Papers of Eunice Guthrie Murray

The archive consists of three diaries of Eunice Guthrie Murray, a member of the Women's Freedom League (with full transcript by her grand-niece Frances Sylvia Martin), covering the period 1895-1918; with copy death certificate of Eunice Guthrie Murray. Subjects covered include the women's suffrage campaigns, temperance, social conditions in Glasgow, politics, foreign travel, family life and Scotland.

Eunice Guthrie Murray (1877-1960) was born in Cardross, Dunbartonshire, the youngest daughter of David Murray, a Glasgow lawyer, and Frances Porter Stoddard. She was educated at St Leonard’s School, St Andrews and was active in local charitable and temperance activities. Along with her mother and her sister, Sylvia Murray, she joined the Women’s Freedom League and by 1913 was President of the League in Scotland. In 1918 she became the first woman to stand in a parliamentary election in Scotland, as an independent candidate in Glasgow, although she was unsuccessful. Eunice was the author of many works including 'Scottish Women of Bygone Days' (1930); 'A Gallery of Scottish Women' (1935) and a novel, 'The Hidden Tragedy' (1917). Eunice Murray was awarded an MBE in 1945. She died in 1960.

This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

Donated by Patricia Cowan and Frances Martin in 2005.

The Women's Library Catalogue

See also the Scrapbook [of Eunice Murray] (ref: 10/46); Scrapbook 'given by Miss Frances Power Cobbe to Annie Leigh Browne' with later additions from the collection of Eunice Murray (ref: 10/02); publications by Eunice Guthrie Murray 'Women's value in wartime', (Women's Freedom League, 1917), 'Prejudices old and new', (Scottish Council of the Women's Freedom League, 1913), 'Liberal cant', (Minerva, 1914), 'Scottish women in bygone days', (Gowans & Gray, 1930) held at the Women's Library.