# Beryl Swain

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British motorcycle racer

Beryl Swain Swain aboard her 1962 TT race entry 50 cc Itom motorcycle Nationality British Born (1936-01-22)22 January 1936 Walthamstow, England Died 15 May 2007(2007-05-15) (aged 71) Epping, England Motorcycle racing career statistics 50cc World Championship Active years 1962 Manufacturers Itom Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 1 0 0 0 0 0 Isle of Man TT career TTs contested 1 (1962) TT wins 0 TT podiums 0

Beryl Swain - Waltham Forest Heritage blue plaque

**Beryl Swain** (née **Beryl J Tolman**, 22 January 1936 – 15 May 2007)[1] was a female [road racer](/source/Road_racing) of solo [motorcycles](/source/Motorcycle) from the London area. In 1962, she was the first woman to compete in a TT race for solo motorcycles on the [Isle of Man TT](/source/Isle_of_Man_TT) course.

## Early life

Beryl Tolman was born on 22 January 1936 and brought up in [Walthamstow](/source/Walthamstow), in North East London.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] She worked as a senior secretary at [P&O](/source/P%26O_Ferries) in the City until she married Edwin Swain, a motorcycle shop owner,[2] in 1958.[3]

## Racing motorcycles

She was noted for being the first woman to compete in a TT race for solo motorcycles on the [Isle of Man TT](/source/Isle_of_Man_TT) course,[4] a rare occurrence to this day on one of the world's most famous races held on closed public roads. This 1962 upset led the male-dominated world of motorcycle racing to revoke her international licence via the introduction of a minimum weight limit which she could not meet, due to the perception of the sport being too dangerous for women, and the resulting ban on female entrants persisted until [Hilary Musson](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hilary_Musson&action=edit&redlink=1) competed in 1978.[5][6][7][8]

Swain finished 22nd on a [50 cc](/source/50_cc) race-prepared [Itom](/source/Itom) after two laps of the [Mountain](/source/Snaefell_mountain_course) circuit in the [1962 Race](/source/1962_Isle_of_Man_TT). Her average speed was 48.3 mph after her bike lost top gear (of the three-speed transmission) on the second lap.[9] This was the first time a 50cc event had been included in the Island's programme as from 1962 the class carried World Championship points.[10][11][12]

## Motorcycle Grand Prix results

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 Points 8 6 4 3 2 1

([key](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Motorsport_driver_results_legend)) (Races in *italics* indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points Rank 1962 50cc Itom ESP FRA IOM 22 NED BEL GER DDR NAT FIN ARG 0 —

## Later life

After her racing career was cut short, Swain, who was previously an office worker, embarked on a retail management career with [Sainsbury's](/source/Sainsbury's) grocery supermarkets around the London area.[4] She retired to [Woodford](/source/Woodford%2C_London), [Essex](/source/Essex), and later [Epping](/source/Epping%2C_Essex), becoming secretary to WI local branches of the [Women's Institute](/source/Women's_Institute) and helping organise meals on wheels for the elderly. Towards the end of her life, she suffered from [Alzheimer's disease](/source/Alzheimer's_disease), and died on 15 May 2007, aged 71.[4]

## Commemoration

A [blue plaque](/source/Blue_plaque) was erected in Beryl Swain's honour at her former home at 18 Grosvenor Park Road, Walthamstow, London E17 9PA by [Waltham Forest Council](/source/Waltham_Forest_London_Borough_Council) as part of the local Waltham Forest Heritage scheme on 31 May 2019.

## Sources

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [England and Wales births](http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/search/results?sourcecategory=birthsutf002c%20marriages%20utf0026%20deaths&firstname=beryl&lastname=tolman&birthyear=1936&birthyear_offset=0&collection=births%2b%2526%2bbaptisms) *www.genesreunited.co.uk*, Retrieved 2015-01-18

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Girl Racer 1962](https://www.britishpathe.com/video/girl-racer) *www.britishpathe.com*, Retrieved 2021-03-10

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [England and Wales marriages](http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/search/results?sourcecategory=birthsutf002c%20marriages%20utf0026%20deaths&firstname=beryl&lastname=tolman&birthyear=1936&birthyear_offset=0&collection=marriages%2b%2526%2bdivorces) *www.genesreunited.co.uk*, Retrieved 2015-01-18

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_4-2) [Beryl Swain The first woman solo motorcyclist to finish in a TT race](https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/italy/beryl-swain-m0jp9wpvdwq) *www.thetimes.co.uk*, Retrieved 2021-03-10

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** "Will Beryl race on the Island again?" *[Motorcycle News](/source/Motorcycle_News)*, 27 Feb 1963, p.9. Accessed 13 April 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [*Goddess of the Gas Pedals*](https://www.bbc.co.uk/isleofman/content/articles/2008/01/17/swain_feature.shtml) BBC Isle of Man, 13 November 2014 Retrieved 2015-01-18

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Female Rider Profiles on the Isle of Man TT Website – Hilary Musson](https://www.ttwebsite.com/ladies/profiles/hmusson/index.htm) *www.ttwebsite.com*, Retrieved 2021-03-10

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** "First Lady. Hilary Musson and Yamaha". *Motorcycle Sport*, August 1978, p.302, p.310. Accessed 16 September 2022

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** *Stealing Speed* by Mat Oxley, p.179

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [IoM TT Database 1962](http://www.iomtt.com/TT-Database/Events.aspx?meet_code=TT62%20%20&era=3) *www.iomtt.com* Retrieved 2015-01-18

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [Isle of Man celebrates 100 years of TT magic – Bike Trader UK – News and Reviews Hub](https://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/BIKES/news/34439.html) *www.autotrader.co.uk*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [History: The TT Goddess of the gas pedals - by the Isle of Man BBC.](http://www.classic50racingclub.co.uk/the-tt-goddess.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20161012141526/http://www.classic50racingclub.co.uk/the-tt-goddess.html) 12 October 2016 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) *www.classic50racingclub.co.uk*, Retrieved 2021-03-10

## External links

- [Girl Racer - Beryl Swain at British Pathé](http://www.britishpathe.com/video/girl-racer)

- [Times Obituary - Swain, Beryl](https://web.archive.org/web/20110523143318/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article1883921.ece) (non-public access, transcript of content can be found [here](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.obituaries/qFh6d94bpYg))

- [History of women in the TT](https://web.archive.org/web/20070610003358/http://www.motocicliste.net/sport/storia2.asp)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Beryl Swain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl_Swain) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl_Swain?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.