Group of women who were working at the Pilton Glove Factory in 1940 – Mary, Jane (Jennie), Connie, Muriel, Pat, Lucy, Doris and Heather.
The photograph shows back row (l. to r.): Mary Davis, Jane ‘Jennie’ Hobbs and Connie Hill, centre (l. to r.) Muriel Clark, Pat Folland and Lucy Mitchell, front (l. to r.) Doris Chugg and Heather Paddon. Apart from Mary, Connie and Muriel, who were slightly older, the other five were about 16-17 years old. Muriel Clark was a Londoner who came down as an evacuee from the bombing. In 2012, Heather and Jennie were still living in Barnstaple, Jennie in Pilton.
Glove making at the Pilton Glove Factory dates from 1854 and by 1882 it was employing 200 workers and producing 200 different gloves which were exported around the world. Eventually in 1930 the factory passed to Dent Allcroft and Company but glove manufacture finally ceased in 1973. During the Second World War, it made special gloves for the war – airman’s gloves with electrically heated linings, white silk gloves (3 layers for warmth) and anti-flash gloves for gunners.