Margaret Curtis (archaeologist)

Margaret Curtis
Born	1941 (1941)
Died	26 March 2022(2022-03-26) (aged 80–81)
Occupation	Primary school teacher
Known for	"the Queen of Callanish" - an authority on the Callanish standing stones, a historian, an archaeologist and primary school teacher.
Awards	Recipient of British Archaeological Award (1978)

The Callanish Stones of the Isle of Lewis

Margaret Curtis (1941- 26 March 2022) was a teacher, archaeologist and megalith enthusiast who became known as "the Queen of Callanish" for her authority on the Callanish standing stones on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. ^{[1] [2]}

Biography

Early Life

Born in 1941, Curtis was the adoptive daughter of Charles Woolford, a railway engineer, and his wife Doris, a teacher. She spent her early life in Edgbaston, and after completing her schooling, studied teaching at Maria Grey Training College, Twickenham. ^[1] While working at a conservation camp in Anglesey, Curtis met Gerald Ponting, a trainee teacher. The couple married in 1967 and took up teaching jobs in Kesgrave, Suffolk. Later, in 1981, Curtis and Ponting self-published a book about the history of Kesgrave. ^[3]

Death

Curtis died aged 80 years old, at Western Isles hospital on 26 March 2022. ^[4]

Personal life

Curtis had a son and a daughter, Benjamin and Rebecca, with her first husband Gerald Ponting. ^[4]

References

1. Pitts, Mike (2022-04-07). "Margaret Curtis obituary". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-11-28.
2. "Margaret Curtis obituary". www.thetimes.com. 2022-04-05. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
3. Ponting, Gerald; Ponting, Margaret (1981). The Story of Kesgrave. Stability and Growth in a Suffolk Parish. Ponting. ISBN   9780950599823.
4. Silver, Fred (2022-03-30). "Passing of 'Queen of Callanish'". We love Stornoway. Retrieved 2025-11-28.