Sir Alexander Grant of Forres (1864-1937) “A great believer in the ‘passing on’ habit” Background: Sir Alexander Grant, born in 1864 in Forres, is the inventor and creator of the McVitie’s…
Mary Erskine (1692-1707) Background: The Reformation dealt a serious blow to charitable educational provisions in Scotland. The seizure of church monies meant that bequests providing for education and relief were…
Mary Louisa Maclagan (née Kerr, 1853-1943) Background: Mary Louisa Kerr was born on 7th May 1853 in Ontario, Canada, to Scottish immigrants Archibald Kerr and Catherine Maclaren. Having made a…
Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, CBE (1912-2004) Background: Wilhelmina (Willie) Barns-Graham was born in St Andrews, Fife, on 8th June 1912 as the eldest child of Allan Barns-Graham and Wilhelmina Meldrum. Determined to…
Isabella Elder (née Ure, 1827-1905) “A synonym for open-handed though discreet philanthropy” Background: Isabella Elder was born in Hutchinson, Glasgow, in 1827 as the fourth and last child, and only…
Zenya Hamada Philanthropy ‘letting 1,000 flowers bloom’ Guest contribution by Eilidh Lawrence Background: Interested in golf, theatre and gambling, the Japanese businessman and philanthropist Zenya Hamada first…
Elsie Bell Pettigrew (née Gray, 1852-1937) Founder of the Bell Pettigrew Museum, a rare surviving example of a Victorian teaching museum Guest contribution by Hannah Norfolk Background: Born in…
Angela Burdett-Coutts (1814-1906) and Greyfriars Bobby Guest contribution by Diana Leat After the Scott Monument, Greyfriars Bobby – a granite drinking fountain topped by a statue of the dog…
Victorian Charity Bazaars An important piece in the history of fundraising and female philanthropy Background: Charity bazaars – also known as “fancy fairs” or “ladies’ sales” – were a…
Dr James (1856-1946) and Mrs Annie Younger (née Thomson Paton, 1864-1942) Prominent 20th Century Philanthropists in St Andrews Background: The marriage of James Younger and Annie Paton on 18th…