Isabella Elder

Isabella Ure was born to Mary Ure (née Ross) on 15 March 1828 in Glasgow's Gorbals district. Her father, Alexander Ure (1788–1830), was a solicitor. She was the only surviving daughter of the family, however, she had one older brother, John Francis (1820–1883). Her education is unknown.[1]

In 1857 she married John Elder (1824–1869), a partner in marine engineers Randolph, Elder & Co. In 1860 the thriving business acquired a shipyard at Govan, and in 1868 became known as John Elder & Co. By the time John Elder died in 1869 it was regarded as one of the world's leading shipbuilders.[2]

Following her husband's death, Elder became the sole owner of the business and ran it successfully for nine months until it was transferred to a partnership led by her brother.[1][2] As a wealthy widow with no children, she toured the Continent for extended periods and became a major philanthropist in Glasgow.[3][4]

Tomb of John and Isabella Elder

Elder died at her home in Glasgow on 18 November 1905 of heart failure, gout and bronchitis. Her death certificate was signed by Dr Marion Gilchrist, the first woman to graduate in medicine in Glasgow. On 22 November she was buried in the family tomb in Glasgow Necropolis. Her will left more than £125,000 for charitable purposes including the Ure Elder Fund for Indigent Widows of Govan and Glasgow.[1]

Memorial Window, Bute Hall, University of Glasgow

The University of Glasgow awarded Elder an honorary degree (LLD) in 1901. A Glasgow newspaper, The Bailie, described her as "a true woman, a wise benefactress of the public and of learning."[2][8] In December 2015, the University named a building after her.[9] She is also commemorated on the University's Memorial Quincentennial Gates and in a memorial window in Bute Hall, titled The Pursuit of Ideal Education, where she is pictured alongside Janet Anne Galloway and Jessie Campbell.^[2]

Statue of Isabella Elder, Elder Park, Govan, Glasgow

In 1906, a bronze statue of Elder on a granite base and surrounded by a memorial garden, was unveiled in Elder Park by the Provost of Govan, Sir John Anthony. Elder is shown seated, wearing her academic gown with her mortar board in her lap. The sculptor was Glasgow graduate Archibald Macfarlane Shannan (1850–1915) and the £2,000 cost was raised by public subscription, much of it from the ordinary people of Govan who held her in high regard.[10][11] It was one of the first statues of a woman in Glasgow, and remains one of only four statues commemorating named women, rather than allegorical figures (the other three statues are of Dolores Ibarruri on the Clyde Walkway; Mary Barbour in Govan; Queen Victoria in George Square.) Elder's statue is Category A Listed and the monument and memorial gardens were restored in 2010.[12][13]

Another Elder Park exists in Adelaide, Australia, however, this is named for a different Elder family. At one time, both parks had a similar bandstand, however the Govan one has since been lost.[14]

The life and work of Isabella Elder was examined as part of the Govan’s Hidden Histories project, and she also has her own Facebook Page in 2018. Her biography was written by Dr Joan McAlpine in 1997.[15]