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At the time of her death in 2020, Freda Howlett was the last person whose membership and recollections went back to our very beginning in 1951.
On receiving her Associateship of the Library Association, Freda took up a post at Marylebone Library and consequently was one of the group of five people who organised the hugely popular Sherlock Holmes exhibition as part of the Festival of Britain in 1951, in the course of which our Society was established. She married Tony Howlett, her fellow organiser, the following year.
Although it was Tony Howlett whose great enthusiasm, organisational skills and dedication drove our Society forward for so many years, men’s success often depends on the work and support of their wives. And Freda was just such a person – quietly supporting Tony throughout their married life, enjoying shared enthusiasms for the stories and Society events, particularly those taking place abroad, in Switzerland and elsewhere.
Freda was at the centre of the Society for seven decades, and after Tony’s sad death in 2003, she was the unanimous choice to succeed him as President, a role she took on for the next six years, until she decided in her ninety-first year that she should step down. During her years as President her wise counsel to the Society continued to be of great value. But it was not just her advice and opinions that were valued, for Freda’s eyes always sparkled with joy and delight when offering her thoughts. It is a rare talent to retain so much joie de vivre at such an age.
Freda’s rôle in our Society, and in the wider world of Sherlock Holmes, was formally recognised by the Baker Street Irregulars in 2010 with the presentation of a unique crystal bowl, bearing the images of Queen Victoria and Sherlock Holmes and a personal dedication. Ten years on, the BSI awarded her the Irregular Shilling and the titular investiture of “The British Government”, previously held by Pamela Bruxner.
In 2018 her 100th birthday was celebrated quietly with a few friends. Her wit and sparkle, and her recollections, were still there, and were maintained almost to the end. She was a very remarkable woman, and her memory will be treasured.
This summary is based on the recollections written by Shirley Purves, Guy Marriott, Bob Ellis, Kathryn White & David Stuart Davies Audrey & David Jones Roger Johnson & Jean Upton which appeared in the SHJ 34/4 Summer 2020
