Barbara Mary Franks ( Tanner; 1907 – 1987) was an English voluntary worker. She was a

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

and took on voluntary roles including being a magistrate for twenty years. She was the wife of the

British Ambassador to the United States The British Ambassador to the United States is in charge of the British Embassy, Washington, D.C., the United Kingdom's diplomatic mission to the United States. The official title is His Majesty's Ambassador to the United States of America. T ...

after the second world war.

Life

She was born in 1907 to Agatha Mary ( Gales) and Herbert George Tanner (1882–1974). They lived at Llanfoist in

Clifton Down Clifton Down is an area of public open space in Bristol, England, north of the village of Clifton. With its neighbour Durdham Down to the northeast, it constitutes the large area known as The Downs, much used for leisure including walking and ...

in Bristol. Her father was in business and her was a magistrate. Her mother came from a Quaker family and her parent's were an electoral agent (for the Liberals) and a peace activist. Her family were non-conformist, pacifist and Liberal and they did not smoke tobacco, drink alcohol or eat meat. She went to a Quaker co-educational school in Somerset and soon took to public service. She went on to study a new course at Oxford University of Philosophy, politics and economics joining

Lady Margaret Hall Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located on the banks of the River Cherwell at Norham Gardens in north Oxford and adjacent to the University Parks. The college is more formally ...

. One of her tutors was Oliver Franks and they started a life long partnership. She married Oliver Franks in 1931; they would have two daughters. Her social activism led her to join the committee for

Oxford Eye Hospital Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. She also worked as a research assistant to the historian Sir George Clark. Her husband would learn about public service from her. Following her advice, he accepted an appointment as Professor in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

, for which they left Oxford in 1937. There she helped girls in the

Gorbals The Gorbals is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, on the south bank of the River Clyde. By the late 19th century, it had become densely populated; rural migrants and immigrants were attracted by the new industries and employment opportun ...

by helping with their Plantation Club. She worked for the wartime Foreign ministry and volunteered with the

Women's Voluntary Service The Royal Voluntary Service (known as the Women's Voluntary Services (WVS) from 1938 to 1966; Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) from 1966 to 2004 and WRVS from 2004 to 2013) is a voluntary organisation concerned with helping people in need ...

. After the war she and her husband went to Washington, where he took up his post as British Ambassador. They had consulted on this appointment, which was made by the Prime Minister. She had not wanted to leave Oxford but public service was important to both of them, and they were committed to supporting each other's endeavours. On their return to Oxford in 1952, she took on a number of voluntary roles. She chaired the bench in Oxford where she was a magistrate for over two decades. This was a role that both her father and grandfather had also undertaken. Franks was a trustee for the major charity

Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. History Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...

and she chaired

Age Concern Age Concern is the banner title used by a number of charitable organizations (NGOs) specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people (defined as those over the age of 50) based chiefly in the four countries of the United King ...

and her local

Citizens' Advice Bureau Citizens AdviceCitizens Advice is the operating name of The National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux which is the umbrella charity for a wider network of local advice centres. The abbreviation CitA is sometimes used to refer to this nation ...

. She was involved as a governor of a borstal, a detention centre, a detention centre and two prisons. She also took up painting with some success. She died in 1987. Her husband died in 1992.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Franks, Barbara 1907 births 1987 deaths British Quakers Trustees of charities People from Bristol Alumni of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford