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Helen Munro Ferguson, Viscountess Novar

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45: 412:. There was a private funeral and cremation in Edinburgh and a public funeral at Raith. Her ashes were later placed alongside those of her husband at a sandstone memorial, with the epitaph "In the service of others her life was spent". She has been seen as a prominent figure in a network of aristocratic women's imperial feminism and philanthropy that extended across the 346:
The Australian Red Cross was run by women under Munro Ferguson's leadership and the organisation became popular with many Australian women as a way for them to help the war effort. Many women formed local branches to help provide food and other essentials for Australian and European soldiers. In
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After the war ended, Munro Ferguson said Australian women should not disband their Red Cross branches. She went back to Scotland in 1920 and became the Viscountess Novar when her husband became a
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in Australia of which she was president, while the national executive and its central depot were established and run by the Australian government, run out of
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and work with disabled soldiers and convalescent homes. She was also appointed to the international advisory committee of the League's nursing home at
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to watch her husband from the ladies' gallery. She also helped write and draft his parliamentary and later viceregal speeches.
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Born Helen Hermione Munro Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood on 14 March 1865, she was the second child and eldest daughter of
304:, and remained president from 1910 to 1914 and from 1922 until her death. She helped establish Red Cross branches, 513: 383: 328: 297: 305: 395: 387: 324: 386:
and a member of the party's local association, she considered running for parliament in 1924. In 1927, the
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in December 1920. She agreed to represent the Australian Red Cross on the board of governors of the
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attitudes. However, the organisation managed to raise almost £5 million during the war.
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council and became the founding president of the Red Cross branch in
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Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava
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Munro Ferguson was a noted orator and speechwriter. Interested in
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Hariot Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava
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Munro Ferguson was most well known for her involvement in the
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She was involved in a number of women's groups, including the
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President and founder of the Australian Red Cross (1865-1941)
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her husband was the sixth Governor-General of Australia
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in Scotland, Australia, and internationally with the
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Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
139: 116: 106: 92: 80: 61: 23: 268:, he was involved with organisations such as the 401:Her husband, Lord Novar, died on 30 March 1934. 152:Helen Hermione Munro Ferguson, Viscountess Novar 66:Helen Hermione Munro Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood 443: 441: 439: 437: 435: 433: 431: 429: 8: 347:October 1918, Munro Ferguson was appointed 177:Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood 43: 20: 111:Ronald Munro Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar 190:in the 17th century and belonged to the 476:"Blackwood, Helen Hermione (1865–1941)" 453:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 425: 167:and healthcare and political activist. 349:Dame Grand Cross of the British Empire 274:British Women's Emigration Association 186:Her parents migrated from Scotland to 319:, Helen lived in Australia. When the 218:On 31 August 1889, Blackwood married 159:(14 March 1865 – 9 April 1941) was a 7: 461:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.60197 278:Scottish Women's Liberal Federation 163:leader, as well as an advocate for 534:British people of Scottish descent 480:Australian Dictionary of Biography 284:Nursing and the Red Cross movement 14: 310:Territorial Force Nursing Service 408:, Kirkcaldy, on 9 April 1941 of 323:broke out, she helped to form a 544:Australian women of World War I 539:People from Bangor, County Down 519:Daughters of British marquesses 258:National Union of Women Workers 194:in Ireland. She grew up on the 1: 360:League of Red Cross Societies 294:League of Red Cross Societies 97:League of Red Cross Societies 50: 315:Between 1914 and 1920, when 251:state registration of nurses 333:Government House, Melbourne 233:Lady Ferguson attended the 560: 329:British Red Cross Society 306:Voluntary Aid Detachments 298:British Red Cross Society 241:Charity work and activism 222:. They lived together in 42: 474:Poynter, J. R. (1986). 396:University of Edinburgh 388:University of Edinburgh 378:Novar was appointed a 524:British viscountesses 390:made her an honorary 220:Ronald Munro Ferguson 192:Protestant Ascendancy 30:The Viscountess Novar 449:Oppenheimer, Melanie 380:justice of the peace 337:Australian Red Cross 26:The Right Honourable 410:coronary thrombosis 266:Liberal Imperialist 290:Red Cross movement 368:Manchester Square 196:Clandeboye Estate 149: 148: 101:British Red Cross 551: 514:Blackwood family 488: 487: 471: 465: 464: 445: 382:in July 1920. A 364:Junior Red Cross 247:district nursing 235:House of Commons 158: 144:Blackwood family 87: 75: 73: 55: 54: 1914–1918 52: 49:Helen Ferguson ( 47: 37: 21: 559: 558: 554: 553: 552: 550: 549: 548: 494: 493: 492: 491: 473: 472: 468: 447: 446: 427: 422: 376: 321:First World War 286: 270:Victoria League 243: 216: 173: 154: 135: 99: 93:Organization(s) 85: 71: 69: 68: 67: 57: 53: 38: 33: 31: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 557: 555: 547: 546: 541: 536: 531: 526: 521: 516: 511: 506: 496: 495: 490: 489: 466: 424: 423: 421: 418: 414:British Empire 404:Novar died at 392:doctor of laws 375: 372: 327:branch of the 285: 282: 242: 239: 215: 212: 200:country estate 179:and his wife, 172: 169: 147: 146: 141: 137: 136: 134: 133: 127: 120: 118: 114: 113: 108: 104: 103: 94: 90: 89: 88:(aged 76) 82: 78: 77: 65: 63: 59: 58: 48: 40: 39: 32: 29: 24: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 556: 545: 542: 540: 537: 535: 532: 530: 527: 525: 522: 520: 517: 515: 512: 510: 507: 505: 502: 501: 499: 485: 481: 477: 470: 467: 462: 458: 454: 450: 444: 442: 440: 438: 436: 434: 432: 430: 426: 419: 417: 415: 411: 407: 402: 399: 397: 394:(LLD) by the 393: 389: 385: 381: 373: 371: 369: 365: 361: 357: 352: 350: 344: 342: 338: 334: 330: 326: 322: 318: 313: 312:in Scotland. 311: 307: 303: 299: 295: 291: 283: 281: 279: 275: 271: 267: 263: 259: 254: 252: 248: 240: 238: 236: 231: 230:in Scotland. 229: 225: 221: 213: 211: 209: 205: 201: 197: 193: 189: 184: 182: 178: 170: 168: 166: 162: 157: 153: 145: 142: 138: 131: 128: 125: 122: 121: 119: 115: 112: 109: 105: 102: 98: 95: 91: 84:April 9, 1941 83: 79: 76:14 March 1865 64: 60: 46: 41: 36: 27: 22: 19: 483: 479: 469: 452: 403: 400: 377: 353: 345: 314: 287: 255: 244: 232: 217: 185: 174: 151: 150: 86:(1941-04-09) 18: 509:1941 deaths 504:1865 births 406:Raith House 370:in London. 228:Novar House 208:County Down 498:Categories 420:References 374:Later life 276:, and the 198:, a large 171:Early life 72:1865-03-14 398:in 1927. 325:federated 224:Kirkcaldy 161:Red Cross 384:Unionist 308:and the 260:and the 214:Marriage 132:(mother) 126:(father) 165:nursing 117:Parents 341:sexist 272:, the 204:Bangor 188:Ulster 181:Hariot 140:Family 107:Spouse 356:peer 302:Fife 264:. A 262:YWCA 226:and 81:Died 62:Born 457:doi 202:in 156:GBE 35:GBE 500:: 484:10 482:. 478:. 455:. 428:^ 416:. 280:. 253:. 206:, 183:. 56:). 51:c. 463:. 459:: 74:) 70:(

Index

The Right Honourable
GBE
Sepia image of a woman wearing a light coloured dress, three pearl necklaces, and a thin dark feather or fur bower draped across her shoulders. She is looking to her left without expression.
League of Red Cross Societies
British Red Cross
Ronald Munro Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar
Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava
Hariot Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava
Blackwood family
GBE
Red Cross
nursing
Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood
Hariot
Ulster
Protestant Ascendancy
Clandeboye Estate
country estate
Bangor
County Down
Ronald Munro Ferguson
Kirkcaldy
Novar House
House of Commons
district nursing
state registration of nurses
National Union of Women Workers
YWCA
Liberal Imperialist
Victoria League

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