Jessie Anne Douglas Montgomery (1851–1918), known as Jessie Montgomery, was an English educational administrator, activist and

suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

associated with women's formal education in the

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

area.

Early life

Montgomery was born on 6 August 1851 in London to the Rev. Robert Montgomery (1807–1855) and his wife Rachel Catherine Andrews McKenzie (1814−1882). On Robert's death, his widow and daughter moved to Exeter, where they lived in the Cathedral Close with Rachel's sister, Jessie Barbara Cook (1811–1899), and her husband, Rev. Frederic Charles Cook (1805–1889), Canon of

Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The present building was complete by about 140 ...

. After her mother's death in 1882, Montgomery moved to a large house in Baring Crescent, Exeter.

Education career

Despite limited opportunities for her own education, Montgomery became an activist over several decades for women's education in the Exeter area. Having successfully completed several courses at the Exeter Museum Centre, she became joint secretary to the University Extension Centre, and convenor of the Ladies' Students' Association. She became a governor of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum College, which became the Royal Albert Memorial College, the forerunner of both the University College of the South-West and then the

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a public university , public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Min ...

Suffragette

Montgomery inaugurated the Exeter Branch of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, and became its first secretary (1909–1911). Despite her organisation, activism and public speaking for women's suffrage, she did not survive long enough to cast a vote.

Death and legacy

On 13 October 1918, aged 67, Montgomery died in hospital in Southampton during an operation. She is commemorated by a memorial in the

.Woman and Her Sphere website, ''Suffrage Stories: Devon Suffragists'', March 26, 2013
/ref> A house in the

former Duryard Halls of Residence was named "Jessie Montgomery" in her honour. A Common Room at Duryard Hall was previously named after her.University of Exeter website, Special Collections Archive, ''Jessie Montgomery common room, Duryard Halls''
/ref>

References

People associated with the University of Exeter Activists from London Education activists English suffragettes 1851 births 1918 deaths {{UK-edu-stub