48 Facts About Muriel Craigie

Muriel Craigie, OBE was a leading Scottish suffragist, honoured by two nations as a major volunteer organiser in both World Wars, and a 'noted educationist' during local authority education reforms.

Muriel Craigie was headquarters' organiser for the World War I Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service first Serbian unit, for which she was awarded the Serbian Red Cross medal.

Muriel Craigie was the only woman on the 7-person Invasion Committee.

Muriel Craigie was the first woman to convene any Angus county education sub-committee.

Muriel Craigie's father had worked with his brother in a wood merchants and joinery business before that, but when he died in 1936, he had served as the firemaster for 37 years; his funeral led by a fire engine, with Muriel and her sister as pall-bearers, supported by fire crews and local dignitaries.

Muriel Craigie attended the Montrose Academy, where she performed well, winning class prizes in history, English and sewing, and physical drill.

Muriel Craigie attended and successfully studied scripture at the St George's United Free Church.

Muriel Craigie died at Stracathro Hospital, on 9 December 1971, aged 82.

Muriel Craigie spoke at Bathgate with Miss Foggo, where she explained that when the women's movement began they put the case that 'criminals and lunatics' were denied the vote and women, but over time workers such as agricultural labourers were included in the franchise, so why should women continue to be excluded, as the working women paid their taxes, but had no right to vote for parliamentarians who decided these taxes.

Muriel Craigie spoke about the social 'ills' that a female perspective could press representatives to address, and she argued for fair wages.

Muriel Craigie's arguments persuaded a 'quite a number of the men' present to sign up in favour of the women's vote.

At Blackburn, where Foggo and Muriel Craigie based the society headquarters temporarily, they collected 'Friends of Women's Suffrage' signatures, sold merchandise and '24 dozen copies of the NUWSS The Common Cause' newspaper.

Muriel Craigie's life took a change of direction shortly after the outbreak of World War I, through the connections between NUWSS to Dr Elsie Inglis' Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service, as she became an organiser for the SWH's first Serbian Unit.

Muriel Craigie had organised lectures via all the school boards in Scotland to mark 'Kossovo Day' on 29 June 1916, to raise the awareness of the allied nation's history in defending the cause of right, and through churches' Sunday Schools to explain the 'Christians versus Ottoman Empire' Kosovo battle history.

Muriel Craigie became the recruiting controller of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps for Scotland, by September 1917, and she ensured that calls went out for cooks and domestic workers, as 'the pay is good'.

Muriel Craigie was awarded an OBE for her services to WAAC.

Muriel Craigie gave talks to the United Free church groups including an address on Burns, and at the British Women's Temperance Association on comparing the social and economic conditions of the day with a century ago, or on the gold standard, Manchuria, production and distribution.

Muriel Craigie served the Townswomen's Guild organisation 'enthusiastically' for twenty five years, initiating the Montrose branch and representing the town at regional and national federation levels.

Muriel Craigie became the vice-chairman of the National Union of Townswomen's Guilds of Great Britain, and was made the first honorary president of the North of Scotland Federation of Townswomen's Guilds on her official retiral.

Muriel Craigie presided over a large and well attended arts exhibition, after the first fifteen months of the Guild, showing off the member's own embroidery and handicraft work and donated items; in the vote of thanks Muriel Craigie heard that 'Montrose is a bright spot in the Northern Federation'.

Muriel Craigie was elected president of the Montrose Guild in December 1936.

Muriel Craigie was elected as the president of the Montrose Townswomen's Guild in December 1937, and addressed a rally, at Laurencekirk, where she was welcomed by the Provost, now vice-president of North East Guilds Federation Southern group.

Muriel Craigie reported that TWGs had won grants from the Carnegie Trust and collaborated closely with education authorities across the north-east of Scotland;.

Muriel Craigie was retained as branch president in 1938, as well as co-convening the finance and drama activities of the Guild, before announcing she was stepping back.

Muriel Craigie was chosen to attend the 1939 National Council, an event with 1,000 attendees debating the future, in Scarborough, of what had by then become a 54,000 member national women's organisation.

Muriel Craigie stepped down properly from leading TWG in 1941 'due to pressure of other duties,' but returned for the Guild's seventh anniversary to give the 'Immortal Memory' address at their 1942 Burns supper.

Muriel Craigie later scripted a play for the 1953 Aberdeen Coronation Year Rally, of the TWG North East Federation drama competition, which had a covenanting theme, acted out by amateur women from Montrose showing a Conventicle, as had been led by preacher James Renwick.

In 1958, Muriel Craigie was elected as the first honorary president of the North of Scotland Federation of Townswomen's Guilds.

Muriel Craigie became a member of the Montrose School management committee, representing the county Education Committee, in 1937, when topics debated included statutory duties, established in 1906, for free school meals and the consideration of holiday feeding of poor children, still a political issue at the passing of the post-war Education Act, and even up to 2021.

Muriel Craigie joined the county sub-committee on religious instruction, in 1937, with personal responsibility for Montrose schools and Hillside and Dun.

Muriel Craigie was a member of the keep fit committee, set up under the Physical Training and Recreation Act, which made the town councils responsible for training leaders or granting contributions to capital costs from playing fields to public baths.

Muriel Craigie became the convenor of the North Links School sub-committee and co-convenor of the Poor Children's Clothing Fund.

Muriel Craigie became local co-ordinator for the Women's Voluntary Services for Civil Defence in Montrose in 1939.

Muriel Craigie served on the Montrose Red Cross committee from the start of the war.

Muriel Craigie explained that 1,114 comfort items sent out including garments, slippers, bed rests and trays, and wooden bed blocks made by senior boys at Montrose Academy.

Muriel Craigie thanked all the volunteers, shopkeepers and businesses who had offered support to civil defence efforts.

Muriel Craigie suggested a 'broadcasting van going through the streets and giving cooking demonstrations'.

Muriel Craigie's recommendation was taken up by the Council to attract interest in local classes on cooking and on "fuel economy and 'make do and mend'".

Muriel Craigie thanked the responsiveness of the public authorities 'to the strange and varied demands made upon them'.

Muriel Craigie praised all the volunteers and reminded the audience of the rapid creation of the seamen's rest when the Buccaneer had run ashore; the emergency clothing service gathering 6,000 items overall; the mobile canteen providing a full three course meal from scratch in a morning; and the many home-workers creating garments for emergency needs.

Muriel Craigie's group were recognised in a letter from the Earl of Airlie, Lord Lieutenant of the county and key volunteers were given a card of thanks from Lady Dalhousie.

Muriel Craigie was voted again onto the Angus county council Education Committee.

Muriel Craigie gave a talk on its work to the Montrose Business and Professional Women's Club and discussed the new Education Act, which covered 3 to 18 year olds as well as 'further and adult education' within the remit of local authorities, and would, she said, have an impact on local tax as well as bringing benefits.

Muriel Craigie's talk covered nursery education needs; school transport issues; the different senior schools ; the school meals service and the challenge of full to capacity provision at 'special schools' for the deaf and blind.

Muriel Craigie bemoaned the 'non-cooperative' parents not engaging with their children's education, despite a bursary system for poorer families.

Muriel Craigie assured her audience that 'Properly safe guarded it did make a contribution to the life of the nation.

Muriel Craigie became the chairman of the Angus further education committee and was described as saying that there were 'too many young people squatting at the bottom of the ladder' when she awarded the first prize-giving to distinguished apprentices in the building and allied trades, at the Montrose Further Education Centre.

The next speaker confirmed that point and linked hard work to a confidence and a willingness to take responsibility, and in the closing vote of thanks, Miss Muriel Craigie was said herself to be 'doing a useful job' in chairing two of the county education sub-committees and that she was 'an asset to Montrose'.