25 Facts About Helena Normanton

In October 2021, Normanton was honoured by the installation of an English Heritage blue plaque at her London home in Mecklenburgh Square.

Helena Normanton was born in East London to Jane Amelia and piano maker William Alexander Helena Normanton.

In 1896, Helena Normanton won a scholarship to the York Place Science School in Brighton, now known as Varndean School, where she did well, becoming a pupil teacher by the time she left in July 1900.

Helena Normanton reported this to the Principal, Sarah Hale resulting in improvement to the cooking of Wednesday dinner.

Helena Normanton read modern history at the University of London as an external student, graduating with first class honours, obtained a Scottish Secondary Teachers' Diploma, and held a diploma in French language, literature, and history from Dijon University.

Helena Normanton lectured in history at Glasgow University and London University and began to speak and write about feminist issues.

Helena Normanton worked as a tutor to the sons of the Baron de Forest, a Liberal MP.

Helena Normanton spoke at meetings of the Women's Freedom League and supported the Indian National Congress.

Helena Normanton describes the moment she decided to become a barrister in her book, Everyday Law for Woman.

Helena Normanton says that as a twelve-year-old girl, she was visiting a solicitor's office with her mother, who was unable to understand the solicitor's advice.

Helena Normanton held ambitions to become a barrister from a young age.

Helena Normanton married Gavin Bowman Watson Clark in 1921, but preserved her maiden name for professional reasons.

Helena Normanton was the second woman to be called to the bar on 17 November 1922, shortly after Ivy Williams.

Helena Normanton was the first woman to obtain a divorce for her client, the first woman to lead the prosecution in a murder trial, and the first woman to conduct a trial in America and to appear at the High Court and the Old Bailey.

Helena Normanton was a campaigner for women's rights and women's suffrage, becoming the first married woman in Britain to have a passport in her maiden name, believing that men and women should keep their money and property separately.

Helena Normanton acted as the Honorary Legal Adviser for the Women's Engineering Society from 1936 until 1954, succeeding Theodora Llewelyn Davies in the role.

Helena Normanton campaigned for divorce reform, and was president of the Married Women's Association until 1952, when the other officials resigned over her memorandum of evidence to the Royal Commission on Divorce, which they regarded as 'anti-man'.

Helena Normanton formed a breakaway body, the Council of Married Women.

Helena Normanton was a pacifist throughout her life and was later a supporter of CND, demonstrating against the nuclear bomb after the Second World War.

Helena Normanton was married to Gavin Bowman Watson Clark, an accountant.

Helena Normanton died in Sydenham, London on 14 October 1957 and, after cremation, was buried with her husband in Ovingdean churchyard, Sussex.

In 1957, Helena Normanton was the first person to leave a legacy donation to the University of Sussex, and is recognised as a founding funder.

The archives of Helena Normanton are held at The Women's Library at the Library of The London School of Economics, ref 7HLN.

Helena Normanton's nomination was made by women barristers at Doughty Street Chambers.

In June 2022, Helena Normanton was honoured with a blue plaque at 4 Clifton Place, Brighton where she lived as a teenager in the 1890s, following a campaign by teenage Brighton twins, after they learned of Helena Normanton in a school project.