Mary Bell (politician)
Mary Bell | |
|---|---|
 Mary Bell in 1926 by an unknown photographer. | |
| Born | 1885 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | 1943 (aged 79–80) Glasgow, Scotland |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Known for | Local politics, women's rights |
Mary Bell (1885–1943) was a Scottish politician, one of the first Scottish women to be elected as a local councillor, and the first female senior magistrate of the city of Glasgow.[1]
Political career
Bell was one of a pioneering group of five women who were elected in 1920 which included Jessica Baird-Smith &
In 1924, she was promoted to the position of depute river
In 1925, she witnessed the execution of a man named John Keen, who had been found guilty of the murder of Noorh Mohammed. Interviewed by The Scotsman after the event she explained, "Many people urged me not to attend the execution, but I wanted to prove that a woman is fit to take her place on the public bodies. We women in the civic body of a city like Glasgow are pioneers of the women's movement, and we need to show that we are fit to take the unpleasant with the pleasant"[7][8][4]
Bell was a
In 1938, Bell's son Arthur was elected as a councillor in a by-election in the Camphill Ward of Glasgow[9]
References
- ^ "Woman made civic history". Linlithgowshire Gazette. 20 August 1943.
- ISSN 1472-6041.
- ProQuest 479194257. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ a b c "A Scottish Woman Chief Magistrate". The Vote. 5 November 1926.
- ^ The Scotsman. 8 November 1924.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Clydeside women baillies". Aberdeen Press and Journal. 8 November 1924.
- ^ "Glasgow execution: Lady magistrate a witness". The Scotsman. 25 September 1925.
- ^ "Forensic Medicine Archives Project : Glasgow University Archive Services". Forensic Medicine Archives Project. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
- ^ "Glasgow Municipal By-Election Result". The Scotsman. 22 June 1938.