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To stave off the loneliness, she busied herself with her property work, Irene made her first television appearance in 1953 to discuss her
dealing with all the emergencies caused by the bombing raids over work in housing. In 1959 she was beamed into homes again for a
London, and expanded her writing and speaking. In September 1939, rather different reason: on 9th November 1959 her husband John was
the Women’s Group on Public Welfare had been set up in response to surprised by Eamonn Andrews with his big red book for ‘This is Your
the outcry caused by the first wave of evaluations. Newspapers were full Life’. In 1946, he had started working with Margaret McEwan on the
of headlines about city children turning up in rural communities dirty Dutch Relief Scheme. From there they had founded International Help
and infested with head-lice. A thorough investigation was needed to for Children, a charity to give holidays to British children left in
understand the root causes and Irene joined Margaret Bondfield and poverty and European children who were now refugees as a result of
Marjory Allen, among others, on the original committee. It took three the war. When John died in 1966, his memorial service was attended
years to complete and publish the report. by over 600 people.

In 1943, Irene participated in a conference on The Homes of the Irene received an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire)
Future in Tyneside alongside Irene Ward, the MP for North Tyneside. She for her work in 1966, which she continued for another six years,
laid out the six principles she saw as being key to success: central finally retiring in 1972. She subsequently wrote about her work in two
supervision of building materials and layouts; careful selection of books, providing a valuable record of career but revealing relatively
building land; types of foundation and position of estates; reasonable little about her personal life. She lived her last years in Canada to be
rent charges; decent sized rooms; houses instead of flats where possible. nearer her children.
She joined the Heating and Ventilating Committee of the Ministry of Her life and work is commemorated in the house named after her
Reconstruction, one of only two women working alongside twenty on Eversholt Street in London and in May 2024 a blue plaque at 1A St
men. From this came the Women’s Committee for Solid Fuel (Coal), Martin’s House, Polygon Road was unveiled by her grandson.
completing a triumvirate of organizations exploring domestic energy You can also find out more about the history of Somerstown,
sources, the others being the including the role Irene played, at the People’s Museum at 52 Phoenix
Electrical Association of Women Road, NW1.
and the Women’s Gas Council. In
1946, she was one of the participants Sources include:
in a conference to discuss ‘Fuel and The Woman’s Leader 8/12/1922; 10/8/1923; 17/10/1924; Daily
the Future’ alongside Caroline Herald 29/9/1933; Westminster and Pimlico News 5/5/1944
Haslett.
Reports by Irene Barclay and Evelyn Perry: Westminster Survey
Post war activities Group: Report on and Survey of Housing Conditions in the Victoria
At the end of the war Evelyn came Ward, Westminster (April 1927); Behind Princes Street A Contrast:
back to the UK but was not in good Report on Survey of Housing Conditions of 443 families situated in
enough health to return to the St Andrew’s Ward Edinburgh (June 1931)
partnership. Irene carried on with a ‘Property Management’ by Irene Barclay in The Road to Success
re-configured team. She expanded by Margaret Cole (1936); The St Pancras Housing Association in
her reach beyond housing, taking a Camden: What it is and why – A History 1924 to 1972 by Irene
seat on the board of North Thames Barclay (1973); People Need Roots: The Story of the St Pancras
Gas in 1949, which she held for Housing Association by Irene Barclay (1976)
twelve years, the only woman, but
most of her activities were connected Father: Basil Martin, An Impossible Parson (1935); Father Figures
to agenda of social justice. by Kingsley Martin (1966)
‘Housing Happenings in Somers Town’ by Roland Jeffery in
She continued to drive change in
the industry as well as for residents. Twentieth Century Architecture 9: Housing the Twentieth Century
She had joined the Society of Women Nation (2008) ed Elain Harwood and Alan Powers
Housing Managers right at the start By Lizzie Broadbent
of her career and her team was Lizzie is a business consultant, specializing in
composed entirely of women, but organizational culture and change, who also
she wanted to see more men working
in property management who shared writes about the lives and experiences of business
women a century ago. She has contributed
the Society’s management principles.
She proposed dropping the word profiles to the National Portrait Gallery, the
‘Women’ from the Society’s name and the resolution was carried in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and a range of national
1948. It had little effect so in 1965 the SHM merged with the Institute of publications. You can visit her blog “Women Who Meant Business”
Housing to create the Institute of Housing Managers, now the Chartered at https://womenwhomeantbusiness.com/.
Institute of Housing.
EMPIRE STATE SURVEYOR / VOL. 61 • NO 2 / 2025 • MARCH/APRIL 17