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Stop 2: Katherine Humphrey (died 1830), the Gibbetstane, on road outside the Tolbooth, Castlegate
2301 The rectangular set of cobblestones or cassies outside the Tolbooth on Castle Street marks the site of the gallows in the Castlegate. It was on this spot that Kate Humphrey was the last woman to be publicly hanged in 1830 for murdering her husband James. Kate ran a public house with him in the nearby Bool Road and warned the magistrates of the 'evils of drink' in her final moments of life before she 'looked doon Marischal Street' - the local term for being hanged. Her body was sent to Dr Alexander Munro's Dissecting Rooms in Edinburgh. Kate believed she had been cursed when she was struck on the breat by the knot of the hangman's rope while witnessing Jean Craig's execution in 1784. Stop 3: Janet Wishart (died 1597), Mercat Cross, Castlegate
2302 Here in the Castlegate a group of witches were accused of dancing and playing musical instruments in the presence of the devil between the Flesh Cross and Fish Cross at midnight on Halloween 1596. Between 1596-1597 in Aberdeen 22 women and one man were executed for having been found guilty of being witches. Janet Wishart and her family were the main focus of the witch hunting frenzy. Janet by all acounts was a forceful, ill-tempered woman with a sharp tongue. Janet was charged with over 30 dittays (indictments) going back 24 years. Janet spoke out at her trial but was never going to prove her innocence. Janet was sentenced to be burnt unto death which was unusual as witches were usually sentenced to be strangled and then their dead bodies burnt. Stop 4: Health Services for Women and Children - Agnes Thomson (1880-1952) Clementina Esslemont OBE (1864-1958) Fenella Paton (1901-1945) and Mary Esslemont (1891-1984)
2303 The first sick children's hospital on site of former Naval Surgeon's Dr Blaikie surgery on 6-8 Castle Terrace in 1877 extended to take in Castle Brae Chapel. An unsung heroine that worked on this site is Dr Agnes Thomson (nee Baxter) a graduate from Aberdeen University who served as an anaesthetist at the Sick Children's and Maternity Hospitals during the First World War. Agnes Thomson was instrumental in founding the Aberdeen Mother and Baby Home and volunteered her services to the Mother and Child Welfare Association, which was established to address the shockingly high death rate of babies and toddlers in the east end of Aberdeen.
Throughout her life, Clementina Esslemont OBE was a champion of liberal ideas and good causes and well known for her no-nonsense approach to social service provision. One of her principal achievements was the foundation of the Aberdeen Mother and Child Welfare Association in 1909, which played an important role in social service and public health provision in the City of Aberdeen until the creation of the Public Health Department in 1949. She was also involved in the establishment of a model block of tenements on the Spital, Aberdeen, in the formation of Aberdeen Lads' Club, St Katherine's Club, and the nursery school movement.
Dr Mary Esslemont, one of Clementina Esslemont's daughters, worked as a Gynaecologist at the hospital. Mary did much to improve the care and wellbeing for mothers and babies with her determination and hard work. As well as being the Gynaecologist she also ran prenatal and family planning clinics. Mary was an advocate of women's rights, health education and family planning. She was the first female president of the Student University Council and the first woman to be president of Aberdeen Liberal Association in 1954. Awarded the CBE in 1955, Aberdeen City Council bestowed the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen in 1981.
Aberdeen has also led the way in family planning with a remarkable woman at the forefront of fertility control. Pioneer Fenella Paton opened Aberdeen's first family planning clinic in 1926 at Gerrard street. The clinic, the first of its kind in Scotland, moved to new premises in Castle Street in 1948. But prior to these clinics and innovations in family planning there were large families and mothers that needed to go out to work and at our next stop an initiative was put in place to help these working women.
Memories:
Norma Michie speaking about Mary Esslemont
Audrey's memories of the Family Planning Clinic
Denise's memory of the Family Planning Clinic
Heather's memories of Ina Lawrence and the Children's Hospital
Alma Duncan's memories of Cocky Hunters Stop 5: Aberdeen's First Nursery for Working Women (1871-1874) and Night Shelter for the Homeless (1971-1986), East North Street
2304 In June 1871 a day nursery was established at 13 East North Street for the children of mothers who did laundry and cleaning jobs. It was run by the Aberdeen Association for the Poor, which nowadays is known as Voluntary Services Aberdeen and is Aberdeen's oldest charity. It was for children aged from 6 weeks to 5 years. Prices were one child 3d, nowadays 1p, two children 41/2d, for children from the same family and three for 6d. Prices were increased in 1873 as the nursery was not able to cover its running costs. This did not help and unfortunately the doors closed in May 1874 as it was not feasible for the Association to continue to run it at a loss of £60 a year. A Flower Mission was run instead where volunteers made and brought bouquets of flowers to sick women from the East End and it lasted for twenty years. In 1895-1902 nursery was re-established in the nearby 15-21 Princes Street. This is the site of the first night shelter founded by Mrs Hilda Wernham (1919-2002) in answer to what she saw as the very desperate need of the indigent population in Aberdeen. A justice of the Peace and founding member of the Cyrenians Mrs Wernham was a sparky lady with a social conscience and an ability to inspire others. She managed to persuade business people with her persistence and sense of humour to support the venture. Her enthusiasm and commitment have earned her a place in the history of Aberdeen. Her name lives on at Wernham House (pictured), the first hostel of its kind, established in 1986 at 7 Virginia Street by Aberdeen Cyrenians.
Memories:
Ina recalls Hilda Wernham
Alma's memories of Hilda Wernham and Aberdeen Cyrenians Stop 6: Annie Inglis MBE (1922-2010), Aberdeen Arts Centre, Catherine Hollingsworth (1904-1999) and Isabella Fyvie Mayo (1843-1914), 31 King Street
2305 Aberdeen's first lady of the theatre Annie Inglis MBE dedicated her life to drama in Aberdeen, founding Aberdeen Arts Centre and inspiring generations to take to the stage. Born Annie Nicol in 1922, Annie studied English at Glasgow University before taking up a career in teaching. She joined the Monklands Rep in the 1940s, perfecting her directing skills which she would use to great effect in Aberdeen where she founded the Attic Theatre Group, an amateur group, which enjoyed an enviable reputation for performance. Over the years Annie founded Aberdeen's Arts Carnival, Texaco Theatre School, and Giz Giz Theatre Project for Youth. When the Arts Centre was threatened by closure in 1998 Annie ran a hugely successful campaign to save it involving many famous theatre actors who had trod the boards there.
Born in 1904 in Brechin and known by local folk as the 'speakin'wifie' Catherine Hollingworth started her teaching career in 1927 and might have remained a drama teacher but for the road traffic accident in 1933 which led her to use her learning to address the injury to her own speech. This ignited a lifelong interest in speech therapy at a time when there were very few speech therapists. While another pioneer of the profession Lional Logue (as dramatised in The King's Speech) was supporting King George VI in London, Catherine was appointed as the first superintendent of Speech & Drama and Speech Therapy in Aberdeen. In 1942 she founded the Children's Theatre, which went on to develop an international reputation. She had the theory that if you allowed children to play only to children, with no adults in the audience, their creativity and imagination would be much greater.
Another woman of culture associated with 31 King Street was Isabella Fyvie Mayo a prolific poet and novelist who wrote under the pen name Edward Garret. Although she was to spend most of her life living in Aberdeen, Isabella was born in London in 1843. She was also a pioneering translator for Tolstoy and became not only his friend but was also friends with Mahatma Gandhi. She became an ethical anarchist, pacifist, anti-imperialist, anti-racist and suffragette campaigner. In 1894 she was elected a member of the Aberdeen School Board, the first woman elected to any public board in Aberdeen and it is in this building that the Aberdeen School Board convened. Stop 7: Miss Bella Walker (1887-1962) and Miss Elsie Moffat (1894-1985) St Katherine's club, West North Street, (now Lemon Tree building)
2306 The next stop is the building now known as the Lemon Tree but this was built especially for St Katherine's Club as is still known affectionately by the older generation as St Kay's.
St Katherine's Club was originally set up in October 1917 for working class girls to have a comfortable meeting place away from the crowded and dismal conditions of their homes during WW1. Held in two rooms in a tenement in the Shiprow, the club was founded by Miss Bella Walker and Miss Elsie Moffat and they provided an environment which was at once domestic, educational and recreational. There were classes in home craft, art and craft, drama and literature, and physical education. The club grew to a membership of over 500 until it moved to the purpose-built YWCA building at 5 West North Street in 1937. It continued to grow and evolved as the needs arose. In the 1960s there was a greater awareness of adolescent, social and personal issues and the 'Open Club' was set up. In 1990 with the money from the sale of the building, the St Katherine's Trust was established and has met twice yearly to make financial donations to local organisations and groups.
Aberdeen Women's Centre, Shoe Lane (1989-2006)
In the former Caretaker's flat of the St Katherine's Club, Aberdeen Women's Centre offered a women-only space for women's groups and classes to meet. With urban aid funding came staff which included the city's first Minority Ethnic Development Worker for women.
Memories:
Memories of the St Katherine's Club 1
Memories of the St Katherine's Club 2 Stop 8: Mrs Legge, President Aberdeen Female Radical Association at 41 Queen Street, (meetings held 1839-1841)
2307 Mrs Isabella Wilson Legge, was the wife of James Legge, stonemason, who was the first chairman of Aberdeen Charter Union, the organisation of the Aberdeen Chartists. Mrs Legge set up the Aberdeen Female Radical Association as she wanted votes for all adults - not just men but women too. She presided over 18 young women. They held their meetings at the Temperance Hotel at 41 Queen Street and said in a statement issued by the Female Chartists of Aberdeen (12th November 1841) "while we are compelled to share the misery of our fathers, our husbands, our brothers, and our lovers, we are determined to have a share in their struggles to be free, and to cheer them in their onward march for liberty." Stop 9: Caroline Phillip (1870-1956)
2308 Caroline Agnes Isabella Phillips born 13th December 1870 at the Free Church School in Kintore. Her parents were James Alexander Phillips, schoolmaster and Jean Phillips nee Watt. Caroline became a journalist of the Aberdeen Daily Journal and became interested in Women's rights. She joined the WSPU and was honorary secretary of the Aberdeen branch from 1907 to 1909. Her correspondence (including correspondence with the Pankhursts) is archived in Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums Collections, in the Watt collection. Stop 10: Sheena Grant MBE, (1941-2010), Grant Room, Marischal College. Cleaner, trade unionist and member of Aberdeen University Court
2309 Sheena Grant was employed as a cleaner at the historic Marischal College from 1984 for over 25yrs. She ensured that the prestigious Mitchell Hall was always kept in meticulous order. Sheena ensured that the academics and support staff were all valued for their work. Sheena was even known to call the principal "Dunkiebaby". Sheena became a dedicated trade unionist at local and national level becoming the first chairperson of Aberdeen University's Unison Branch in 1993, an office she held for almost 20 years. In 2006 Sheena was awarded the MBE for services to education. At first she thought it was a wind up. Sheena was also known for her love of parties and was a well-known darts player in the city. When Marischal College was being refurbished the only room to remain in its original state was the former Senate room and this room was renamed the Grant Room by the building's new occupants Aberdeen City Council when it reopened in 2011. Stop 12: Isabella Burgess (1930-1933), Lord Provost Margaret Farquhar CBE (1996-1999) and Margaret Smith Council Leader (1996-1999)
2311 Our final stop is back at the Town House, Broad Street, Aberdeen, where in 1930 Isabella Burgess was the first woman to be elected onto Aberdeen City Council. Miss Burgess was an Independent and represented the Gilcomston Ward until 1933, when she retired owing to ill health. She had spent her working life in the teaching profession and was the first Secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland for the Aberdeen branch.
After nearly 800 years Aberdeen got its first woman Lord Provost when Margaret Farquhar CBE was elected in 1996 after having served as a councillor in the Northfield ward for 25 years.
The first woman ever to become the leader of Aberdeen City Council was Margaret Smith who was elected in 1996 and served until 1999 when she then went on to become Lord Provost until 2002.
Memories:
Margaret Farquhar speaking about her career in politics
Margaret Smith discusses her career in politics Aberdeen Women's Alliance: Fenella Paton
2333 A photograph portrait of Fenella Paton, who opened Aberdeen's first family planning clinic in 1926 at Gerrard street. Aberdeen Women's Alliance: Isabella Fyvie Mayo
2335 A photograph of poet, novelist and translator Isabella Fyvie Mayo (1843-1914) and cat taken from the frontispiece of her Recollections of Fifty Years (London: John Murray, 1910). Aberdeen Local Studies have a copy of this work in our collection. Aberdeen Women's Alliance: Lord Provost Margaret Farquhar CBE
2347 An official photo portrait of Aberdeen's first woman Lord Provost, Margaret Farquhar CBE. She was elected in 1996 after having served as a councillor in the Northfield ward for 25 years. Aberdeen Women's Alliance: Memories from Margaret Farquhar
2362 Aberdeen's first women Lord Provost, Margaret Farquhar speaking about her career in politics. Elim Pentecostal Church
2756 This building at 50 Marischal Street was first used as a church as part of a scheme to reconstitute the then dissolved Trinity Parish. Its congregation had been based at the church on Exchange Street that became the Alhambra music hall.
The Marischal Street building was the Theatre Royal before being remodeled to serve as a church in the 1870s. The parish's first minister was Rev. James Park. See Alexander Gammie's Churches of Aberdeen (1909) for more information on this congregation.
The Trinity Parish Church was put on the market around 1934 and was purchased by a member of the Aberdeen branch of the Elim Four-Square Gospel Alliance, Mrs Isabella Gordon, and presented to this organisation.
The Aberdeen branch opened in 1932 and had previously held meetings in the Music Hall, the Aberdeen Business Women's Club on East Craibstone Street, and the Balmoral Hall on Gray Street.
The Elim Tabernacle on Marischal Street was officially opened on Saturday 25th August 1934. A report of the opening can be read in the Press & Journal of Monday 27 August 1934. Treasure 8: Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management
178 During 2015, Scotland celebrates the year of Food and Drink and this theme is continued as part of the Celebrate Aberdeen weekend in August. Keeping the theme in mind we would like to reveal "The Book of Household Management" by Mrs Isabella Mary Beeton, one of the most famous cookery books ever published.
Isabella Mayson was born on 12 March 1836 in London and it was whilst studying in Heidelberg she took to pastry making which she continued to practice at a local confectioners upon her return to England. In 1856, she married Samuel Beeton, a well-known editor and publisher and began to write articles on cooking and household management for the English Woman's Domestic Magazine.
In 1861, Beeton's Book of Household Management' was published. It was an immediate success, selling over 60,000 copies in its first year of publication and nearly two million by 1868.
Isabella died young at the age of 28 on 6 February 1865 of an infection following the birth of her fourth child but Samuel Beeton went on to publish a 2nd edition in 1869. In 1888 there was a major revision, with 27 new sections which included menus, table decorations, directions for using tinned meats and a section on American, Colonial and Continental cookery.
Aberdeen City Libraries hold a copy of this entirely new edition and it is numbered "five hundred and fifty-eighth thousand". It is 1644 pages in length with 13 beautiful colour plates and 68 full page illustrations. It includes a section on menus for all seasons with menus in both English and French. It is an absolute treasure and a tribute to Mrs Beeton that a version is still reproduced today. |