AUTHOR Margaret Mary Maison was born in Beaconsfield, Bucks in 1920. Her links with Swanage started in her childhood, during family holidays. Educated at Harrow County Girls’ Grammar, Margaret studied English Liter-ature and German at London University before spending a year in Oxford and obtaining a post graduate Diploma of Education.

When war broke out her college (Kings’) was evacuated to Bristol. While there she had a wonderful time socially and was involved in fire watching duties. Margaret never forgot the smell of burning chocolate after the nearby chocolate factory was bombed.

The Second World War had a tragic impact on her life; she lost her older brother Dick and her fiancé Stanley was killed at sea.

Margaret converted to the Catholic faith in 1943 in Oxford, aided by the Jesuits. Her religion was always important to her, helping her cope at difficult times in her life.

She had a romantic encounter on the Isle of Wight ferry as she made her way to a teaching post. Her suitcase was rather heavy and three uniformed men ran to help her. Her future husband, Captain Lucien Maison of the French Air Force was the first to reach her. They married in 1945 and had three children.

The couple lived in London. Margaret taught foreign students at Davies’s School of English and studied for her PhD in English Literature. She loved the combination of domesticity and academic study. She also studied in the British Museum Library. In 1961 Margaret wrote “Con- fessions of a Headmaster’s Wife”, a novel loosely based on her husband’s boys’ private school, under the nom de plume Margaret Clare. She also penned “Search your soul Eustace” (1961) a non-fiction book about 19th century religious literature, and an English Grammar textbook “Examine Your English” which circulated around India.

For years she marked English Grammar ‘O’ Level Examination papers as well as editing and abridging classic novels for Orient Longmans.

In 1969 tragedy struck when Margaret’s third child, Louis-Philippe, had a mental breakdown at university. She responded by becoming a member of the National Schizophrenia Fellowship which has done so much to help people understand mental health better.

Following Louis’ breakdown, she sought solace in freelance research work, writing articles for magazines like the Fellowship of Reconciliation and Pax Christi. She was a pacifist, vegetarian and a strong supporter of the peace movements including CND.

Margaret moved to Oxford in 1972 and joined the Bodleian Library. She studied there for 30 years, forging strong friendships through her research work.

After moving to Swanage in 1989, she kept up her work in Oxford, travelling by train around three times a week. Margaret had a rich and full life. She loved railway travel, art, poetry and animals, as well as TV sitcoms.

The last ten years were difficult, as age related senile dementia gradually affected her life. The mother-of-three, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away peacefully at Dorset House, Poole on January 26, aged 92. Her funeral service was held at the Church of the Holy Spirit and St Edward in Swanage on February 19.