Marian Farquharson | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 20 April 1912 Nice, France | (aged 65)
Resting place | Alford, Aberdeenshire |
Education | at home |
Spouse |
Robert Francis Ogilvie Farquharson
(m. 1883; died 1890) |
Marian Sarah Ogilvie Farquharson, FLS, FRMS (née Ridley, 2 July 1846 – 20 April 1912) was a British naturalist and women's rights activist. The first female Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society (although not permitted to attend meetings), Farquharson is best remembered for her campaign of women rights to full fellowship of learned societies.[1]
This insistence on attendance at meetings was important; other societies allowed women to be members, but they were barred from attending meetings (Farquharson had been elected as the first female Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society in 1885 but was not allowed to attend). At first she was rebuffed by the Council of the Linnean Society, but eventually won the day, through sheer persistence (the Society holds a plethora of correspondence from Farquharson) and the vocal support of some members of Council.