Helen Crawfurd

Helen Crawfurd
BornHelen Jack
9 November 1877(1877-11-09)
Glesga, Scotland
Dee'd18 Apryle 1954(1954-04-18) (aged 66)
Dunoon, Scotland
NaitionalityScots
ThriftPoliteecian, activist, suffragette
Hauf-marrae(s)Alexander Montgomerie Crawfurd
George Anderson

Helen Crawfurd Anderson (9 November 1877 – 18 Apryle 1954) wis a Scots suffragette, rent strike organiser, Communist activist, an politeecian. Born in Glesga, she wis broucht up thare an in the Lunnon area.

Biography

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Born Helen Jack at 175 Cummernauld Street in the Gorbals area o Glesga, her parents war Helen L Kyle an William Jack.[1] Her mither wirkit as a steam-loom afore she mairriet. Helen's faimlie muived tae Ipswich while she wis young. She later on went tae schuil in Lunnon an Ipswich afore muivin back tae Glesgae as a teenager. Her faither, a maister batcher, wis a Catholic, but convertit tae the Kirk o Scotland an became a conservative trade uinionist.

(L - R) Helen Crawfurd, Janet Barrowman, Margaret McPhun, Mrs A. A. Wilson, Frances McPhun, Nancy A. John an Annie S. Swan

Stairtin aff religious an a Sunday Schuil teacher hersel, she felt a caw tae be mairriet at 21 tae a 67-year-auld Kirk of Scotland meenister an faimilie freend, the weedae-man Alexander Montgomerie Crawfurd (29 August 1828 – 31 Mey 1914).[2][3][4] but he became mair radical. Alexander dee'd at 85 year auld at 17 Sutherland Street in Pairtick, Glesga.

In 1944 Helen remairriet, tae weedae-man George Anderson fae Anderson Brothers Engineers ((in Scots) Anderson Brithers Engineers), Coatbrig. He wis a memmer o the Communist Party of Great Britain ((in Scots) Communist Pairty o Great Breetan).[5] He dee'd on 2 Februar 1952 an Helen dee'd at Mahson Cottage, Kilbride Avenue, Dunoon, Argyll, at 76 year auld.[6][7]

Poleetical acteevity

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Crawfurd first became acteeve in the women's suffrage muivement aboot 1900, than in 1910 durin a meetin in Rutherglen. Helen wis sent tae jyle three times fur "militant" poleetical acteevity oothrou her career as an activist. In 1912, she smashit the windaes o the hoose o Jack Pease, Minister for Education ((in Scots) Meenister fur Eddication), an wis gien an ae-month jyle sentence. In Mairch 1914, Helen wis arrestit in Glesga whan Emmeline Pankhurst wis speakin, gied anither month in jyle, an went on an eicht-day hunger strike. Efter ane mair arrest, she lea'd the WSPU tae protest its support fur World War I an in 1914 she jynt the Independent Labour Party (ILP; (in Scots) Independent Labour Pairty).

Mary Barbour Statue - Front view

Durin the war, Crawfurd wis inrowed wi the Red Clydeside muivement, includin the Glesga rent strikes in 1915 whan she led the South Govan Women's Housing Association ((in Scots) Sooth Govan Weemin's Hoosin Association) tae forstaund rent increases an tae stap evictions, alangsyd Mary Barbour, Mary Laird, Mary Jeff an Agnes Dollan. She co-foondit the Glesga branch of the Women's International League ((in Scots) Weemin's Internaitional League) an become secretar fur the Women's Peace Crusade ((in Scots) Weemin's Peace Crusade). On 23 Julie 1916, she pit thegither the first demonstration o the Women's Peace Crusade, thit 5,000 fowk attendit. She formed a brainch of the United Suffragists in Glesga.

In 1918 she was elecit as vice-chair o the Scottish division of the ILP. Shortly efter, she became a foondin memmer of the ILP's left-wing faction, thit was campaignin fur tae affiliate wi the Communist International ((in Scots) Communist Internaitional). Crawford went til Moscow in 1920, wi Marjory Newbold, Sylvia Pankhurst, Willie Gallacher an ithers fur the Congress o the Third Communist International an interviewed Lenin. Whan the affiliation policy wis defeatit, she jynt the new Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB), an served on the central committee an wis inrowd wi sindry journalist projects. She became secretar fur the Workers' International Relief ((in Scots) Wirkers' Internaitional Easement).

In 1919, Crawfurd wis a delegate tae the Congress fur the Women's International League in Zürich.

Crawfurd ran in 1921 as the first Communist Pairty candidate in the Govan ward.[8]

In 1927, Crawfurd wis an offeecial delegate tae the Brussels International Conference ((in Scots) Brussels International Conference) against Haud Doun Naitionalities, whaur the League against Imperialism wis estaiblisht. Crawfurd became a memmer o the executive fir the Breetish section.

Crawfurd stuid fur the CPGB in Bothwell at the 1929 general election, an Aiberdeen North in 1931, but didnae come close tae bein electit.

Durin the 1930s, Crawfurd was weel-kent in the Freends o the Soviet Uinion. She stuid fur Dunoon Toun Council in 1938 but wisnae successfu, but she was electit as Dunoon's first wumman toun cooncillor shortly efter the war, retirin in 1947 ower the heid o puir halth.

Helen Crawfurd dee'd in 1954.

References

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  1. ↑ "SR Birth Search for Helen Jack (Statutory Births 644/12 1466)". Scotland's People (in Inglis).
  2. ↑ "OR Birth and Baptism Search CRAWFORD, ALEXANDER (O.P.R. Births 612/01 0020 0089 ST QUIVOX)". Scotland's People (in Inglis).
  3. ↑ "SR Death Search for Alexander Montgomerie Crawfurd (Statutory Deaths 644/22 0321)". Scotland's People (in Inglis).
  4. ↑ "SR Marriage Search for CRAWFORD, ALEXANDER M - JACK, HELEN (Statutory Marriages 490/00 0075)". Scotland's People (in Inglis).
  5. ↑ "SR Marriage Search Anderson George Crawford Helen COATBRIDGE OR OLD MONKLAND Lanark 652/02 0071". Scotland's People (in Inglis).
  6. ↑ "SR Death Search ANDERSON, GEORGE (Statutory Deaths 510/02 0002)". Scotland's People (in Inglis).
  7. ↑ "SR Death Search ANDERSON, HELEN (Statutory Deaths 510/01 0067)". Scotland's People (in Inglis).
  8. ↑ "HelenCrawfurd_GovanElectionPoster1921". govanshiddenhistories.wordpress.com (in Inglis). 17 Juin 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2020.