Monica Maurice, also affectionately referred to as ‘The Lady with the Lamp’, has been honoured with a Blue Plaque to commemorate her outstanding contribution to safety in engineering during the 20th century.

The unveiling took place today outside the Wolf Safety Lamp Company on Saxon Road in Sheffield.

Speaking about the Blue Plaque, John Jackson, former Managing Director of Wolf Safety, and son of Monica Maurice, he said: “It’s there in concrete and records her achievements, the membership of all the institutions, her various successes she had in business and in private life as well.

“It is a memento for the future, it’s there forever.”

Monica made remarkable contributions to the mining industry, designing and manufacturing flame safety lamps. She secured national and international praise for her expertise and knowledge, during a time when women were scarcely recognised for their professional contributions.

Amy Jackson, granddaughter of Monica, speaking about the Plaque, said: “It feels like a validation and recognition of her work.

“When you grow up and you see someone like that in your family who’s achieved those things, who’s your grandmother, you think as a woman, as a female, you can do anything as well.”

In 1930, Monica, joined ‘The Works’, as the family business, Wolf Safety, became known, and worked as a personal assistant to her father.

In 1932, after training in Germany and London, her father William, presented his daughter with a handwritten letter, congratulating her and appointing Monica as a director of the family company. She then went on to develop and enhance mining safety lamps and encouraged women to train as engineers.

Monica achieved many things, including in 1936 organising the fourteenth annual conference for the Women’s Engineering Society at the University of Sheffield. Two years later, she was elected as the first, and for 40 years, only female member of The Association of Mining Electrical Engineers.

In 1975, she was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace for her outstanding contribution and dedication to safety in mining. 

Monica also had a keen sense of adventure. She had a love of fashion, fast cars and aeroplanes, and became a trained pilot.

Alex Jackson, Managing Director of Wolf Safety, and grandson of Monica, said: “To have a Blue Plaque in her name feels like the perfect accolade, and a lasting reminder of everything my Granny achieved.”