Dame Annie Maud Burnett DBE JP (27 February 1863 — 17 November 1950) was a local English politician who served as the first female mayor of

Tynemouth Tynemouth () is a coastal town in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in Tyne and Wear, England. It is located on the north side of the mouth of the River Tyne, England, River Tyne, hence its name. It is east-northeast of Newcastle up ...

Life

The second daughter of Jacob Burnett, an alkali manufacturer Burnett was born on 27 February 1863 at 10 Prior's Terrace,

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

, where she is commemorated by a

Blue Plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...

. She was taught at local schools before travelling to

Vevey Vevey (; ; ) is a town in Switzerland in the Vaud, canton of Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Leman, near Lausanne. The German name Vivis is no longer commonly used. It was the seat of the Vevey (district), district of the same name until 200 ...

, Switzerland, to complete her education. After returning she did voluntary welfare work and work teaching a bible class and at the Church of the Holy Saviour in Tynemouth. Following her family's Liberal political sympathies, Burnett served as honorary secretary of the Tynemouth Women's Liberal Federation from 1895 to 1910. In 1902, Burnett founded a Tynemouth branch of the Women's Local Government Society, standing for election to the municipal council in 1909. Although defeated, she was returned the next year with the support of the Liberal Society, becoming the first woman in the North of England to sit as a municipal councillor. In 1918 she was created a DBE in thanks for her work during 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 ...

as President of the Tynemouth War Savings Association, and on 28 August 1920 was made a Justice of the Peace. Following her retirement from the council in 1921 she did voluntary work before being re-elected in 1926. From 1928 to 1930 she served a pair of two-year terms as Mayor of Tynemouth, and was the first woman elected to that position. A portrait of her attributed to John William Gilroy is in the ownership of

North Tyneside Council North Tyneside Council, or North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council, is the Local Government in England, local authority for the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provid ...

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Death

She retired from politics in 1934, and died at home on 17 November 1950, aged 87.

Family

Her younger brothers John Walter Burnett (1864-1946) and Norman Burnett founded the Burnett Steam Shipping Company.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burnett, Maud 1863 births 1950 deaths Women mayors of places in England Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Mayors of places in Northumberland People from Tynemouth Politicians from Tyne and Wear English justices of the peace