Labour Australia

Louisa Florence (Babs) Crannaford, née Lovett (1886-1972) Labor supporter, Druid. 

Birth: 5 June 1886 at Wiseman’s Creek, Bathurst, New South Wales, daughter of English-born parents John Lovett (1843-1927), a dealer from Hull, Yorkshire, later a silver miner, and his second wife Miriam Florence Mary ‘Minnie’, née Mathews (1862-1920) from Alderminster, Worcester. Marriage: 26 November 1902 at the Baptist manse, Broken Hill, to native-born Albert Caswell Crannaford (1881-1948), labourer. They had two daughters and three sons; two of the children died in infancy. Death: 29 May 1972 at Broken Hill. Religion: Methodist. 

• A member of the Ladies’ branch and the Women’s Auxiliary of the Australian Labor Party.
• From at least 1913 Sister Crannaford was a long-standing and active member of the United Ancient Order of Druids, Queen Boadicea Lodge (Female) No. 29. She was presented with a P. A. collar, wallet and certificate in 1915 and her name placed on the dispensation board. In 1919 she was elected bard to the Vice Arch Druid. She was installed as Outside Guardian in 1920 and admitted into the office of Left Bard to the Arch Druid in 1921.
• In 1937 the distinction of Past Royal Arch Druid was conferred on her at the Royal Arch Chapter of Druids.
• In August 1946 her husband represented the Railway lodge and she the Queen Boadicea lodge at the 64th annual conference of the Druids’ Lodge in Sydney.
• Cause of death: general debility.
• Her two surviving sons — Albert John ‘Bert (1908-2004), and Maxwell James ‘Bob’(1922-2003) — served in the Royal Australian Air Force in World War II.