Ursula Margaret Mercer was born in Cheadle, Staffordshire, England, 1923 and trained as an architect at the University of Liverpool, School of Architecture. She was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1948. She subsequently practised as an architect from the 1940s and at least 1975. She furnished a bed sitting-room for the ‘Britain Can Make It’ exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, in 1946, which is discussed in 'Furnished rooms' by Gordon Russell in 'Art and Industry' vol.42, no.247, January 1947 (pp.8-13). She collaborated on projects with Francis Reginald Stevens (F.R.S.) Yorke (1606-1962)
In the 1980s she worked as principal assistant architect for the National Health Service - North-West Thames Regional Health Authority. in May 1987 she won a case of sex discrimination against the NHS after she was made redundant without redundancy pay as she was a woman over 60.
Her address was given as Cockshutt, Ellesmere, Shropshire in 1950. She died in c.2003.
Wood, John 'Woman architect wins compensation in equality action'. Building Design no. 839, 5 June 1987 p. 6.