Catherine didn’t want to be put down as ‘wife’ in the census, so she took her girls and moved into a barn.. that way they had to use her name
As the Scottish Women’s Institute celebrate 100 years, the founder’s great-granddaughter looks back at the pioneering efforts of the suffragette
IT WAS a lonely milkmaid who was fed up watching the menfolk gather around the fountains chatting that made Catherine Blair decide to redress the balance.
Little did she know that her pioneering efforts would change the course of history for hundreds of thousands of Scottish women.
Catherine, a suffragette, founded the first Scottish Women’s Institute in 1917 and became the driving force behind one of the country’s most enduring organisations.
Now, a century after the first SWI meeting, her great-granddaughter Mairead Blair has revealed how exposure to inequality in early life sowed the seed of Catherine’s campaigning spirit.
Mairead, 56, is a member of the Leith branch of the organisation, formerly known as the Women’s Rural Institute.
She said: “Catherine was a mum of four and the way she became involved in the suffragette movement was by writing countless letters to the press about the plight of women. One of my favourite stories about her was how she protested at the 1921 census.”
Back then, the man of the house would be the only one named in the census and their wife would be recorded as just “wife”.
So Catherine took her children from their house and went to live in the barn so she would have to be named in the census.
Mairead said: “When I looked at the census, there in the barn is marked Catherine Blair and her two daughters.”
Catherine wanted women to have an opportunity to socialise and be involved in their communities, and the Women’s Rural Institute was a way to do it.
Mairead said: “The institute have been able to give women the opportunity to meet other women and get together. You can do as much or as little as you like.”
Macmerry, near Catherine’s home, was intended to be the first location for a meeting, But there was an outbreak of measles in the East Lothian village, so it was moved to the reading room in nearby Longniddry.
Catherine also believed that making pottery was a way for women to have independence and earn a living.
Her Mak’Merry pottery has become famous around the world and is highly collectible.
By making pottery, women had a way to express themselves creatively and make money. Mairead said: “Betty White was a daughter of one of the farm labourers. She was asthmatic and couldn’t do a lot of manual labour but she was artistic. So Catherine set about her conservatory to set up Mak’Merry pottery.
“The village was called Macmerry, so it was a play on words. She was allegedly full of those sayings.
“We used to eat our breakfast off the pottery. I remember our grandfather would be upset if any of it broke – not because of the value but because it meant a lot to the family.”
Mairead only recently joined a branch. But she said her family have tried to stay as involved as they can with the institute and were consulted during the proposals to drop the word “rural” from their name. She added: “There are three girls and one boy in my family and I’m the
‘We have taken action to remain relevant to the lives of modern women living in all parts of Scotland’
youngest. My oldest sister Catriona also lives in Edinburgh, so over the years we’ve flirted with the idea of joining. But because we lived in the city there was never much of an option.
“Three years ago we noticed that a branch opened in Leith and we have since signed up.”
Mairead said: “It was Catherine’s son Thomas who married our grandmother, also called Catherine. We grew up knowing they were all members of ‘the rural’ and we’d visit regularly. The connection there was very firm.”
Margaret Vaughan, 71, has been a member of the institute since 1973. Her grandmother Margaret Bone was one of the first members to take a seat in Longniddry.
She treasures a gold badge with pearls that was gifted to her grandmother by the Institute.
Margaret said: “The institute have always been a positive thing in my life. I’ve loved being a member and I’ve learned so many skills. I learned how to French polish, and went on to teach a course to other members, and I learned how to upholster.” Margaret, who makes 10,000 jars of jams and chutneys every year through her small business, would love to see more members join. She added: “I’ve managed to get to most meetings and I would miss them if they weren’t there. They give back as much to me as I give to them.” The institute have enjoyed a boost in membership after implementing a modernisation package to broaden their appeal. These changes have resulted in new branches being formed, like the Deen Divas, who held their first meeting in Aberdeen in the summer of 2015.
Members there take part in speed crafting, Segway racing, rum tasting, book groups and more.
The increase is on the back of decades of declining numbers and national chairwoman Christine Hutton said it shows the SWI are still relevant.
She said: “Back in 1917, our organisation formed to bring women together, with a vision to welcome every woman in Scotland to join us. We have remained a constant in Scottish life ever since and are here to educate, to share, to campaign, to learn, to socialise, to build a community and, of course, to have fun.
“Having recently taken action to remain relevant to the lives of modern women living in all parts of Scotland, we are very pleased to say that membership numbers have gone up by 301 in the past year.
“This may not sound like a huge number but after years of decline this is a most positive development that shows our new-style meetings are working and that the SWI continue to have a role to play in modern life.”
For information on the SWI, go to www.theswi.org.uk or call 0131 225 1724.