International Women's Day

I am celebrating International Women's Day with a post about one of my heroines. 

The Edinburgh College of Domestic Economy opened at Atholl Crescent in 1891, and for many years operated alongside the Civil Service School. The College Of Domestic Economy was prestigious and was run with the intention of teaching Edinburgh's middle class students essential skills for running their own household. The College was widely renowned, with graduates joining the graduates of the Civil Service School to take their lessons learned across the British Empire and around the world. 

This stone carving is set into the pavement of Atholl Crescent, just around the corner from our Stafford Street shop in the West End of Edinburgh. It represents Florence B Jack, and she was quite possibly the greatest teacher at the School. Florence lectured in cookery, laundry work, and housekeeping, and was the editor of the Edinburgh School Of Domestic Science Cook Book.

During her time at Atholl Crescent she worked alongside some formidable Edinburgh women. Amongst them were Louisa Stevenson and Christian Guthrie Wright - nineteenth century campaigners for women's rights, education, and universal suffrage. They were also the founders of Queen Margaret University, which owes its existence to 'Atholl Crescent'. The streets of the West End were also home to members of the Edinburgh Seven and Charlotte Stopes (mother of Marie) - tireless campaigners for women's education and emancipation.

Florence herself went on to become the Principal of the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she was responsible for publishing an extensive range of everyday cookery books. Good Housekeeping is still going strong, indeed, I have a few of their cook books at home. I like to think that in some of them there are Florence's recipes - standing the test of time in the 21st century.

In 1911 she published The Woman’s Book, including everything from cooking and
household management, to nursing, travel and beekeeping. A chapter is devoted to education and careers, listing all the universities that offered degrees for women and the leading suffragette organisations.

Florence was, I think, a thoroughly modern woman. For her “women, like men, have a desire… to take part in the affairs of the world…and the restraint and force of mere tradition, prejudice, or caste, have become intolerable to them.”

The image of Florence that you can see above is part of the West End Trail - a historic walking devised by Edinburgh World Heritage to share some of the remarkable stories of the people who have lived and worked on the streets that we walk today.