Margaret Tempest

Margaret Tempest was born at 28 Fonnereau Rd Ipswich, later moving to 34 Park Rd. She attended Ipswich Art School and Westminster School of Art, graduating in 1914.

She was a founder member of the Chelsea Illustrators - a society of 20 women illustrators, who successfully worked together between 1919 and 1939. Margaret is credited with the distinctive design of Alison Utley’s Little Grey Rabbit books, which she illustrated from 1929 into the 1960s. She illustrated her own books as well as those of a wide range of authors. From London, Margaret returned to Suffolk many weekends to pursue her passion of sailing.

In 1939 Margaret moved permanently to the Ipswich area and married Sir Grimwood Mears. They moved to 3 St Edmunds Rd in January 1951, where Lady Mears continued living until her death.

A long-time member and committee member of Ipswich Art club, she exhibited her artwork till the age of 82.

The Blue plaque at 3 St Edmunds Road, Ipswich was unveiled on 8th October 2016 by members of the Ipswich Women’s Festival Group that aims to research and celebrate local women’s achievements, organising events and developing resources.

The Group started in the 1980s when it held various women’s festivals in the town. It built on the work done by a Community Education Local Women’s History Group in the 1990s, which compiled the first leaflet, and held an exhibition of Women and Work.

In 2011, the group decided to celebrate the centenary of the Census Boycott, when thirty local women avoided completing their Census forms by staying at the Old Museum Rooms overnight in a campaign to get Votes for Women. Almost 150 women came to the site of that action (now Arlington’s Brasserie) for dinner, talks and singing.