Caithness women have been an inspiration to me
Northern Drift by Monique Sliedrecht
It’s the beginning of March – a time of transition. Snowdrops have been popping up in the short green grasses, providing delicate white beauty in the landscape, and the daffodils are readily replacing them with their bright yellow trumpet blossoms.
Both the snowdrop and the daffodil are symbols of hope and fresh beginnings. They signify new life and resilience as they are strong survivors which have weathered the winter storms.
Today is International Women’s Day and all of March celebrates women in history. Each daffodil that blossoms might resemble a woman that has inspired us – showing strength, resilience and beauty, just like this radiant flower.
Put them all together from over the years and they are – in the words of William Wordsworth – “Continuous as the stars that shine / And twinkle on the milky way, / They stretched in never-ending line / Along the margin of a bay…”
Of the figures in Scottish history, Saint Margaret of Scotland is the first that comes to mind (1070-1093). She was also known as the “Pearl of Scotland”. It is through her that St Margaret’s Hope in Orkney acquired its name.
Saint Margaret, aka the Queen consort of Scotland, was known for her deep compassion for the poor, for her charitable works and for promoting the interests of the church. She established a ferry across the Firth of Forth for pilgrims travelling to St Andrews in Fife, which gave the towns of South Queensferry and North Queensferry their names.
Some years (or centuries!) later came Mary Somerville (1780-1872), a Scottish scientist, writer and polymath. She led a very profound and changing life. In 1834, she became the first person to be described in print as a “scientist”. In 1835 she and Caroline Herschel were elected as the first female Honorary Members of the Royal Astronomical Society – an incredible achievement for women at that time.
Another great Scottish woman of the 19th century was Mary Slessor, who began life in the hardest circumstances in Dundee. Although a little girl working in a factory, she had an impossible dream of going to Africa. Against all the odds, she travelled to Nigeria and by the end of her life was revered throughout the country as the “Mother of All the Peoples”.
Mary Slessor saved the lives of thousands of children and, in recent years, was commemorated on the £10 Clydesdale bank note.
A 20th-century woman whose work I love is artist Joan Eardley (1921-1963). She is most known for her depictions of street children in Glasgow, and later for her atmospheric land and seascapes which she painted in situ on the Catterline coast, often in the wind and rain. She died of cancer but left a legacy through her beautiful paintings.
I think of the many wonderful women who are ahead of me in years and have impacted my life locally. One such woman is Jessie Sinclair. I came to know Jessie soon after I arrived in Caithness many years ago, when she was a highly respected teacher at Wick High School.
She was someone of great integrity, kindness and goodness. Whenever I rang her (before the mobile phone!) she would answer by reciting her number – I can still hear her voice in my mind! Sometimes she would have me over for a midday meal consisting of a huge roast dinner. Often she invited others that she wanted me to meet.
She had such a gift for hospitality and welcome. I could talk to her about anything and she would always listen attentively. Her responses would be thoughtful and wise. I saw Jessie as a peace-filled and steady pillar in the community – no doubt having learned a deep set of values and principles from her father, a well-known local minister. She was a dear friend, full of humility. I miss her!
There are many women in Caithness who are or have been precious examples to me of strength and creativity, beauty and kindness. They are such an inspiration. Each one offers something unique and special to the world and those around her, often in the face of challenge and adversity she rises above it with grace. I'm grateful for these beacons in my life.
• Monique Sliedrecht is an artist and blogger based at Freswick. Visit her blog at www.moniquesliedrecht.com
