Chiswick Historian Gillian Clegg Dies

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Contribution to local history and archivist work praised

The well-known Chiswick author, archivist and local historian, Gillian Clegg has died following a long illness.

She was the author of a number of books on Chiswick, the most recent 'Chiswick House and Gardens: A History' was published last year.

Other books included Chiswick Past (1995); The Chiswick Book (2004); Brentford and Chiswick Pubs (2005) and several articles on local history for a variety of publications. She also compiled a website chiswickhistory.org.uk.

The Director of Chiswick House and Gardens Trust, Sarah Finch-Crisp said: “All of us at Chiswick House and Gardens Trust are very sad to learn of Gill’s death and will remember her fondly. As a local historian and author she made a tremendous contribution to our knowledge and appreciation of Chiswick House and Gardens – especially through the publication of her most recent book ‘Chiswick House and Gardens A History’. As a volunteer in the Kitchen Garden Project in its early days and until very recently working as a Volunteer Archivist, Gill’s enthusiasm and contribution to Chiswick remains an inspiration. She will be much missed.“

The Chairman of the Brentford and Chiswick Local History Society, James Wisdom said:

"The Society owes an enormous debt to Gill for her work as the Honorary Editor of our annual Brentford & Chiswick Local History Journal. In 1996 she revived the Journal and oversaw its editing and production until 2007. She set it on a firm footing, balancing high quality and reliable historical content with material presented so well that it was able to reach a wide, general audience. We are very proud of the Journal, and will always remember Gill with gratitude for setting such a high standard."

Gillian Clegg was a member of the West London Archaeological Field Group for over 20 years. The Group worked with the Museum of London's archaeology department carrying out excavations in West London, and she wrote the book the Group published in 1991 on the "Archaeology of Hounslow"-a guide to the archaeological history of the Borough as revealed by excavations in the area.

The editor of the Brentford & Chiswick Local History Journal, Carolyn Hammond said ;

“Everyone who knew Gill is devastated by the news of her death-her enthusiasm and interest in the local history of this area will be greatly missed.”

Her publishers Armadillo Central, said: " We shall miss her incisive wit, her compassionate and sensitive yet razor sharp approach, her precision with words, her thorough attitude to research and her talent for instilling clarity and passion into even the driest of subjects."

Gillian Clegg had lived in Chiswick for thirty-five years. In 2010 she was honoured by the Mayor of Hounslow for creating an archive of documents and records relating to Chiswick House.

February 24, 2012