The Workers’ Educational Association of Scotland (WEA) is looking for information, photographs and existing reminiscences of Argyll – and Highland – women who fought for their peers to have the vote. This is in relationship to research the WEA’s Inverness branch is currently doing into the Suffragette movement in the Highlands.

Their initial focus is on their own area around Inverness but their ambition is to make the study Highlands-wide so they really want to hear from you if you either have any information or materials or can point them towards some.

They say there is very little collated material available on the subject but are sharing some facts they’ve already put together both to stimulate interest and to stir other memories.

So here is a summary of what they’ve uncovered – and note the entry below for 4th October 1911:

• Local Suffrage Societies were formed in Inverness in 1871 and in Invergordon and Dingwall in 1872.
• In 1899, Inverness Ladies’ Club was founded at 2 Castle Street, Tolie, with residential accommodation.
• In 1907, 200-300 people were turned away from a meeting addressed by Helen Fraser held at Inverness Town Hall. Ms Fraser returned to the north in 1909 when in January she addressed a meeting in Inverness and delivered what is thought to be the first suffrage speech in Elgin on June 10, 1909.
• In 1909, the secretaries of the Inverness Branch of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS ) and the Inverness Ladies’ Club were a Miss Jessie Munro, Nessmount, Inverness and a Miss A Knight. Does anyone have knowledge of them?
• In 1911, Mrs Hunter, president of Inverness Women’s Suffrage Society spoke at meetings held for the by-election in Ross and Cromarty on 19th June.
• On 4th October, 1911, Lady Frances Balfour , sister of the Duke of Argyll, member of the Executive Committee of the NUWSS spoke to a large audience of the newly formed Oban Womens Suffrage Society.
• In 1912, a new Society was formed in Dornoch and an outdoor meeting of the NUWSS was held at Bonar Bridge.
• In 1912, a branch of the Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage was formed in the north of Scotland under the leadership of Baillie MacEwan. Does anyone know where this was?
• In September 1913, the Scottish Federation of the NUWSS went on tour in the Highlands, Lady Balfour and Mrs Hunter spoke at meetings in Dingwall, Dornoch, Golspie, Helmsdale, Invergordon and Tain. Five hundred people attended the meeting at Dingwall Town Hall on 8th September.
• In November 1913, Lady Betty Balfour, Millicent Fawcett and Louisa Lumsden spoke at meetings of the NUWSS. Venues included Oban and Wick.
• In 1913, a Mrs James Fraser, 19 Old Edinburgh Road, Inverness was a leading light of the Inverness branch of NUWSS, the secretary of the Dingwall branch of the Scottish Federation of NUWSS was a Miss Ledingham of High Street, Dingwall and the secretary of the North of Scotland Federation of NUWSS was a Miss Jessie Hay. Does anyone have knowledge of them?

If you can help either with any of the specific information the Inverness WEA are looking for in the list above – or with new information on people, associations, meetings, speeches and events anywhere in Argyll, please email the Lorn Family History Group (lornfamilyhistory@gmail.com). It will collate and pass on information received from Argyll.

Lorn family History Group has scanners available so that you can copy letters, documents and photographs, keeping your originals safe in your possession.

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