Margaret McCoubrey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margaret McCoubrey
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| Born |
Margaret Mearns
5 January 1880 Elderslie, Scotland
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| Died | 11 April 1956 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Suffragist |
Margaret McCoubrey (born 1880, died 1956) was an important Irish woman. She worked hard to get women the right to vote. This is known as being a suffragist. She was also involved in the co-operative movement, which helps people work together for common good.
Early Life
Margaret McCoubrey was born Margaret Mearns on January 5, 1880. Her birthplace was Elderslie, a town near Glasgow in Scotland.
Fighting for Women's Rights
After marrying, Margaret moved to Belfast, Ireland. She quickly became involved in the fight for women's voting rights. She joined the British Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). This group worked to get women the right to vote. Margaret even traveled to London to speak for women in Northern Ireland.
In 1910, she also joined the Irish Women's Suffrage Society. She was a very active member. Many suffragettes believed in making sacrifices for their cause. Margaret McCoubrey felt that their strong protests were part of an Irish tradition.
Working for Peace
When World War I started, the WSPU asked its members to stop their protests. Margaret disagreed with this decision. Instead, she started a new branch of the Irish Women's Suffrage Society in Belfast.
She also joined the peace movement. She helped people who refused to fight in the war because of their beliefs. At this time, many people in Ulster thought that working for peace was not patriotic. They also felt that women's voting rights were not important during the war. Because of this, only a few suffragists kept working during the war.
Margaret McCoubrey bravely ran a peace and voting rights campaign by herself. This happened in Belfast in August 1917. She believed that "a woman looking down on a battlefield would not see dead Germans or dead Englishmen but so many mother's sons." This shows her strong belief in peace.
Community and Politics
Margaret became the general secretary of the Co-operative Women's Guild. This group helped women work together in co-operative businesses. In 1922, she was chosen to represent Irish guildswomen. She joined the new International Women's Co-operative Committee in Basel.
She was also an active member of the Independent Labour Party. In 1920, she was elected as a Labour councillor for the Dock ward in Belfast. This meant she helped make decisions for her local community.
Margaret McCoubrey passed away on April 11, 1956, in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
