Ella Morrison Millar ( Inches; 26 June 1869 – 23 February 1959) was a politician. She was the first female city councillor and first female magistrate in a Scottish city.

Early life and education

Millar was born on 26 June 1869 in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. Her parents were Mary Gray Morison and Sir Robert Kirk Inches, who was a master goldsmith, and

Lord Provost of Edinburgh The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is elected by and is the convener of the City of Edinburgh Council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire city, ex officio the Lord-Lieutenant of ...

1912-16.

Career

Prior to commencing her own political career, Millar assisted her father in his duties as Lord Provost. This included work for the Lord Provost's Comfort Fund for troops in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. In 1919 she ran for

Edinburgh Council The City of Edinburgh Council (Scottish Gaelic: ''Comhairle Baile Dhùn Èideann'') is the Local government in Scotland, local government authority covering the City of Edinburgh council area. Almost half of the council area is the built-up are ...

in the Morningside Ward by-election, and became the first female councillor in a Scottish city in January 1919. Prior to this, women in office in Scottish cities had only served on school and parish council/parochial boards. In her campaign, she argued ''that Edinburgh faced a number of problems, towards ‘the solution of which’ women could ‘render valuable service’ ''. She ran as an independent candidate in the 1919 by-election. She was a member of the Edinburgh Women Citizens Association; the EWCA supported her in her election campaign. She was returned in the eight subsequent elections that she contested, with no opposition. In later elections she was associated with the centre-right grouping. This would later be known as the

Progressives Progressivism is a left-leaning political philosophy and reform movement that seeks to advance the human condition through social reform. Adherents hold that progressivism has universal application and endeavor to spread this idea to human so ...

. In addition to her own work as councillor, she campaigned for the Unionist party of which she was a member. In 1923, she was elected as a

bailie A bailie or baillie is a civic officer in the local government of Scotland. The position arose in the burghs, where bailies formerly held a post similar to that of an alderman or magistrate (see bailiff). Baillies appointed the high constables ...

, a Scottish magistrate. She was the first female to hold this position in a Scottish city. She retired in May 1949, and for her services, she was known as the 'Mother of the Council'.

Personal life

Ella Morrison Inches married Thomas John Millar in 1898. They had one daughter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Millar, Ella Women councillors in Scotland 1869 births 1959 deaths Councillors in Edinburgh