Elizabeth Ralph (archivist)


Elizabeth Ralph was a British archivist and historian, who was City Archivist for Bristol, 1940–1971.

Life

Ralph's family came from Yorkshire, but she was brought up in Bristol, attending Fairfield Grammar School. She was trained by David Evans of the Public Record Office. Ralph joined Bristol Archive Office as a clerk in 1937 before being rapidly promoted to the position of City Archivist in 1939. During World War II she was responsible for moving Bristol's historic records to the disused Portway railway tunnel, which protected them from the Bristol Blitz. Ralph herself narrowly escaped death during the War when her house in Henleaze was destroyed by a German bomb, from which she had to be dug out.
After World War II, Ralph served as the first female chair of the Society of Archivists. She was General Secretary for the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society for 38 years, Assistant Editor of the Bristol Record Society from 1946 and an active member of Bristol civic and conservation societies, including the Council for the Preservation of Ancient Bristol. 'Miss Ralph' was a noted scholar, who published many works on Bristol history.
Ralph was committed to advancing the position of women. She was twice president of the Bristol Soroptimists and was their Secretary from 1940 to 1961. Within the society Miss Ralph was sometimes humorously referred to as 'Elizabeth Regina'.
She died 10 January 2000 at her home in Clifton, aged 88, following a series of strokes. Her funeral took place at her church of All Saints, Clifton.

Honours

Ralph received an Honorary master's degree from the University of Bristol in 1953 and an Honorary Doctorate in 1993 for her services to Bristol and to Bristol scholarship.
Following her death in 2000, the Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society published a festschrift in her honour. A plaque was also unveiled in her honour at Bristol Archives.
In 2017, the Bristol Post named Ralph among the city's top 100 women. In 2018, she was named a 'Great Westerner' by Great Western Railways. A new Intercity Express was named after her and a commemorative 'coin' issued in her honour.