Name Gillian Gear | ||
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Gillian Carol Gear, BEM, (1943 – 29 September 2015) was an English local historian who was archivist of Barnet Museum and helped to ensure the survival of the museum after funding was withdrawn by the London Borough of Barnet.
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Early life and family
Gillian Carol Pymm was born in 1943 and received her basic education at Mount Grace School. She married Michael Gear and they had three sons, Nicholas, Timothy and Christopher.
In her spare time, Gear was a keen horsewoman.
Career
Gear was a specialist in local history who gained an MA in social and industrial history from Middlesex University and a PhD on industrial schools from the University of London.
She was archivist of Barnet Museum and helped to ensure the survival of the museum after funding was withdrawn by the London Borough of Barnet. She was secretary of Barnet Museum and Local History Society and of the Hertfordshire Association for Local History.
Gear was awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2014 Birthday Honours, "For services to History in the London Borough of Barnet and Hertfordshire".
Death
Towards the end of her life, Gear suffered from ill health and received hospital treatment. She died on 29 September 2015 and was survived by her husband and sons.