born in hartlepool in the fortieth year of queen victoria's reign, she lived under the rule of five more monarchs and 24 uk prime ministers. hughes grew up in middlesbrough in yorkshire, where her father ran a music shop. she worked as a teacher in a primary school from the age of thirteen and married noel hughes, a retired army captain, after she retired aged 63. they remained married until noel's death in 1979 at the age of 88. her father, herbert milburn, died at age 93 and her mother, annie, at 92. she had three younger brothers, herbert, henry and reginald. herbert died at 58 and reginald at 62.