Emily Markwick was the daughter of talented musician parents and was born and went to school in Brighton. She came up to Newnham in 1925 to read Modern and Medieval Languages, winning an Exhibition on entry. Graduating in 1928 in French and Italian, she went on to gain a teaching Diploma at the Maria Grey College, part of London University. She spent two years as a teacher at Latymer School in London before returning to Newnham in 1931 as Assistant to the Registrar of the Roll (alumnae relations) and Assistant to the Librarian, Miss Horner. On the latter’s retirement, she became Acting Librarian in 1936 for a year. As a result of this, she decided to take up Librarianship professionally, her first post being in the Daily Mail and Evening News Library and Information Service. From 1941-45, she was Deputy County Librarian for East Sussex before becoming the County Librarian for Gloucestershire, a post she held till her retirement in 1975. She continued to live in Gloucester and her wide interests included the Soroptimists, University Women and the Bristol and Gloucester Archaeological Association, of which she was Vice President. She died in 1998 at the age of 91.
She was perhaps typical of her generation of Newnhamites, living a modest life, following her chosen career path with dedication and organising her affairs with considerable shrewdness. Her legacy to Newnham was one of the largest ever to be received and enabled the College to undertake a major refurbishment and extension of its already distinguished library. The Governing Body decided to link the names of Miss Horner and Miss Markwick in naming this new building, thus linking two people who had both been the College librarian and who were both immensely generous benefactors of the College.
