Marguerite Wilson

Marguerite Wilson (1918–1972) was a record-breaking cyclist from Bournemouth. In 1939 she broke the Land's End to John o' Groats and 1,000-mile (1,600 km) records. When World War II stopped her efforts in 1941 she held every Women's Road Records Association (R.R.A.) bicycle record.[3] For her achievements she was celebrated in the Golden Book of Cycling[3] and received the Bidlake Memorial Prize.[4]

Marguerite Wilson
Personal information
Full nameMarguerite Wilson
Born(1918-03-04)4 March 1918
 England
Died1972[1]
Team information
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Amateur teams
?–1937Bournemouth Arrow CC
1938West Croydon Wheelers
Professional team
1939–1941?Hercules[2]
Major wins
1939 — Land's End to John o' Groats

Career

Wilson started racing in 1935, when she was 17.[5] She broke three records riding as an amateur in 1938.[3] Then in 1939 she turned professional[5] and broke 11 records (including two of her own from 1938). The pinnacle of her year was completing the End to End ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats in 2 d 22 h 52 min, continuing to complete the 1,000 miles in a record 3 d 11 h 44 min. When World War II stopped her efforts in 1941 she held all 16 Women's R.R.A. bicycle records.[3] In her career she won over 50 medals and trophies,[6] including the Frederick Thomas Bidlake Memorial Plaque for her End-to-End record.[5]

Palmarès
1935
21/07/1935, 10 Mile Solo Record — 29 min 14 s[7]
1936
26/07/1936, 10 Mile Solo Record — 28 min 54 s[7]
05/09/1936, 10 Mile Solo Record — 28 min 02 s[7]
1937
06/06/1937, 10 Mile Solo Record — 27 min 57 s[7]
1938
19/06/1938, 10 Mile Solo Record — 27 min 15 s[7]
1939
29/08/1939–2/09/1939, Land’s End to John O’Groats in 2 d 22 h 52 min[3]
29/08/1939–2/09/1939, 1,000 miles in 3 d 11 h 44 min[3]

Honours

In 1939 she received the annual Bidlake Memorial Prize that has been awarded from 1934 until the present in honour of Frederick Thomas Bidlake. Her citation says:

Marguerite Wilson for her bicycle records, Land’s End to John O’Groats in 2 d 22 h 52 min and 1,000 miles in 3 d 11 h 44 min accomplished in one ride, 29th August – 2nd September 1939.[4]

On 30 April 1947 her achievements were celebrated in the Golden Book of Cycling.[3]

Personal life

Marguerite Wilson was a stewardess for British Overseas Airways Corporation (B.O.A.C) in 1948, working Short Flying boats from the Marine Airway terminal, Solent, Southampton, Hampshire.[8][9]

References
  1. "Marguerite Wilson". Cycling Archives. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  2. Spoke — Quarterly Magazine of the Meridian CC, September 2008
  3. "Road Records Association — Marguerite Wilson page from The Golden Book". Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
  4. Bidlake Memorial Recipients — 1939 — Marguerite Wilson
  5. The Bicycle, UK, 5 March 1941, p11
  6. Museum of American Heritage archive — Social history of the bicycle Archived 6 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Cycle Time Trials — South DC — Records
  8. Journal, Fellowship of Cycling Old-Timers vol 143 p9
  9. British Pathe library 1249.07 | Airways Girl (1:08:21:00 - 1:09:29:00) 05/07/1948 - 14 images (and 68 second film clip) of Marguerite Wilson as B.O.A.C. stewardess and track cyclist. Archived 12 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine


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