Person    | Female  Born 17/2/1864  Died 21/9/1943

Hilda Hewlett

Categories: Aviation, Industry

Countries: New Zealand

Aviator and aircraft manufacturer. Born Hilda Beatrice Herbert in Vauxhall. The first British woman to earn a pilot's licence, in 1911. Together with her business partner, Gustav Blondeau, she founded the first flying school in the United Kingdom, and ran a successful aircraft manufacturing business which produced more than 800 aeroplanes and employed up to 700 people. After the factory closed down in 1926 she emigrated to New Zealand, where she died in Tauranga, North Island. All this information comes from the excellent sheelanagigcomedienne.

2017: Difficult to believe that the Wikipedia photo (captioned as her pilot's licence photo) depicts the same woman, or any woman from 1911, but if it does, the wig (or hat) deserves comment.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Hilda Hewlett

Commemorated ati

Hilda Hewlett

The plaque is located on the site of her first factory which was called the O...

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Chisenhale Works

Chisenhale Works

Built by Morris Cohen to produce veneer for the construction of Spitfire cockpits, as well as propellers and plywood for Mosquito aircraft. The plaque on the building says it existed from the 1930s...

Group, Aviation, Engineering

1 memorial
Sir Thomas Sopwith

Sir Thomas Sopwith

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Person, Aviation, Engineering, Sport / Games, Transport

1 memorial
Dambusters Raid

Dambusters Raid

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Event, Armed Forces, Aviation

2 memorials
Viscount Wakefield of Hythe, Charles Cheers

Viscount Wakefield of Hythe, Charles Cheers

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Person, Aviation, Commerce, Lord Mayor, Transport

2 memorials
Historic Croydon Airport Trust

Historic Croydon Airport Trust

From their website: The Historic Croydon Airport Trust was founded in 1978 as the Croydon Airport Society. It set out to conserve the history and heritage of London Croydon Airport, Britain’s first...

Group, Aviation, Community / Clubs, History

2 memorials

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London Salvage Corps

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The London Salvage Corps was set up after the Tooley Street Fire of 1861. Their job was to rescue valuables from fire, protect goods from damage by water, etc. to minimise the claims submitted to ...

Group, Emergency Services, Tragedy

1 memorial
Fusilier H. W. Sellens

Fusilier H. W. Sellens

Killed while serving with the 1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) in the Korean War, July 1952 to August 1953.

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War dead, Other war
1 memorial
Carabiniers' memorial

Carabiniers' memorial

SW1, Chelsea Embankment

{On a shield at the top of the monument:} Sixth Dragoon Guards Carabiniers. {On five scrolls beneath the shield:} Blenheim Sevastopol {s...

War dead | Other war
79 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Christ Church Spitalfields - alterations

Christ Church Spitalfields - alterations

E1, Commercial Street, Christ Church Spitalfields - porch

"Entensive" seems to be a portmanteau (mash-up) of "extensive" and "intensive".

4 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
CI - 4 - Market

CI - 4 - Market

EC3, Cornhill, 32

The carved doors are at the right of the building, behind the cyclist in our picture.  According to Esoteric London these panels, listed ...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators