Alice Margaret Joan Gammell
1913-1984

Alice Margaret Joan Gammell (known in her married life as Joanna), was born on 24 November 1913 at Countesswells House, Bieldside, Aberdeenshire.  She was the ninth and youngest child of Sir Sydney James Gammell of Countesswells and his wife Alice Stobart and was born when her mother was forty-eight.

We know little about her childhood, but since her brothers were either at boarding  school or had left home and her elder sisters, Barbara and Finella were already 19 and 13 when she was born, she must have learned to be quite self-reliant when growing up. She was educated at Badminton House School, Bristol, where her sister Finella was a teacher.

In her early 20s, she met Eric Ivory at the Aboyne Ball, but it was not until 1938 that she and Eric became engaged and on 4 June 1938, they were married at St Andrew’s Cathedral,
Aberdeen.

After they were married, Joanna and Eric lived in Edinburgh, where Eric was the senior  Partner in Ivory and Sime, and at Brewlands, their estate in Glen Isla.  They had four children, James Ivory, born on Christmas day 1942, Ian Eric Ivory, born on 8 April 1944, Bridget Joanna Ivory born on 5 July 1946, and Brian Gammell Ivory, born on 10 April 1949.

Joanna and Eric were generous in their support for numerous charitable causes, though their help was often given quietly “behind the scenes”.  Together they strongly supported the church and the National Trust for Scotland as well as community facilities in Glen Isla. Joanna, who had a gift for organisation and the enthusiasm to attract and inspire a dedicated band of helpers, was very active in working to support the Georgian House in Charlotte Square, Telephone Samaritans, and earlier, the Thrift Shop, which she organised after her children went to school.

Joanna died on 6 December 1984 and Eric on 14 June 1988.