I never knew my grandmother, Mary Ellen Kerr Peach. Then some old letters came into my possession; my paper chase began. I learnt how she epitomized the young, educated women of a century ago who sought to shatter the shibboleths of sexism by persistence and conviction. She wanted to teach, and thus guide girls and boys equally towards worthwhile adulthood. She died too young but in the time available to her, I hope she was content to have made her mark, if not any headlines. I feel certain we all have a Mary Ellen in our family histories; it just needed, in my case, a little shoebox to set me on the trail.
