International Women’s Day is always a great opportunity to reflect on inspirational women throughout history. This year, we remember a woman who impacted many lives locally, and was huge part of life at the Corinium Museum over the past 40 years.
Aileen Anderson, a former teacher, worked at the museum for 40 years. She died in February this year, and we all greatly miss her cheery presence.
As well as her work sharing history with children at school and with visitors to the museum, Aileen took an active part in uncovering local history, helping at various archaeological digs across the town. In fact, Aileen was responsible for alerting the archaeologists at the Beeches Road dig in 1971 to the discovery of a mosaic underneath a hypocaust.
Emma Stuart, Corinium Museum Director, remembers: “She used to say: ‘Of course, I wasn’t taken seriously as mosaics don’t sit under hypocausts, do they? They sit on top of them!’ However, on further inspection by the archaeologists, she had indeed discovered a mosaic and it turned out to be the Hare Mosaic that sits in the museum today.
“Aileen’s knowledge and enthusiasm for local heritage knew no bounds and she would share information with museum visitors when she worked as a Customer Advisor and gave introductory talks and object handling sessions. She also took her turn in dressing up at the museum for various roles, from an Anglo-Saxon princess to a Roman lady.”
Amanda Hart, former Director of the Corinium Museum, worked with Aileen from 2001 until 2021. She says: “Aileen’s knowledge of Cirencester’s archaeology was immense. I doubt many curators can say they’ve worked with someone who could provide first-hand accounts of excavations from the 1970s, but Aileen certainly could. Her insights brought those moments to life. She was also a wonderful source of information about the Museum’s evolution over the years.
“What I appreciated most, though, was Aileen’s willingness to jump into any activity at the Museum, no matter the task. Whether it was leading a teaching session, working front of house, giving a tour, or joining in at our events, she did it all with enthusiasm whenever she could. Above all, I’ll remember her kindness and the support over the years.”
In her final volunteer role at Corinium Museum, Aileen could be found on a Friday morning sharing information about Roman houses with visitors in the Hare Gallery, right next to the mosaic she discovered. She would often tell people about her “famous knees”, which she showed them in a photograph in a book about the discovery of the mosaic.
Aileen was involved with the Parish Church and was former chair of the Cirencester Archaeological and Historical Society. At one point, she was involved in so many local committees and activities that she remembered being astonished when she actually had an evening at home. Her energy and love for the town and its history will be sorely missed by all.
Aileen’s funeral will be held at 1pm on March 18 at the Parish Church of St John the Baptist in Cirencester. In recognition of Aileen’s love for, and commitment to, the Corinium Museum, the hearse will pause outside the museum at 12.45pm on its way to the church.
