Description

Admin History:

Frances was born in 1916, the only daughter of Lawrence and Kate Grogan, whose families had come over from Ireland. Lawrence was a stone mason, and his work includes the scroll decoration on the original entrance to Paragon Station on Anlaby Road. They would eventually become the stewards of the Irish Club on Pryme Street. Frances lost both her parents in 1922, her mother in child birth and father to silicosis just 16 weeks later. After a short time in a children’s home in Hull, Frances went to live with other members of the extended family in Batley, West Yorkshire. The family, Frances included, eventually moved to Hull.

In 1937, both aged 21 years-old, Frances married Charles Brady in Hull's Sacred Heart Church. It was through him perhaps Frances would become deeply involved in the city's political life. Unable to have children of their own, Frances and Charles would adopt Paul in 1945, and Rita, who was born the same year. In 1964 Frances was elected to the council for Sutton Ward, serving on several committees and becoming the first woman chairman of the governors of Marist School. Charles would become the regional representative of the International Confederation of Trade Unions, this resulted in both of them moving to south east Asia in 1968.

1970 saw them return to Britain, with Frances again elected to the city council, this time for Holderness Ward, and in 1979 she became chair of the Housing Committee. Charles was elected to Humberside County Council, where he would serve on the Police Committee, eventually becoming chairman. Frances became Deputy Lord Mayor for Hull in 1983-1984 and was the first Catholic woman to be Lord Mayor in 1984-1985. In 1987, Frances was made an Honorary Alderman. After Charles died in 1992, Frances stood down from the council but continued her involvement in local politics and the church, before she died in February 2013, aged 96. Her nephew, Steve Brady, would go on to become leader of the city council and her niece, Mary Glew would become Lord Mayor in 2014.

Description:

Includes papers regarding Frances Brady's role as Deputy Lord Mayor for Hull in 1983-1984 and Lord Mayor in 1984-1985; papers regarding her work in the Far East with her husband, Charles Brady, fostering the Trade Union Movement; and papers relating to the Catholic Church in Hull, particularly relating to the Catholic Social Guild and later the Rerum Novarum Group.