BORN in Edinburgh almost 100 years ago Margaret Wollacott had lived in Devon for a large part of her life.

Margaret was 97 when she died last month. She had lived in or near Crediton for more than 70 years, apart from the past 16 months when she lived at Cadogan Court Residential Home in Exeter.

The service of thanksgiving for her life, held at the Exeter and Devon Crematorium on Monday, July 31, was taken by John Gooding.

The first of four children, Margaret began school at the age of four-and-a-half years in Edinburgh, making life-long friends.

Her first job was as a secretary at the Clydesdale Bank in Edinburgh where she met Gerald Allard. They married and moved to Wick where Gerald worked with the Ministry of Defence.

Told that the Westcountry would be good for Gerald’s health, they moved to Lower Coombe Cottage near Coleford in the 1940s. There was no running water and Margaret had to push the pram for their two children across the field to begin to get into Crediton.

Later they moved again, this time to a house on Church Street, Crediton. But in 1953, Gerald died, leaving Margaret with the three children - Christopher, Diane and Christine.

Having to look after her family, Margaret became secretary at Hayward’s School, working for at least two years with Charlie Luxton as head, he who wrote an excellent history of Crediton.

In 1956 she married Bill Wollacott, moving to 42 High Street where Margaret lived for the rest of her life.

They were involved in the Conservative Club on Searle Street, Margaret belonged to Toc H, long since closed at Crediton, and she was a member and Church Registrar at Crediton Congregational Church.

From her school days Margaret had loved mathematics and history, she joined the National Trust and became an authority on the history of Crediton. She was also a member of Crediton History and Museum Society.

In 1967 Bill died, leaving Margaret a widow for the second time, but she got on with life and worked first at Woodcraft on Exeter Road and then for Helmores estate agents.

As well as her three children, Margaret leaves four grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Donations in lieu of flowers were for Cadogan Court.

Margaret’s family thank everyone for their support. She had a wit and canny observations on life that will make her much missed by family and friends.

Sue Read