The Invergordon Archive

The lady second left at the back with the dark hair looks like Mrs Chisholm, Barbaraville, and the back right looks like Joan Munro from Tullich.

Could someone tell me please what the "WRI" is? Though I am a direct descendant of the Alexander Ross family of Balavack, Delny, Invergordon - I am in Wisconsin (USA) and this is the first time I have come across the WRI. Thanks

The W.R.I. stands for the Womans' Rural Institute, abbreviated, in Scotland to the "Rural". It is a very worthy institution which originated in Canada in 1897 and spread to Scotland in 1917. The Scottish W.R.I. aims amongst other things to foster country traditions and home skills. Unfortunately the membership has declined and is mainly made up of elderly or middle aged ladies.
You will find out the whole hisrory of the movement on the web on www.swri.org.uk

Thank you very much for the good information Gordon. Sounds like a worthy group for sure and I definitely will take a look at the website you suggested!

I can confirm that this is indeen Kilmuir Easter Institute. Miss Jo (Joan) Pirrie was president for many years and Mrs Chisolm is also a known member. Other Institutes in the area,at this time were Arabell/Kildary, Newmore and Rosskeen with Saltburn and Scotsburn opening in the late 1970's.

The Saltburn ladies are:
Front left ( with handbag) Mrs Bella MacKenzie, The Bungalow, Saltburn, my grandmother. Beside her is Mrs Nellie Roberts and third back on left is Mrs MacLeod,( mother of Hamish MacLeod who had Joinery business based in Joss Street, Invergordon but lived in Saltburn)

Have copy of this photograph and also a cutting from the Ross Shire journal which says my Grandmother was a " loyal member of Kilmuir Easter WRI" so assume that the other Saltburn ladies were too.

The ladies of saltburn at this time were all members of Kilmuir Easter institute. Saltburn didn't open until 1978.

Kilmuir Easter hall is a fair distance from Saltburn so unless someone in the village who was a member had a car they must have cycled there. From the newspaper cutting it suggested my grandmother was a WRI member for a number of years.

Im currently doing research into all institutes of Ross-shire Federation. Kilmuir Easter opened 1927, Rosskeen also 1927, Newmore 1943,Saltburn 1967, Scotsburn 1978 and Arabella/Kildary opened sometime before 1932. Meetings were always arranged around the full moon so cycling or indeed walking would have been the way. We think nothing if jumping in a car to go short distances but in those days folk would walk miles.
Mrs Redhead of Pollo was the first president and they met at Pollo until the mid 50's when they moved to Polnicoll hall.

Please add your comments about this picture using the form below.

Comments


Your Name


Your email address - this will be shown on the page and will allow the system to notify you of further comments added to this picture.