Dundee Women’s Trail Many have made history worldwide.

21 Bella Keyzer 24 Janet Keiller Women’s Trail celebrates just a few amazing women whose lives touched 1922 - 1992 1737 - 1813 this city. Those we mark along this Trail are testimony to Dundee’s reputation for During World War Two, women took over She and her husband ran a cake and sweetie the jobs of the men who were fighting shop. One day, faced with a consignment of strong women. abroad, and Bella found her vocation as a unwanted bitter oranges, she boiled them welder in Caledon Shipyard. She was paid up to make the first chip marmalade. When The 25 women commemorated by bronze plaques in the city include artists, trades off four years later, but as soon as the Equal the menfolk died, she and her daughter- unionists, social reformers, suffragettes, a shipyard welder and a marine engineer. Opportunities Act was passed in 1975, she in-law Margaret ran the business - very was back. She was a loyal Labour Party successfully. member, and in 1992 Dundee District Take a walk through the streets they knew and glimpse the lives they led. Council, as it was then, gave her an award 25 Emma Caird (or Marryat) for promoting women’s equality. 1849 - 1927 Daughter of a mega-rich mill owner, she 22 Ethel Moorhead was a bright spark in her youth. In old 1869 - 1955 age, she was better known as ‘the greatest Ethel studied art in and exhibited in benefactress Dundee has ever seen’, as she prestigious galleries. In 1911 she joined gave away the cash inherited from her half- the suffragettes and became their most brother, James Caird, and her husband, to boisterous member, smashing windows, many causes, including the completion of attempting arson and refusing to bow to the Caird and Marryat Halls. male authority. In Paris in the 1920s, she founded and edited one of the most highly regarded art journals of the time.

23 Grissell Jaffray ? - 1669 A respectable citizen married to a city burgess, in her latter years she was accused of ‘the horrid crime of witchcraft’, strangled, then burned at the stake - see the mosaic commemorating the event. We do not know what she is alleged to have done; the records were destroyed. Trail

Right: Painting of Emma Caird by David Foggie. Copyright © Dundee City Council, 2008.

Front: Louise Mary Scott and friend c.1930. Back: Whistling Girl c.1910. Dundee Women’s Trail is co-ordinated by Jean Annand, Kate Armstrong, Moira Foster, Reproduced with kind permission of Zoo Design. Mary Henderson and Edith Hamilton.

Want to know more?

There is a book to accompany the plaques of Dundee Women’s Trail. The stories of the twenty- five remarkable Dundee women commemorated on the Trail are brought vividly to life. If you are inspired by walking the Trail, find out more about how these amazing women lived, worked, battled Women working on ship propellor c.1940 Reproduced with kind permission of Zoo Design. and created. Available at good bookshops and online at www.dundeewomenstrail.org.uk. www.dundeewomenstrail.org.uk Design: Su Nicoll @ Zoo Design 11 Rebecca Strong 16 Florence Horsbrugh Dundee Women’s Trail 1843 - 1944 1889 - 1969 She transformed nursing conditions and First woman MP for Dundee, first Conservative training at and set woman cabinet minister, first woman Privy 1 6 1868 - 1910 Agnes Husband Alice Moorhead the standard for the future development of Councillor … and more besides. She worked on 1852 - 1929 Emily Thomson c.1864 - 1955 One of Dundee’s first female councillors, Two of only 101 women doctors practising excellence in nursing. trade agreements, education, the beginnings of she worked long and conscientiously in Britain at the time, they set up in the the National Health Service and international on behalf of the poor and petitioned for Nethergate and then Tay Square. Dynamic 12 Jean Thomson affairs. She was made a Baroness in 1959. better education. As a member of the Emily (Dundee’s first woman driver) helped 1881 - 1940+ suffrage movement, she spoke, wrote and found a Women’s Hospital, while Alice tended She can be claimed as Scotland’s first police 17 Mary Lily Walker campaigned with gusto. At the age of 74, their poorer patients. woman. In 1919, after working with the 1863 - 1913 she was awarded the Freedom of the City. Volunteer Women’s Patrols, she was appointed As a young woman she became conscious of 7 as a ‘police sister’ for 4 hours a day. In fact, the appalling living conditions of the poor. She Mary Ann Baxter she worked full time - patrolling, interviewing wrote detailed official reports on health and 2 Mariote Ker 1801 - 1884 16th Century A very rich lady and a deeply religious person, and escorting women and girls and writing housing, founded Grey Lodge Settlement as She was made a burgess of the City of Miss Baxter supported missionary work reports. part of the University Settlement movement Dundee at the request of King James V. It abroad and good works in Dundee. At the age and transformed Dundee with baby clinics, was to be 360 years before another female of 80, she founded University College, the 13 Mary Alcock health visitors, school dinners, children’s burgess was appointed. forerunner of the , to 1789 - 1869 convalescent holidays and clubs for all promote the education of both sexes. A first-rate business woman, she soon made (including after-school groups). All this in less so much money that she was “fear’d the Lord than 15 years. 3 An Anonymous Maidservant 1872 8 would turn against her”. She therefore retired Williamina Fleming 18 A group of domestic servants came together 1857 - 1911 and turned her attention to raising lawsuits Mary Brooksbank in a valiant attempt to form a trade union Aged 20, she went to the USA where she against all who offended her. She was often to 1897 - 1978 and press for better working conditions. secured employment with the Director of be seen hobbling round the courts with armfuls Mother of seven, Mary was a millworker and Our heroine was kept anonymous: if her Harvard Observatory. He saw her potential and of legal papers. life-long socialist and Communist, several times employer had found her out, she would she was soon working on his permanent staff, imprisoned for her campaigning activities. She have been sacked. eventually becoming Head of Department. 14 Victoria Drummond was also a musician and poet whose songs are Williamina Fleming classified 10,351 stars 1894 - 1978 still sung today. 4 and was honoured worldwide as the leading Born at Megginch Castle, near Perth, she Fanny Wright 19 1795 - 1852 woman astronomer of her day. amazed her family by making her career as a Mary Slessor Daughter of an ardent Republican, Fanny marine engineer, training at what is now the 1848 - 1915 University of Abertay Dundee. She sailed Born into a poor family, this young millworker grew up an outspoken free-thinker. She 9 Lila Clunas went to the USA, where she became 1876 - 1968 the world on cargo ships and tramp steamers set off to Calabar (Nigeria) as a missionary. She famous as a writer and lecturer, who An elementary school teacher with a sharp and, more than once, she saved her ship from defied local conventions, and moved further controversially scorned religion and brain and a sharp tongue, Miss Clunas was sinking. and further into the jungle, seeing herself campaigned for women’s rights, free love one of Dundee’s foremost suffragettes. She as “the feet of God”. She made friends with and the emancipation of slaves - well ahead heckled, joined meetings and deputations, 15 Katharine Read chieftains, worked with British administrators, of her time. and wrote to the press, always making sure 1723 - 1778 and was known as the uncrowned queen whose working class women were involved. After Katharine painted in pastels. Her family were word was law. 5 World War II, she was elected to the Council, Jacobite supporters and moved from Dundee Margaret Fenwick 20 1919 - 1992 where she served until she was 88. after 1745. In London, she became as well Mary Buick (or Buik) Margaret was a redoubtable millworker known (and as well paid) as Gainsborough or 1777 - 1854 Joshua Reynolds. She was appointed ‘Painter to A ropemaker’s daughter, she married a and trade unionist from the age of 15. At 10 Margaret Fairlie the same time as bringing up four children, 1891 - 1963 the Queen’ and later painted in India. fisherman from Cellardyke in Fife, who was she became the first female General This Professor of Midwifery and Gynaecology pressed into the navy. She followed him aboard Secretary of a British trade union, where was known by her awed colleagues as “Madam”. - and gave birth to their first child during the she did much to improve health and safety, She pioneered the use of radium for cancer Battle of Copenhagen. They transferred to and pay. She continued to work as a JP on treatment, helped Emily Thomson to start the HMS Victory and, after Nelson’s death at the industrial tribunals well into her sixties Women’s Hospital and developed the forerunner Battle of Trafalgar, Mary helped to embalm and was awarded an MBE in 1973. of today’s cervical smear tests. his body.