Lily Chitty facts for kids

Lily Frances "Lal" Chitty (born March 20, 1893 – died February 8, 1979) was a British archaeologist. She was also an independent scholar. Lily Chitty focused on the prehistoric archaeology of Wales and the west of England. Prehistoric archaeology studies very old times, before writing was invented. She is known as one of the first people to map archaeological finds. This means she drew maps showing where ancient objects were discovered.

Her Early Life and School Days

Lily Chitty was born in Lewdown, Devon, England. This was on March 20, 1893. She was the oldest child in her family. Her father, James Chitty, was a Reverend. Her younger brother, Derwas Chitty, also became an archaeologist.

In 1899, her family moved to Shropshire. Her father became the Rector of Hanwood. Lily was taught at home for a while. Later, she went to the Shrewsbury School of Art. She studied there from 1910 to 1915.

Becoming an Archaeologist

Lily Chitty first wanted to continue her art studies. But then World War I started. She decided to train as a secretary instead. This way, she could help with the war effort. She worked for a short time at the General Post Office in London. After that, she joined the Women's Land Army. This group of women, called "Land Girls," worked on farms. They replaced men who had gone to fight in the war.

After the war, Lily went back home. Her family moved to Yockleton, Shropshire, in 1920. During this time, she became very interested in archaeology. She especially loved prehistoric artefacts. These are old objects made by people long ago.

Mapping Ancient Discoveries

In 1924, Lily became a special helper for the Ordnance Survey in Shropshire. The Ordnance Survey makes detailed maps. She helped them with archaeological information. In 1926, she also became a contact for the Ancient Monuments Board. This group protects old historical sites.

Lily met another archaeologist named Harold Peake. In 1927, she began drawing Bronze Age objects for the British Science Association. The Bronze Age was a time when people used bronze to make tools and weapons. Around this time, she started a special card index. It was a huge database of archaeological information. This index helped many professional archaeologists and students.

Her art training was very useful. Cyril Fox, a famous archaeologist, asked her to draw maps for his book. The book was called The personality of Britain. At first, her work was not fully recognized. But in later editions of the book, she finally got credit.

Continuing Her Important Work

In 1938, Lily's father passed away. She then moved in with her brother, Derwas, in Upton, Berkshire. She helped manage his home. In 1943, Derwas married another archaeologist, Mary Kitson Clark. Lily then moved back to the family house in Pontesbury, Shropshire.

She continued her archaeological work there. She became the "Chief Correspondent for Shropshire Ancient Monuments Department." This meant she was the main expert for ancient sites in Shropshire. She drew ancient objects, researched where things were found, and wrote reports. She also helped local museums improve their collections.

Lily also created more indexes. The Cambrian Archaeological Association asked her to make an index for their journal, Archaeologia Cambrensis. This index was published in 1964. It was considered the best index for that publication. Besides her indexes, Lily wrote many articles. She published 146 articles in different scholarly journals. Most of these were reports about single objects. She also wrote about Bronze Age hoards, which are collections of valuable objects hidden long ago.

Later Years and Recognition

Even when she was older, Lily Chitty stayed interested in archaeology. She went to many lectures and trips organized by archaeological groups. In January 1979, she became ill. She passed away on February 8, 1979, in Church Stretton, Shropshire. She is buried in the Pontesbury Cemetery.

Awards and Honours

Lily Chitty received several important awards for her work:

• In 1939, she became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA). This is a special honour for people who study ancient things.
• In 1957, she received an honorary Master of Arts (MA) degree from the University of Wales. An honorary degree is given to someone for their achievements, even if they didn't study at that university.
• In 1956, she was given the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This award recognized her important work as the "Chief Correspondent for Shropshire Ancient Monuments Department."

In 1972, a special book was published to honour Lily Chitty. It was called Prehistoric Man in Wales and the West: Essays in Honour of Lily F. Chitty. This type of book, called a Festschrift, has essays written by different experts to celebrate someone's work.