in August 1996, since when he maintained a close association with both Canadian Heralds and artists. He also attended the 23rd International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences in Turin in September 1998, where he was invited to give a paper on Heraldic Art and Design.
Taught at: Reigate School of Art and Design
John Woodcock (1924-2011)
Year of Election to Fellowship unknown.
Studied at the Royal College of Art, with Sheila Waters and Marie Angel. Chaired the AGM in November 1967.
Studied under: Irene Wellington, Dorothy Mahoney.
Tom Wrigley
Elected to Craft Membership in 1937.
