Aberdeen and Temair, Ishbel Maria Gordon, Marchioness of

Biography

Born London 1857, youngest daughter of the first Baron Tweedmouth, Sir Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks, and his wife Isabella. She was educated privately and had a strong sense of social responsibility. From a young age she dedicated herself to religious and humanitarian pursuits. She married John Campbell Gordon, 7th Earl of Aberdeen, in 1877. She created the Haddo House Association, which was an educational and recreational project for tenants of Aberdeenshire estates. It grew to extend its membership throughout Britain and its dominions. Lady Aberdeen also used her status to develop interest in issues affecting women. During her husband's first lord lieutenancy in Ireland (1886-1892), Lady Aberdeen distributed hand looms to promote Irish cottage weaving industries, and did the same in Canada during his lieutenancy there (1893-1898). She was elected president for the International Congress of Women in 1893, which aimed to improve the social and economic position of women and promote peace - in this role, she successfully advocated the opening of all posts in the secretariat of the League of Nations to women as well as men. She founded the Victorian Order of Nurses in 1898, starting the first dominion-wide health service, and began working with the Red Cross Society and the National Council of Women. During the Gordons second term in Ireland (1905-1914), Ishbel focussed on public health and housing, setting up the Women's National Health Association in 1907, establishing sanatoriums for tuberculosis and promoting exhibitions on health. However, she was less popular with the people of Ireland during this time, being seen as a "Lady Bountiful", and unionists regularly boycotted her receptions. In 1915, the earl of Aberdeen was advanced in the peerage, and they became marquess and marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair. She received many honours: she was the first female justice of the peace, she was appointed GBE in 1931, and she received honorary LLDs from the University of Aberdeen in 1929 and the Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. She was given the freedom of the city of Edinburgh in 1928. She died at Aberdeen, in April 1939.

Biography Date

1857-1939

Biography References

LOC; DNB; Roll of Graduates 1926-55, 1149;

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