Meriel Talbot

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Dame Meriel Lucy Talbot DBE (16 June 1866–15 December 1956) was a British public servant and women's welfare worker.

She was born in Westminster, the daughter of the politician John Gilbert Talbot and his wife Meriel Sarah, daughter of George Lyttelton, 4th Baron Lyttelton. She was educated at Kensington High School. From 1901 to 1916 she served as secretary to the Victoria League, and in this capacity travelled widely throughout the British Empire.

In 1915 she served on the official advisory committee for the repatriation of enemy aliens. In 1916 she was appointed the first woman inspector with the Board of Agriculture and in 1917 she became director of the Women's Branch of the Board, in charge of the recruitment and co-ordination of the Women's Land Army. She stayed at the new Ministry of Agriculture after the First World War, becoming advsier on women's employment in 1920. She retired in 1921, but continued to perform public work, serving as intelligence officer for the Overseas Settlement Department and on a number of official committees, including the Royal Commission on Police Powers and Procedure in 1929. In the 1930s she became chairman of the BBC Central Appeals Advisory Committee. From 1935 to 1951 she was chairman of the London Council for the Welfare of Women and Girls.

For her work with the Board of Agriculture she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1917, and promoted to Commander (CBE) in 1918 and Dame Commander (DBE) in the 1920 civilian war honours.

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