Helen Hermione Munro Ferguson, Viscountess Novar (14 March 1865 – 9 April 1941) was a
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...
leader, as well as an advocate for
nursing
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...
and healthcare and political activist.
Early life
Born Helen Hermione Munro Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood on 14 March 1865, she was the second child and eldest daughter of
Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood and his wife,
Hariot.
Her parents migrated from Scotland to
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...
in the 17th century and belonged to the
Protestant Ascendancy
The ''Protestant Ascendancy'', known simply as the ''Ascendancy'', was the political, economic, and social domination of Ireland between the 17th century and the early 20th century by a minority of landowners, Protestant clergy, and members of th ...
in Ireland. She grew up on the
Clandeboye Estate
The Clandeboye Estate is a country estate in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland, outside Belfast. Covering , it contains woodlands, formal and walled gardens, lawns, a lake, and of farmland. Named after the former Gaelic territory of Cland ...
, a large
country estate
An estate is a large parcel of land under single ownership, which would historically generate income for its owner.
British context
In the UK, historically an estate comprises the houses, outbuildings, supporting farmland, and woods that s ...
in
Bangor,
County Down, Ireland. But since her father had many overseas posts, she spent a lot of her early life outside the UK.
Marriage
On 31 August 1889, Blackwood married
Ronald Munro Ferguson
Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar, (6 March 1860 – 30 March 1934) was a British politician who served as the sixth Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1914 to 1920.
Munro Ferguson was born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Sco ...
. They lived together in
Kirkcaldy and
Novar House in Scotland.
Lady Ferguson attended the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...
to watch her husband from the ladies' gallery. She also helped write and draft his parliamentary and later viceregal speeches.
Charity work and activism
Munro Ferguson was a noted orator and speechwriter. Interested in
district nursing
District Nurses work manage care within the community and lead teams of community nurses and support workers. The role requires registered nurses to take a NMC approved specialist practitioner course. Duties generally include visiting house-bound ...
, she was the president of her local nursing association for 50 years and supported the
state registration of nurses.
She was involved in a number of women's groups, including the
National Union of Women Workers
The National Council of Women exists to co-ordinate the voluntary efforts of women across Great Britain. Founded as the National Union of Women Workers, it said that it would "promote sympathy of thought and purpose among the women of Great Brita ...
and the
YWCA
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries.
The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...
. A
Liberal Imperialist The Liberal Imperialists were a faction within the British Liberal Party around 1900 regarding the policy toward the British Empire. They supported the Boer War which most Liberals opposed, and wanted the Empire ruled on a more benevolent basis. Th ...
, he was involved with organisations such as the
Victoria League
The Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship (1901–present) is a voluntary charitable organisation that connects people from Commonwealth countries. There are currently branches in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand with affiliated organisatio ...
, the
British Women's Emigration Association
Hon. Ellen Joyce CBE CStJ born Ellen Rice (12 January 1832 – 21 May 1924) was a British organiser of women's emigration from the UK. She started and ran the British Women's Emigration Association.
Life
She was the eldest child of Francis Rice ...
, and the
Scottish Women's Liberal Federation
The Scottish Liberal Party, the section of the Liberal Party in Scotland, was the dominant political party of Victorian Scotland, and although its importance declined with the rise of the Labour and Unionist parties during the 20th century, it ...
.
Nursing and the Red Cross movement
Munro Ferguson was most well-known for her involvement in the
Red Cross movement in Scotland, Australia, and internationally with the
League of Red Cross Societies
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization that reaches 160 million people each year through its 192-member National Societies. It acts before, during and after disas ...
. In 1909, she was elected to the Scottish branch of the
British Red Cross Society
The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with mor ...
council and became the founding president of the Red Cross branch in
Fife, and remained president from 1910 to 1914 and from 1922 until her death. She helped establish Red Cross branches,
Voluntary Aid Detachment
The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) was a voluntary unit of civilians providing nursing care for military personnel in the United Kingdom and various other countries in the British Empire. The most important periods of operation for these units we ...
s and the
Territorial Force Nursing Service
The Territorial Force Nursing Service (TFNS) was established in 1908, part of the reform of the British auxiliary forces introduced by Richard Haldane which created the Territorial Force. Nurses with at least three years of training were able to ...
in Scotland.
Between 1914 and 1920, when
her husband was the sixth Governor-General of Australia, Helen lived in Australia. When the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
broke out, she helped to form a
federated branch of the
British Red Cross Society
The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with mor ...
in Australia of which she was president, while the national executive and its central depot were established and run by the Australian government, run out of
Government House, Melbourne
Government House is the official residence of the governor of Victoria, currently Linda Dessau. It is located in Kings Domain, Melbourne, next to the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Government House was opened in 1876, on land that had originally been ...
, and encouraged the formation of divisions on the state level. She was chair of the executive central council and finance committee of the
Australian Red Cross
The Australian Red Cross, formally the Australian Red Cross Society, is a humanitarian aid and community services charity in Australia. Tracing its history back to 1923 and being incorporated by royal charter in 1941, the Australian Red Cro ...
, much to the chagrin of some of the men on the committees, who displayed
sexist attitudes. However, the organisation managed to raise almost £5 million during the war.
The Australian Red Cross was run by women under Munro Ferguson's leadership and the organisation became popular with many Australian women as a way for them to help the war effort. Many women formed local branches to help provide food and other essentials for Australian and European soldiers. In October 1918, Munro Ferguson was appointed
Dame Grand Cross of the British Empire (GBE) for her war work with the Australian Red Cross.
After the war ended, Munro Ferguson said Australian women should not disband their Red Cross branches. She went back to Scotland in 1920 and became the Viscountess Novar when her husband became a
peer in December 1920. She agreed to represent the Australian Red Cross on the board of governors of the
League of Red Cross Societies
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a worldwide humanitarian aid organization that reaches 160 million people each year through its 192-member National Societies. It acts before, during and after disas ...
, and promoted the work of the Australian Red Cross globally through its
Junior Red Cross and work with disabled soldiers and convalescent homes. She was also appointed to the international advisory committee of the League's nursing home at
Manchester Square
Manchester Square is an 18th-century garden square in Marylebone, London. Centred north of Oxford Street it measures internally north-to-south, and across. It is a small Georgian predominantly 1770s-designed instance in central London; co ...
in London.
Later life
Novar was appointed a
justice of the peace in July 1920. A
Unionist and a member of the party's local association, she considered running for parliament in 1924. In 1927, the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
made her an honorary
doctor of laws
A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ...
(LLD) by the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
in 1927.
Her husband, Lord Novar, died on 30 March 1934.
Novar died at
Raith House, Kirkcaldy, on 9 April 1941 of
coronary thrombosis
Coronary thrombosis is defined as the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel of the heart. This blood clot may then restrict blood flow within the heart, leading to heart tissue damage, or a myocardial infarction, also known as a heart at ...
. There was a private funeral and cremation in Edinburgh and a public funeral at Raith. Her ashes were later placed alongside those of her husband at a sandstone memorial, with the epitaph "In the service of others her life was spent". She has been seen as a prominent figure in a network of aristocratic women's imperial feminism and philanthropy that extended across the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Novar, Helen Munro Ferguson, Viscountess
1865 births
1941 deaths
Helen Munro
Daughters of British marquesses
Place of birth missing
Place of death missing
British viscountesses
Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire