Ethel Houston (19 April 1924 – 30 November 2017) was a solicitor, Enigma code breaker, and the first woman to become senior partner at a Scottish law firm. She served on the

Law Society A law society is an association of lawyers with a regulatory role that includes the right to supervise the training, qualifications, and conduct of lawyers. Where there is a distinction between barristers and solicitors, solicitors are regulated ...

's Council between 1975 and 1981, one of the first women to hold the position. She also served on the Royal Commission on Legal Services in Scotland, and the Commission for Racial Equality.

Early life and education

Houston was born in

Albacete Albacete (, also , ; ar, ﭐَلبَسِيط, Al-Basīṭ) is a city and municipality in the Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha, and capital of the province of Albacete. Lying in the south-ea ...

, Spain, in 1924 to Christian Brethren parents who worked as missionaries in the country. Her mother was also called Ethel. Houston had two siblings, including an elder brother James. Houston's parents moved to

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

in 1931, and sent her to

James Gillespie's High School James Gillespie's High School is a state-funded secondary school in Marchmont, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a comprehensive high school, educating pupils between the ages of 11 and 18, situated at the centre of Edinburgh. Edinburgh Castle and Holy ...

for girls. She later attended Skerry's College, and at the encouragement of her father fitted two years of work into three months, in order to pass entrance exams to the University of Edinburgh. In 1940, and at the age of 16, Houston entered the University of Edinburgh, along with her elder brother James. Following her graduation with an MA in 1943, she applied for a Bachelor of Laws, whilst undertaking an apprenticeship at Balfour & Manson. However, she was soon called up for military service, the University having alerted the military to her suitability.

Career

She was one of the first recruits to Bletchley Park and worked in Hut 6 during the final year of World War Two. Under Gordon Welchman's command, Houston worked to improve

Alan Turing Alan Mathison Turing (; 23 June 1912 – 7 June 1954) was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist. Turing was highly influential in the development of theoretical com ...

's Bombe machine and compiled lists of messages used to create its menus. After being demobbed, she returned to University, and in 1947 became a solicitor. In 1949, Houston was made partner of Scottish law firm Balfour and Manson. She was one of only four partners at the firm, and the first woman to be made senior partner at a Scottish firm. In 1981, she was awarded an OBE, and in 2009, honorary membership of the Law Society.

Death and legacy

Houston died in

, aged 93 and is survived by nieces and nephews. She was described in her obituary as a “non-conformist, feisty and a fiercely independent thinker”.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Houston, Ethel 1924 births 2017 deaths People from Albacete Bletchley Park women British expatriates in Spain Officers of the Order of the British Empire Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scottish solicitors Foreign Office personnel of World War II