Margaret Rose Kelsick was a Montserratian politician. In 1961 she became the first woman to be elected to the Legislative Council.
Margaret Rose Kelsick | |
---|---|
Member of the Legislative Council | |
In office 1961–1966 | |
Succeeded by | Percival Austin Bramble |
Constituency | Plymouth |
Personal details | |
Born | Plymouth, Montserrat |
Biography
editKelsick 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]