The history of Edinburgh shows that many of its women made their mark as prominent activists. These courageous individuals fought for their rights and, it must be said, often achieved great success.
One of them was Sarah Elizabeth Siddons Mair. The key focuses of her activism were women’s suffrage and education. Learn more about Sarah Elizabeth Siddons Mair and her work at edinburghka.
Early Years
The future activist was born on 23 September 1846 in Edinburgh.
When she was 19, she first made a name for herself by founding The Edinburgh Essay Society. It was later renamed The Ladies’ Edinburgh Debating Society.
It is worth noting that the organisation proved so successful that it continued to exist for many years, with Sarah herself leading it, uninterrupted, for 70 years.
Value and Significance
It is important to recognise that almost immediately after its creation, Mair’s organisation became a major hub for the promotion of women’s education and rights. Moreover, the society’s membership included some of the city’s wealthiest and most respected figures.
The Ladies’ Edinburgh Debating Society offered the women of Edinburgh a forum to discuss various social issues. Thanks to this, they had a unique opportunity to significantly improve their public speaking and debating skills.
It is not hard to guess that the issue of women’s suffrage was one of the most frequent topics on the organisation’s agenda.
Furthermore, the society even had its own publication, *The Attempt*. In 1876, it was renamed *The Ladies’ Edinburgh Magazine*.
Membership
In addition to this, Mair was a member of the Edinburgh National Society for Women’s Suffrage (hereafter ENSWS). This organisation began its history back in 1867 and was actively involved in advancing the cause of women’s rights.
In time, Sarah moved beyond simple membership to lead the ENSWS. She later rose even higher, taking on the role of President of The Scottish Federation of Women’s Suffrage Societies.
On Education
However, the fight for women’s rights did not limit Mair’s sphere of activity and interests. The activist was also deeply concerned with the issue of women’s education.
In 1867, she joined The Edinburgh Association for the University Education of Women.
She even had the honour of being present at its inaugural meeting, though interestingly, she was not officially considered a founding member.
Most likely, this was because Sarah was unmarried and, on the whole, very young at the time.
However, this minor detail did not upset the young woman in the slightest, and she strove with all her might to achieve her main goal: to ensure that both women and men had equal access to university education. In this, Mair actively supported Mary Crudelius.
Realising the Dream
Soon, the first step towards achieving their goal was made. This initial stage involved improving pre-university education. St George’s Hall was chosen to host the classes, which were offered both in-person and by correspondence. This was all done to ensure that women could later enter university with ease.
New Achievements
But Sarah and her allies did not forget about secondary education either.
Specifically, the year 1886 was marked by the creation of St George’s Training College.
This was a unique institution of its kind, the first of its type in Scotland. It prepared women for the profession of school teaching.
Additionally, in 1888, St George’s School for girls was opened. In this school, girls studied right up until the point they became university students.
It is both interesting and telling that pupils from this school would go on to be among the first female graduates of the University of Edinburgh. This can be considered a personal triumph for Sarah and her supporters, as it was one of the activist’s greatest desires.
Thus, Sarah Elizabeth Siddons Mair can rightly be considered one of Edinburgh’s most brilliant activists. This woman managed to do a great deal for the development and advancement of women’s rights. At that time, this issue was unfortunately highly contentious and sparked countless debates.
Nevertheless, Sarah succeeded in finding like-minded people who actively supported her in realising her main ideas.
This speaks to Mair’s determination, as well as her ability to achieve her goals against all odds. In any era, ladies like her have been a true treasure.
It is particularly important to note that her courage was so great that even the difficult war years did not force her to pause her activities. During the First World War, for instance, she worked closely with Elsie Inglis. Therefore, it can be said with confidence that Mair was tested by both time and hardship, and was not found wanting.
Looking back, some might criticise Sarah for excessive radicalism or for blindly following her ideals, and everyone is entitled to that opinion. However, one cannot disagree that this unique individual was able to fully realise her potential and was not afraid to boldly state her position, regardless of the consequences. You have to agree, such a trait in a woman’s character is a very positive one.
Sources:
- https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-48668
- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://alchetron.com/Sarah-Mair&ved=2ahUKEwjIr6GfpcKHAxXfFhAIHeRPIUg4ChAWegQIDhAB&usg=AOvVaw1LgiYwZMeSmAMd0YOcC_Yj
- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://litcors.wordpress.com/2016/09/13/sarah-elizabeth-siddons-mair/&ved=2ahUKEwjIr6GfpcKHAxXfFhAIHeRPIUg4ChAWegQIDxAB&usg=AOvVaw3X3fYXGZAF_ZMT8jdaVfLP