Schoolteacher. Headteacher at Peckham Emergency Central School, 1940 - 46, and the first head at Walworth's first comprehensive school, 1947 - 55, when she retired.
Founding member of the All England Netball Association (now England Netball) and served on the National Fitness Council. In 1942 she received the MBE for her war work running 26 Londoners’ Meals Service Centres – otherwise known as British Restaurants - thus organising the feeding for all those affected by the WW2 bombing of Southwark.
Our information is from .
Our colleague, Andrew Behan, notes that she is commemorated as 'Anne Winifrede O'Reilly MBE' on the London Borough of Southwark blue plaque attached to Walworth Academy, Mina Road, London, SE17. However, most records about this woman show her middle name as Winefride.
Anne Winefride O'Reilly was born on 6 July 1891, the fourth of the six children of John James O'Reilly (1857-1913) and Anna Maria O'Reilly née Carmody (b.1856). Her birth was registered as Annie Winefride O'Reilly in the 3rd quarter of 1891 in the Swansea Registration District, Glamorganshire (now West Glamorgan), Wales.
She is shown in the census that was taken on 31 March 1901 as Winefride A. O'Reilly, aged 9 years, born Swansea, Glamorgan and living at 36 Reservoir Road, Deptford, London, with her parents and her five siblings: Mary O'Reilly (1886-1956); Alfred Ernest O'Reilly (1887-1944); Edmond Francis O'Reilly (1889-1918); Kathleen Nora O'Reilly (1894-1970) and John Patrick O'Reilly (1898-1918). Her father was described as an examining officer, Customs & Excise.
The census that was undertaken on 2 April 1911 shows her as Anne Winefride O'Reilly, aged 19 years and one of 54 female students in training for elementary school teachers, boarding in the 45 roomed Avery Hill College, Eltham, Kent (now Greater London), together with 2 cooks, 4 pantry maids, 4 housemaids, 3 hall maids and 3 kitchen maids. The census return form was completed by Emily M. Julian, the Principle of Avery Hill College.
When her mother completed the census return form on 19 June 1921, she was shown as Winefride O'Reilly, aged 29 years, 11 months and a school teacher employed by the London County Council at Cobourg Road Girls School, Camberwell, London, SE5. She was living in an eight roomed property at 36 Reservoir Road, Brockley, London, SE4, with her widowed mother and four of her siblings: Mary O'Reilly - a school teacher employed by the London County Council at Monson Road Girls School, Hatcham, London SE; Alfred Ernest O'Reilly - a general clerk employed by Customs & Excise at Newington Causeway; Kathleen Nora O'Reilly - a general clerk employed by the Ministry of Labour at Queen Anne's Chambers, Westminster and John Patrick O'Reilly - a Customs and Excise Officer employed by the Board of Customs & Excise at Newington Causeway.
Electoral registers from 1931 to 1938 show her listed, with her mother and various siblings at 36 Reservoir Road, London SE4, and from 1939 at 15 Round Hill, London, SE26.
In the 1939 England and Wales Register she is listed as Anne W. O'Reilly, date of birth 6 July 1891, single, a teacher and an Air Raids Precautions warden at Lewisham Borough Council, residing at 15 Round Hill, Sydenham.
She was made an Additional Member of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) in the 1942 King's Birthday Honours List. In the she is shown as Anne Winefride O'Reilly, Acting Headmistress of Peckham High School.
Telephone directories from 1945 list her as O'Reilly, Miss A. Winefride, 15 Round Hill, SE26. FORest Hill 3878.
Her death was registered as Anne W. O'Reilly, aged 71 years, in the 1st quarter of 1963 in the Lewisham Registration District, London. Probate records list her as Annie Winefride O'Reilly, otherwise Anne Winefride O'Reilly, O.B.E.(sic), of 15 Round Hill, Sydenham, London, a spinster, who died on 22 March 1963. Probate was granted on 7 June 1963 to her sister Mary O'Reilly, a spinster and her effects totalled £4,827-15s-4d. Her on 27 March 1963 in Lewisham.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk and Andrew Behan.
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