My mother, Jean Selwyn, who has died aged 96, was a determined campaigner, an opponent of injustice and a keen supporter of women’s rights, particularly with regard to the advancement of women in the Church of England.
The youngest of four children of Ronald Smith, a barrister, and his wife, Margaret (nee Reid), Jean was born and spent her early life in London. Like so many others of her age, her life was profoundly affected by the second world war.
She trained as a nurse with the Voluntary Aid Detachment unit and later worked at Bletchley Park, the Buckinghamshire headquarters of Britain’s wartime codebreakers. In 1942 she married Christopher Selwyn, who lost his life three years later while serving with the Parachute Regiment, leaving his widow with a small son.
For a time, Jean lived in the village of Iden, East Sussex, where she was secretary to the local WI. She later trained as a hospital almoner and, in 1948, remarried. Her second husband, the musician Edward Selwyn, was Christopher’s brother. She and Edward had three more children, and together they created a household at Carlton Hill, north-west London, which warmly welcomed lodgers and visitors alike.
Jean’s life was characterised by giving help to all those facing difficulties, never more so than when she worked for the Westminster Society for People with Learning Disabilities.
She was instrumental in setting up Frances House, the first day nursery in London for children with learning difficulties, of which she became chair. Her close involvement with this project led her to recognise the dearth of facilities for respite care for the families. To remedy this she worked hard to set up Alison House in 1977, actively supporting both staff and families.
Edward died in 1982, and in 2006 Jean moved to Dereham, Norfolk, to be near her daughter’s family. There, she enjoyed a close involvement with St Nicholas parish church. She loved her garden, going for walks in the Norfolk air and receiving visits from her many friends and relatives.
She is survived by her children, Thomas, Phyllis, William and me, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
