Margaret “Peggy” Isobel Goodlet (1910-2000) was a volunteer at the excavations at Housesteads Roman fort in the early 1930s. She lived with her parents in Newcastle and travelled each day by train to the local station, Bardon Mill, a journey of about an hour. Thence it was a long walk up-hill to Housesteads, though sometimes a local farmer offered her a lift on his cart. Many years later, Peggy remarked to me that she was not allowed to get into the trench but had to instruction the workmen from the side, not the easiest way to direct an excavation. Peggy also worked on the excavations at the site of Chesterholm, a fortified Roman site just south of Hadrian’s wall now known as Vindolanda. In 1934, Peggy married the director of both excavations, Eric Birley. Their honeymoon was spent in Germany, and included meeting local archaeologists. 1938 saw Peggy’s only publication, a report on the excavation at Chesterholm written in conjunction with her husband.

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It was in their house at Chesterholm that Peggy taught her sons before they went to preparatory school. Robin became director of excavations at Chesterholm, now better known as Vindolanda, and was the discoverer of the internationally important Vindolanda tablets — very rarely preserved wooden writing tablets. Her younger son, Tony, became Professor of Ancient History at Manchester and subsequently Dusseldorf. Her grandson, Andrew, is currently director of excavations at Vindolanda. Truly, Peggy was the ancestress of a dynasty.
Roman writing tablet from the Vindolanda Roman fort of Hadrian's Wall, in Northumberland (1st-2nd century AD). Tablet 343: Letter from Octavius to Candidus concerning supplies of wheat, hides and sinews. British Museum (London). Michel Wal, wikimedia.

Roman writing tablet from the Vindolanda Roman fort of Hadrian’s Wall, in Northumberland (1st-2nd century AD). Tablet 343: Letter from Octavius to Candidus concerning supplies of wheat, hides and sinews. British Museum (London). Michel Wal, wikimedia.

Post by David J. Breeze
You can find out more about the Birley dynasty and their ongoing work at www.vindolanda.com or on twitter at VindolandaTrust. You can also find out more about Brenda Swinbank (Heywood), the TrowelBlazer pictured with Peggy.
References:
Birley, Eric, and Margaret Birley. Fourth report on excavations at Chesterholm-Vindolanda: An Original Article From The Archaeologia Aeliana: Or Miscellaneous Tracts Relating To Antiquity. Northumberland Press, 1938.
This wonderful reminiscence has been lightly edited to add a few bits of detail by Brenna.