Gertrude Maretta Paul (6 September 1934 – 7 January 1992) was a teacher and advocate for the

British Caribbean The British West Indies (BWI) were the territories in the West Indies under British rule, including Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas ...

community in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

Biography

Paul was born on 6 September 1934 in Parson's Ground Village on the Caribbean island Saint Kitt's, one of eleven children. She moved to

Leeds, England Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

in 1956. Despite having been awarded a teaching training qualification in

Antigua Antigua ( ; ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the local population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua ...

, when she arrived in England she was required to complete a British training course, which she did at the James Graham College of Education (now part of

Leeds Beckett University Leeds Beckett University (LBU), formerly known as Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) and before that as Leeds Polytechnic, is a public university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has campuses in the Leeds city centre, city centre and Hea ...

) and graduated in the early 1960s. Paul was the first black teacher in

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

. In 1976 she became the first black headteacher in the city, running Elmhurst Middle School (later known as Bracken Edge Primary School). A community builder, she was one of the founders of the Leeds West Indian Carnival, which is one of the longest running

West Indian A West Indian is a native or inhabitant of the West Indies (the Antilles and the Lucayan Archipelago). According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED''), the term ''West Indian'' in 1597 described the indigenous inhabitants of the West In ...

carnivals in Europe and the longest running in the UK. She was a co-founder and president of the United Caribbean Association in Leeds, and also served on the UK government's

Commission for Racial Equality In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...

. She died on 7 January 1992, of a heart attack, in Saint Kitts.

Legacy

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...

commemorates her at the school she worked at, Elmhurst Middle School, now Bracken Edge Primary, unveiled in 2011 by Leeds Civic Trust. Paul was nominated for the plaque by members of Chapeltown Heritage Trust. In May 2020 Leeds Beckett University launched the Gertrude Paul Doctoral Studentship, which will enable research into how numeracy and literacy can be improved for primary school children from African and Caribbean backgrounds. On 5 May 2024, it was announced that Gertrude Paul would have her name engraved on a new Ribbons metal sculpture in Leeds city centre. Designed by Pippa Hale, the sculpture will celebrate 348 women past and present who have contributed to the city as chosen by the public.

References

External links

Women Of Leeds: Gertrude Paul The Inspirational Head Teacher – Welcome to Leeds
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul, Gertrude 1934 births 1992 deaths Heads of schools in Yorkshire Saint Kitts and Nevis emigrants to the United Kingdom Leeds Blue Plaques 20th-century British educators Alumni of Leeds Beckett University People from Saint Kitts Schoolteachers from Yorkshire 20th-century British women educators