Women at home in Hall of Heroes

Wallace Monument reveals new sculptures

Busts of two notable Scottish women have been unveiled by the Wallace Monument.

Mary Slessor and Maggie Keswick Jencks are the first female figures to be introduced to the landmark’s Hall of Heroes.

They were added following the Scotland’s Heroines project, in which the public voted for eminent women to join Robert Burns, James Watt, Adam Smith and Sir Walter Scott in being honoured at the monument.

Thousands of votes were cast online and, although a breakdown of the votes cast was never released, it was announced that missionary Mary Slessor and Maggie Keswick Jencks, co-founder of the Maggie’s Centres, had been been selected.

The two busts have been funded by Stirling District Tourism, the charity responsible for the monument, and were created in the Edinburgh studio of Graciela Ainsworth Sculpture Conservation.

Having researched the women’s lives, sculptors Graciela Ainsworth and Csilla Karsay sought to create busts that depicted their character, passion and commitment.

Both busts will take their place in the Hall of Heroes in spring next year, when the monument celebrates the 150 anniversary of its opening.

Graciela said: “We’ve worked hard over the past year to pay true homage to both remarkable women.

“We really wanted to capture their essence as well as their image so we worked closely with their relatives and with experts to ensure that the busts were true to these amazing women.”

Stirling District Tourism chair Zillah Jamieson said: “Mary Slessor and Maggie Keswick Jencks both made fantastic contributions to Scotland, as so many women have done throughout this country’s history.

“Both women exhibited selflessness and personal commitment to social improvement and through their efforts to help others they achieved worldwide recognition.

“It is only right that their sculptures should be on display at the monument.”

Maggie’s chief executive Laura Lee said: “It is a wonderful way to remember an inspirational woman and I hope everyone who sees the bust also pauses to think about the thousands of people with cancer, as well as family and friends, that have found support at what is possibly the hardest time of their lives thanks to her vision of a different type of cancer care.

Douglas Binnie from the Mary Slessor Foundation, said: “Mary was a weaver, a teacher, a magistrate a missionary and, above all, a humanitarian who staunchly defended the rights of children and women in incredibly difficult circumstances.

“In her work as a missionary in the Calabar region of Nigeria she demonstrated a rare ability to combine steely resolve and uncompromising strength with deep compassion and remarkable selflessness.

“She was both unconventional and inspirational and it is a fitting tribute that her courage and heroism have been formally recognised in this way.

“We would like to heartily applaud the efforts of all who have contributed to the process.

“If Mary Slessor was alive today, she would have wondered what all the fuss was about.”

Through their efforts to help others they achieved worldwide recognition