The Orcadian Women's Suffrage Association was an organisation involved in campaigning for

women’s suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to gran ...

, based in Orkney, Scotland.

Formation

The first meeting of the society was held in the house of James and Bina Cursiter on September 25, 1909. It was formed a month after a visit to Orkney by

Chrystal Macmillan Jessie Chrystal Macmillan (13 June 1872 – 21 September 1937) was a suffragist, peace activist, barrister, feminist and the first female science graduate from the University of Edinburgh as well as that institution's first female honours gradu ...

, by the chair

Mary Anne Baikie Mary Anne Baikie (1861–1950) was a Scottish suffragist who established the Orcadian Women's Suffrage Society (OWSS) and grew the membership and public interest in the debate, in the Orkney Isles, during the campaigns for Votes for Women. ...

Tankerness Tankerness is a district in the St Andrews parish in Mainland, Orkney, Scotland.Wenham, Shiela "The East Mainland" in Omand (2003) p. 198 Essentially a peninsula, it is about south-east of Kirkwall and east of Kirkwall Airport.

, who led the group to expand rapidly and to bring together men and women, to debate the political developments and to host leaders from national groups.

Activities

The organisation was affiliated to the

National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies The National Union of Women Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), also known as the ''suffragists'' (not to be confused with the suffragettes) was an organisation founded in 1897 of women's suffrage societies around the United Kingdom. In 1919 it was ren ...

. As such, their activities mirrored those of many other suffragist groups. They conveyed their message by addressing public meetings, distributing leaflets, and writing to the local press to promote the cause of women's suffrage. In 1911, a banner, created by Stanley Cursiter and Christina Jamieson, of the

Shetland Women's Suffrage Society The Shetland Women's Suffrage Association was an organisation involved in campaigning for women’s suffrage, based in Shetland. Formation The association was formed in 1909. Their first meeting was held in the home of Christina Jamieson on 23 ...

, was taken to London for the Suffrage Coronation Procession.

Links to Scottish Women's Hospitals

In 1912, Dr Elsie Inglis spoke at a meeting of the OWSS in her capacity as Honorary Secretary of the Scottish Federation of Women's Suffrage Societies. After the outbreak of

WWI 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 ...

and the foundation of the

Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service The Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Services (SWH) was founded in 1914. It was led by Dr. Elsie Inglis and provided nurses, doctors, ambulance drivers, cooks and orderlies. By the end of World War I, 14 medical units had been outfitted an ...

in 1914, the women of the OWSS raised a sum of £30 8s 6d which entitled them to name a bed for 6 months. The society chose to call the bed "Orcadian". Further donations followed and letters were received from soldiers who spent time in the bed.

Notable members

* Dr Mary McNeill * Bina Cursiter *James Cursiter, uncle of Stanley Cursiter

References

{{Orkney Feminist organisations in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1909 Scottish suffragists Women's organisations based in the United Kingdom Suffrage organisations in the United Kingdom

Formation

Activities

Links to Scottish Women's Hospitals

Notable members

Further reading

See also

References