Margaret Rose Kelsick

Margaret Rose Kelsick
Member of the Legislative Council
In office
1961–1966
Succeeded byPercival Austin Bramble
ConstituencyPlymouth
Personal details
BornPlymouth, Montserrat

Margaret Rose Kelsick was a Montserratian politician. In 1961 she became the first woman to be elected to the Legislative Council.

Biography[edit]

Kelsick was born in Plymouth, the daughter of Margaret (née Bladen) and Thomas H. Kelsick.[1] She was educated at Montserrat Secondary School and subsequently worked for the family insurance company, Thomas H. Kelsick Ltd.[1]

The cousin of Eric Kelsick, the leader of the Montserrat Democratic Party, Kelsick was a member of the Montserrat Labour Party and contested the 1958 elections – the first woman to run for a seat on the Legislative Council – but lost to Michael Dyer in the Southern constituency by only three votes.[2] She ran again in 1961 and was elected from the Plymouth constituency,[3] becoming the first woman to take a seat in the Legislative Council.[2] However, she left the party during the term of the council due to disagreements over the appointment of David Fenton as a minister.[2] She subsequently lost her seat in the 1966 elections.

Kelsick became Managing Director of the family company and a member of the Montserrat Chamber of Commerce.[4] She also established a scholarship fund to allow students from poor backgrounds to attend university.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Personalities Caribbean, Volume 7, p750
  2. ^ a b c d Howard A. Fergus (1985) Rule Britannia, Politics in British Montserrat, pp67–68
  3. ^ Montserrat General Election Results - 2 March 1961 Caribbean Elections
  4. ^ Lloyd Sydney Smith (1969) Caribbean Who, What, why, p830