June Paterson-Brown, née Garden (8 February 1932 – 6 December 2009) was a Scottish medical doctor, early family planning advocate, Chief Commissioner of the

Girl Guides Association Girlguiding is the operating name of The Guide Association, previously named The Girl Guides Association and is the national guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. It is the UK's largest girl-only youth organisation. Girlguiding is a char ...

, and the first female Lord Lieutenant in Scotland.

Early life and education

June Garden was born on 8 February 1932 in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, Scotland. She was the daughter of Jean Mallace and Thomas Garden. Wing Commander CA. She graduated from the

University of Edinburgh Medical School The University of Edinburgh Medical School (also known as Edinburgh Medical School) is the medical school of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and the United Kingdom and part of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. It was esta ...

in 1955.

Career

Medical doctor

After graduation, she became employed at the

Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, or RIE, often (but incorrectly) known as the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, or ERI, was established in 1729 and is the oldest voluntary hospital in Scotland. The new buildings of 1879 were claimed to be the largest v ...

, where she worked as a junior houseman. In 1956, she transferred to East Fortune Hospital where patients were treated for tuberculosis. In 1957, she married Peter Neville Paterson-Brown, a general practitioner, and moved to

Hawick Hawick ( ; sco, Haaick; gd, Hamhaig) is a town in the Scottish Borders council area and historic county of Roxburghshire in the east Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-south-east of Selkirk. It is one of ...

in the Scottish Borders. Paterson-Brown became increasingly involved in

family planning Family planning is the consideration of the number of children a person wishes to have, including the choice to have no children, and the age at which they wish to have them. Things that may play a role on family planning decisions include marita ...

advocacy beginning in 1960 when she started to give talks at family planning clinics. Because family planning was a sensitive topic at the time, she gave talks "in virtual darkness with one light illuminating the blackboard," which helped to provide attendees a degree of anonymity. She continued providing support and guidance related to family planning for years, and was publicly praised for her work assisting "generations of expectant mothers."

Lord Lieutenant

In 1998, she was appointed to succeed the Duke of Buccleuch as the first female

Lord Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

in Scotland, serving as the Queen's representative for Roxburgh, Ettick and Lauderdale. Her appointment was reportedly made on the personal recommendation from the Duke. Paterson-Brown held the position from 1998 to 2007.

Awards and honours

* Tweeddale Press Group’s “Man of the Year”, 1980 * Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), 1991 * Commander of the Victorian Order (CVO), 2007

Personal life

Following a long-time interest in the

Girl Guides Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...

, Paterson-Brown held a number of leadership positions in the

Association, now known as the

Girlguiding Scotland Girlguiding Scotland is part of the worldwide Guiding movement. It is the country's largest voluntary organisation for girls and young women with 61,375 members in 3,500 units throughout Scotland. History The origins of the Guiding and Scouting ...

. In 1963, she was appointed District Commissioner for Hawick North, and in 1969, she was appointed County Commissioner for Roxburgshire. She went on to hold the title of Scottish Chief Commissioner from 1977 to 1982, and Chief Commissioner of the Girl Guides Association from 1985 to 1990. Dinah Faulds, Scottish Chief Commissioner from 1977 to 1982 said, "I found that wherever I travelled in Scotland on Guide business members would ask after June. She was gracious, keenly interested in taking the movement forward and equally at ease with the shyest Brownie or boldest leader.” In 1989, she was awarded for her exceptional 30 years of service to the Girl Guides with the Silver Fish, the organisation's highest honour. Paterson-Brown died in Hawick on 6 December 2009.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paterson-Brown, June 1932 births 2009 deaths Scottish women medical doctors Girlguiding officials Commanders of the Order of the British Empire