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Her Name Is Claire

* Claire Burran

..... FIRST woman to row in the 278-year old Doggetts Coat and Badge Race on the Thames in 1992, a gruelling 4¾ mile stretch from London Bridge to Chelsea which is only open to barge watermen who have served an apprenticeship under their fathers. Claire had worked on the barges for five years before going into banking

* Claire Creffield

..... FIRST woman Prize Fellow of All Souls College ie FIRST via an exam but the 4th woman elected. She specialised in Marxist philosophy but said she was not a Marxist. Prize Fellowships ran for seven years and holders were provided with a room in the college, meals but not wine, and a modest stipend. At the time of her appointment it was stated that only one in five university academics were women (approx 1985)

* Claire Donegan

..... FIRST woman ever to qualify as a pilot in the Royal Navy when she received her 'wings' after completing her operational training along with four other pilots at the Culdrose naval base in Cornwall in 1998

* Claire Gibault

 ..... FIRST woman to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

* Claire Jerome

..... FIRST woman to ascend the Eiffel Tower

* Claire McCardell

 born 1905 died 1958

..... FIRST fashion designer voted annual 'Woman of Achievement' by the National Press Club in 1950. She created the 'separates' look including the stretch leotard and the tent dress and her wraparound housedress called the 'popover' made her a household name in the war years. She was also the FIRST designer to franchise her creations - jewellery, sunglasses etc

* Claire Oulton

..... FIRST woman head of department at Charterhouse School when she became history supremo in 1989

* Claire Tomalin

..... in 2003, with husband Michael Frayn, they became the FIRST husband and wife team to vie for the Whitbread Book Award. Claire won the £25,000 prize with her publication of Samuel Pepys - The Unequalled Self

* Claire Tomlinson

..... FIRST woman Polo Blue at Oxford University