A remarkable woman

“Having been awarded my PHD for a thesis on women in party politics in Scotland,” emails Dr Kenneth Baxter, “I was interested to read that the social security building at the waterfront in Dundee is to be renamed after the remarkable Agnes Husband.

“She was a dedicated public servant whose name deserves to be well known. However, the description of her as being ‘elected in 1901 as one of the first two women on Dundee Council’ is misleading, as she never served on the council but was elected to other local bodies.

“Prior to 1930, local government in Scottish cities was split between three different elected authorities. In Dundee, there was the Town Council, the main local government body, whose elected members were councillors. However, poor law and associated welfare issues were dealt with by a separate body, Dundee Parish Council, whose members were parish councillors.

“Agnes Husband was elected to Dundee Parish Council in November 1901, winning the third of three places available for Ward I. She was joined by Mary Lily Walker, one

of three candidates returned unopposed for Ward VII at the same election.

“The third elected body dealt with education. Originally Dundee School Board, it was later reorganised as Dundee Education Authority. Miss Jessie Shaw was elected to Dundee School Board in April 1891, thereby becoming the first woman in Dundee to be elected to political office.

“Agnes Husband was elected to the School Board in 1906, and, in 1919, she was elected to the new Dundee Education Authority.”