First warranted woman police officer would be 'touched' by new exhibition, says granddaughter

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An exhibition about the country's first warranted woman police constable has opened in Grantham.

The display at Grantham Museum is the culmination of a 13-month community fundraising effort and years of research into Edith Smith.

Her granddaughter, Margaret Smith, said she would be touched by the effort that has gone into the exhibition and how fondly today's police officers think of her.

Amanda Schonhut launched the campaign to raise money for the exhibition

At the outbreak of WWI, Edith Smith was part of the Women's Police Service (WPS), a national voluntary organisation led by Damer Dawson. But in 1915, in Grantham, Edith became the first woman to become a police constable with the full power of arrest.

Courtney Finn, who has spent ten years researching Edith Smith, said there is no evidence she ever actually arrested anybody, but when she was given her warrant card her name was written into the history books.

A list at the exhibition shows the kinds of cases Edith Smith dealt with

She dealt with a range of cases related to women including prostitution, drunkenness, helping 'fallen girls' and cautioning 'bad women'.

Edith Smith's warrant card

At the age of 46, five years after leaving the force, Edith took her own life. Such were the attitudes of many to suicide, she was buried in an unmarked grave.

In 2018, money was raised for a headstone and a special ceremony was held to celebrate her life.

Amanda Schonhut, the director of fundraising at the museum said it was important that the less well-known details of Edith's life and work were brought to the fore in an exhibition and described it as a 'wonderful' project to be part of.

"Despite the difficulties Edith had in her life, she achieved great things and I hope that women and young girls visiting the museum will go away feeling inspired by that," she said.