Orcadian Women's Suffrage Society facts for kids

This picture shows women campaigning for the right to vote.

The Orcadian Women's Suffrage Association was a group in Orkney, Scotland. They worked to get women the right to vote. This right is called women’s suffrage.

How the Group Started

The first meeting of the Orcadian Women's Suffrage Association happened on September 25, 1909. It was held at the home of James and Bina Cursiter. The group started about a month after Chrystal Macmillan visited Orkney. Mary Anne Baikie from Tankerness led the group. She helped it grow quickly. The group brought together both men and women. They discussed important political changes. They also invited leaders from bigger national groups to speak.

What the Group Did

The Orcadian Women's Suffrage Association was connected to the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies. This meant they did similar things to many other groups working for women's voting rights. They shared their message in a few ways. They spoke at public meetings. They handed out leaflets. They also wrote letters to local newspapers. All these actions helped promote the idea of women getting the right to vote.

In 1911, a special banner was made. It was created by Stanley Cursiter and Christina Jamieson. Christina was part of the Shetland Women's Suffrage Society. This banner was taken all the way to London. It was used in a big march called the Suffrage Coronation Procession.

Helping During World War I

In 1912, Dr Elsie Inglis visited the Orcadian Women's Suffrage Association. She spoke at one of their meetings. She was the Honorary Secretary for the Scottish Federation of Women's Suffrage Societies.

When WWI started in 1914, Dr. Inglis founded the Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service. These hospitals helped soldiers who were hurt. The women of the Orcadian group raised money for these hospitals. They collected £30 8s 6d. This amount was enough to pay for a hospital bed for six months. The group decided to name the bed "Orcadian." They sent more donations later. They even received letters from soldiers who had stayed in the "Orcadian" bed.

Important Members

• Dr Mary McNeill
• Bina Cursiter
• James Cursiter