Rosamund Farndale, daughter of Albert and Lavinia (nee Hastings) Farndale (FAR00667), was born just a stone’s throw from the Yorkshire Moors in the town of Northallerton on 3 October 1931. Her birth was registered in the fourth quarter of 1931.

1940

Growing up in Yorkshire during the Second World War gave Rosamund an inner resilience and an ability to keep calm and carry on. “She was able to listen to others when times were hard, and say exactly the right thing to make them see there was light at the end of the tunnel.”

1951

Rosamund Farndale was an only child who qualified as a librarian in 1951 and soon after moved to London.

London

1954

Rosamund was an inspiring children’s librarian who went onto enjoy a 20-year career as headteacher of a Kentish Town primary school. Rosamund Pomeyie worked at Heath Library, now called Keats Community Library in Belsize Park, for six years in the 1950s – inspiring a multitude of children into the world of books, including a young Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo and many other children’s books.

Hampstead News and Golders Green Gazette, 18 November 1954: PUPPET MAKING IS FUN. Just over a month ago the public libraries committee approved a suggestion put by the Keats Grove, Hampstead, children's librarian, 23 year old miss Rosamund Farndale, that a puppetry group should be formed. And now, nearly 50 children are busy at the library making puppets in time for Christmas. They are being taught by Miss Farndale herself and Miss Joan Oxlade, of Willow Road, Hampstead, who is a puppetry expert. They meet every Thursday at 5:30. When the classes first began, the children were split into groups of 6 or seven, and they were asked to choose a play or pantomime they liked. Then each decided on a character from the play and, with the help of their two instructors, they began to make the puppets. The classes were so popular, and the group so big, that more help was needed. So two 19 year old girls from the Beveridge House Domestic Training College, Fortune Green Road, volunteered to come along. Another problem was that some children were quicker than others. This difficulty was soon overcome. An extra class was started for the quick ones. Now they have finally settled down, each child busy with paper, paste and plasticine making Cinderellas, Maid Marions and Robin Hoods. When the puppets are finished, Miss Farndale will help the children to write their own versions of the plays and fairy tales, using books in the library to guide them. By Christmas, she hopes to put on a puppet show, which will be produced and written entirely by the children themselves. The group has been such a success that Miss Farndale has already a long waiting list of children wishing to join.

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Displaying the puppets they made at the classes are, left to right; Sally Wells, 10, Veronica Nolan, 7, Frances Kray, 6, Jennifer Abbott, 8.

1959

Rosamund Farndale, married Bradford Garry Martin (a US Citizen) at Hampstead District. In the first quarter of 1959.

Nigeria

In 1959, she moved to Nigeria with Bradford Martin, who was a professor of Arabic manuscripts. She lived there and worked teaching English for three years.

1962

London

On her return from Africa, she re-trained as an infant school teacher.

1973

Rosamund M Martin, nee Farndale, married Singleton Jones Kwalker Pomeyie (a Ghanaian citizen) in the third quarter of 1973 at Hampstead District.

Jonathan Pomeyie was born in 1973.

1975

Having re-trained as an infant school teacher in the 1960s, Ms Pomeyie became headteacher of Torriano Junior School, in Kentish Town, in 1975.

1980

After a burglary at the family home in 1980 and a visit from Camden Victim Support, Ms Pomeyie started volunteering for the organisation – a role which she continued for 30 years, dealing with victims of all manner of crimes, from fraud to murder.

1976

Selom Pomeyie was born in 1976.

Rosamund was a head mistress in London

2012

Rosamund Pomeyie died on 22 November 2012.

The Ham and High, 22 December 2012:

Tributes paid to inspirational Kentish Town headteacher and librarian

An inspiring children’s librarian who went onto enjoy a 20-year career as headteacher of a Kentish Town primary school has died at the age of 81.

Rosamund Pomeyie worked at Heath Library, now called Keats Community Library in Belsize Park, for six years in the 1950s – inspiring a multitude of children into the world of books, including a young Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo and many other children’s books.

Having re-trained as an infant school teacher in the 1960s, Ms Pomeyie became headteacher of Torriano Junior School, in Kentish Town, in 1975.

She was also celebrated for her 30 years of volunteer work at Camden Victim Support, dealing with victims of all manner of crimes, from fraud to murder.

The mother-of-two, known as Ros, passed away in hospital on November 22 after suffering a stroke at her home in Belsize Park Gardens.

Ms Pomeyie’s younger son Selom, a teacher at William Ellis School in Kentish Town, said: “My mother was a people person. Wherever she went she seemed to engage in conversation with almost anyone.

“Growing up in Yorkshire during the war had given my mother an inner resilience and an ability to keep calm and carry on.

“She was able to listen to others when times were hard, and say exactly the right thing to make them see there was light at the end of the tunnel.”

Born just a stone’s throw from the Yorkshire Moors in the town of Northallerton in 1931, Ms Pomeyie was an only child who qualified as a librarian in 1951 and soon after moved to London, where she took up the role of children’s librarian at Heath Library in 1953.

In 1959, she moved to Nigeria with her first husband Bradford Martin, a professor of Arabic manuscripts, where she lived and worked teaching English for three years.

On her return from Africa, she re-trained as an infant school teacher and later married second husband Jones Pomeyie, after earlier splitting with Mr Martin.

In 1975, she became headteacher of Torriano Junior School, two years after the birth of her first child Jonathan, which was followed by the arrival of Selom in 1976.

After a burglary at the family home in 1980 and a visit from Camden Victim Support, Ms Pomeyie started volunteering for the organisation – a role which she continued for 30 years.

Regarded as one of Torriano’s most revered headteachers, a governor at the school was once quoted in a newspaper article as saying: “If we could put Mrs Pomeyie in a cast of iron and keep her forever, we would.”

Ms Pomeyie is survived by her two sons and two grandchildren, after becoming a grandmother for the first time in 2009.