Margaret Hope MacPherson
Margaret MacPherson | |
---|---|
Born | Margaret Hope MacLean 29 June 1908 |
Died | 21 October 2001 Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland | (aged 93)
Nationality | Scottish |
Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
Known for | Her activism in support of crofting |
Margaret Hope MacPherson (born MacLean; 29 June 1908 – 21 October 2001) was a Scottish
Early life
MacPherson was born Margaret Hope MacLean on 29 June 1908 in Colinton, Edinburgh, Scotland.[2] Her father, Norman Maclean, was a minister of the Church of Scotland.[1] When she was seven, her father was called to be minister of St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh.[3] She had a comfortable, middle class upbringing due to her father's position. She stated in an interview in later life: "We were comfortably off, we had three servants, and it was a rich parish".[1]
MacPherson was
Adult life
Upon graduating from the
After their marriage in Glasgow, the couple moved to Skye. There, Duncan worked as a drover, moving cattle and sheep from the Isle of Skye to mainland Scotland to be sold. However, their first few years of marriage were spent in hardship. The Great Depression meant that there was little money to be made in droving. Margaret later recalled; "no matter how cheaply Duncan bought lambs or ewes on Skye, by the time he got them to the mainland the price had fallen".[3] Eventually, they were able to lease a croft on Skye from the Forestry Commission, and they spent the next ten years rearing cattle.[1]
Political career
In 1945, MacPherson defeated Sir Godfrey Fell (a retired colonial official) to be elected to represent
MacPherson was active in her local Labour Party. From 1961 to 1984, she served as Secretary of the Skye Labour Party.
In 1951, MacPherson was appointed to the Commission of Enquiry into Crofting Conditions led by Sir Thomas Taylor (and therefore also known as the Taylor Commission). She argued for the nationalisation of all farms above 3,000 acres and against crofters being able to purchase their
Author
From the 1960s, MacPherson wrote children's fiction books. They were inspired by
Personal life
Margaret married Duncan MacPherson after she graduated from university.[1] Together, they had seven sons.[3]
On 21 October 2001, MacPherson died in Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland. She was 93 years old.[2] Her funeral was held at the Portree Parish Church on 24 October.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Margaret MacPherson The First Lady of Crofting who represented the people of Skye". The Herald. 24 October 2001. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
- ^ ISBN 978-0748617135.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Still thumping the table over the Highland human desert". The Herald. 16 November 1991. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
- ^ Ascherson, Neal (2002). "Scottish Labour's Annual Conference and the 'Highland Luxemburgist' faction". caledonia.org.uk. Caledonia Centre for Social Development. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
- ISBN 9781409402442.