29 Facts About Agnes Dollan

Agnes Johnston Dollan MBE, known as Agnes, Lady Dollan, was a Scottish suffragette and political activist.

Agnes Dollan was a leading campaigner during the Glasgow Rent Strikes, and a founding organiser of the Women's Peace Crusade.

Agnes Dollan attended school locally until the age of eleven before being forced to leave due to family poverty.

Agnes Dollan attended the Socialist Sunday Schools, where she "graduated as a Socialist".

On leaving school, Agnes Dollan went first to work in a factory before becoming a Post Office telephone operator.

Agnes Dollan joined the Independent Labour Party aged 18, and then the Women's Social and Political Union.

Agnes Dollan had met Patrick Agnes Dollan, a journalist and member of the Independent Labour Party, via the Clarion Scouts.

Agnes Dollan was married on 20 September 1912, and her only child, James, was born in 1913, and she was exempted from religious instruction at school.

Agnes Dollan became politically active during the Red Clydeside period of Glasgow's history as an organiser of the 1915 Glasgow Rent Strikes alongside Mary Barbour, Helen Crawfurd, Mary Burns Laird and Mary Jeff.

Agnes Dollan worked to link the rent strikes movement with peace campaigns, and as Treasurer of Glasgow Women's Housing Association led the campaign against rent increases imposed by landlords.

Agnes Dollan was jailed briefly in 1917 for protesting against high rents.

Agnes Dollan was a member of The Women's Peace Crusade in Glasgow.

Agnes Dollan became a prominent figure in Glasgow politics and spoke at the 1917 May Day demo in Glasgow Green.

Agnes Dollan was a member of the Women's Social and Political Union and the Women's Labour League.

On 13 December 1921, Agnes Dollan was elected in a by-election as the councillor for Springburn.

Agnes Dollan successfully stood again for Council in 1922 and held the position until 1928.

Agnes Dollan was the first Labour candidate to contest Dumfriesshire in the United Kingdom general election of 1924, however she was unsuccessful.

Agnes Dollan served on the Labour Party National Executive from 1922 to 1928 and resumed her seat in the 1930s after a period of illness prevented her from participating in political activities.

Agnes Dollan fought against the removal of the ILP from the Labour Party, however following the split she was appointed the first president of the Scottish Socialist Party's women's council in 1933.

Agnes Dollan campaigned to be the Labour Party candidate for Leith in the 1935 United Kingdom general election.

Dollan's husband Patrick served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1938 to 1941 however when she attended events with him, Agnes retained her own identity.

Pat Agnes Dollan's wife was very active and, I always thought, better than he was; I'm convinced he killed her activity.

Agnes Dollan took exception to the defence of women being used as a reason for war.

Agnes Dollan protested against her honour being made an excuse for war.

In 1918, Agnes Dollan spoke on behalf of the ILP on 'Russian intervention' at a meeting in Hamilton.

Agnes Dollan later modified her anti-war stance in response to World War II, stating that:.

Agnes Dollan later became a member of the Moral Re-Armament Movement.

Agnes Dollan was awarded an MBE in George VI's Birthday Honours list of 1946 for her war efforts as the centre organiser in Glasgow for the Women's Voluntary Services.

Agnes Dollan died of heart failure on 16 July 1966, aged 78, in Glasgow's Victoria Infirmary.