Photo: Dorothy Hall

Photo: Dorothy Hall

The
Honorary Freedom
of
The City of Durham
conferred on
Mrs Helena Rosa Duncombe Shafto
By the Town Council
23 June 1919

Sunderland Echo 17/01/1938 reports:-

Durham City's first and only woman to receive the honorary freedom of the City and the first and only woman magistrate to occupy the City Bench, Mrs Helena Rosa Duncombe Shafto O.B.E., died yesterday morning at her residence, 9 South Bailey, in her 84th years.

She had been in poor health for several weeks, but there were hopes of her recovery and news of her death came as something of a shock. She leaves one daughter, Miss Shafto, who had been her devoted companion for many years. Her husband Mr Charles Duncombe Shafto, Chairman of Durham County Bench died in the first year of the Great War. Her second son, Captain Arthur Shafto, of the Royal Scots was killed during the retreat from Mons. The eldest son Lieut. Charles Shafto, fell in action in the South African campaign and her third son George, died when 17.

Mrs Shafto, notwithstanding all the grief she suffered was never idle and worked unceasingly on behalf of good causes in the city and county. She devoted all her activities to providing comforts for men of the Durham Light Infantry held prisoners of war in Germany during the War. The fund for them had its headquarters in her home, which became a warehouse and an office and she gathered round her hosts of willing helpers.

When the Armistice was declared she had on the books the names of 4,539 Durham men who were prisoners of who had received constant help from the fund. It was chiefly because of that work that the citizens of Durham decided to confer upon her the freedom of the city. The ceremony took place in June 1919.

Mrs Shafto was a governor of Sherburn Hospital, secretary of the Durham County Committee of the Royal Albert Institution Lancaster, president of the Durham Division Women's Unionist Association and was closely connected with St. Catherine's Home. She was regularly present at St. Margaret's Church, to which she gave liberally and inside the ancient building are memorials to her husband and sons. Sympathetic reference to her passing was made yesterday at St. Margaret's by the Rector (the Rev C.J. Thurlow) and at the Cathedral morning service the Dean (Dr C.A. Alington) announced that at the close the Dead March would be played out of respect to Mrs Shafto.

The funeral is to take place on Wednesday at Brancepeth.