Anna Suckling
{{Short description|English Girl Guide leader (1863-1946)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Anna Suckling
| birth_name = Anna Maria Jerome
| birth_date = 1863
| birth_place = Sutton Coldfield, England
| death_date = 9 April 1946
| death_place = Oxford, England
| occupation = Girl Guide leader
| spouse = {{marriage| Cornelius William Suckling |1881}}
| children = 2
}}
Anna Suckling (1863 – 9 April 1946) was the first County commissioner for Girl Guides in Warwickshire. She was recipient of the Silver Fish Award, the Girl Guide movement's highest award for adults.{{Cite news |last= |date=1921-07-08 |title=Lady Baden-Powell at Leamington |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000635/19210708/153/0007 |work=Leamington Spa Courier |location=Leamington Spa, UK |page=7}}
Personal life
Anna Maria Jerome was born in 1863 to John and Mary Jerome. She was the oldest of five children. The family home was Holland House, Sutton Coldfield.{{Cite web |last=Roger Lea |title=Holland House [293] |url=https://sclhrg.org.uk/history-spot/108-articles-281-320/1709-holland-house-293.html |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=sclhrg.org.uk|date=17 January 2014 }} She married Cornelius William Suckling (1856–1935), a surgeon, in 1881.{{Cite news |last= |date=1881-08-09 |title=Marriages |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/392255849/?terms=%22Cornelius%20Suckling%22&match=1 |work=The Pall Mall Gazette |location=London, UK |page=5}} They lived in Edgbaston{{Cite news |last= |date=1913-07-10 |title=Birmingham Girl Guides |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002113/19130710/142/0006 |work=Melton Mowbray mercury and Oakham and Uppingham News |location=Melton Mowbray, UK |page=6}} and had two sons, John and Cornelius. She was living in Oxford when she died.{{Citation |title=England & Wales, National Probate Calendar |page=616 |year=1946 |publisher=Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1995 |via=Ancestry.com}}
Girl Guides
Suckling became involved with Girl Guiding in 1910, one year after the movement's foundation.{{Cite news |last= |date=1921-10-21 |title=Warwickshire Girl Guides |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003335/19211021/082/0005 |work=Midland Counties Tribune |location=Nuneaton, UK |page=5}} Between 1913 and 1921 she served as the first County Commissioner for Girl Guiding in Warwickshire.{{Cite news |last= |date=1916-01-07 |title=Baden-Powell Girl Guides |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000635/19160107/086/0004 |work=Leamington Spa Courier |location=Leamington Spa, UK |page=4}} Suckling organised the movement across the Midlands with membership increasing so significantly during her time that between 1912 and 1921 six additional Division Commissioners were appointed.{{Cite news |last= |date=1921-07-01 |title=County Rally of Girl Guides |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000635/19210701/105/0004 |work=Leamington Spa Courier |location=Leamington Spa, UK |page=4}} In July 1913, Lord and Lady Baden-Powell inspected 150 Girl Guides representing nine companies at the Suckling's home.{{Cite news |last= |date=1913-07-10 |title=Birmingham Girl Guides |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002113/19130710/142/0006 |work=Melton Mowbray mercury and Oakham and Uppingham News |location=Melton Mowbray, UK |page=6}}
Suckling received the Silver Fish Award, Girl Guiding's highest adult honour, in 1921. It was presented by the Chief Guide, Lady Olave Baden-Powell, at Warwickshire's first Guide Rally, at Shrubland Park in Leamington Spa.{{Cite news |last= |date=1921-07-08 |title=Lady Baden-Powell at Leamington |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000635/19210708/153/0007 |work=Leamington Spa Courier |location=Leamington Spa, UK |page=7}} Suckling resigned from her position as County Commissioner in October 1921{{Cite news |last= |date=1921-10-21 |title=Girl Guides' Movement |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000384/19211021/067/0008 |work=Coventry Herald |location=Coventry, UK |page=8}} but continued to be involved in Guiding until at least 1924.{{Cite news |last= |date=1922-11-24 |title=In and Around Rugby |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001934/19221124/162/0007 |work=Rugby Advertiser |location=Rugby, UK |page=7}}
{{Portal|Biography|Scouting}}