27th April 1948

Artist and embroiderer Jessie Newbery dies

Born Jessie Rowat in Paisley on 28 May 1864, Newbery pioneered needlework as an artistic work in its own right and established the Department of Embroidery at the Glasgow School of Art. She was one of the founders of a group of women designers and artists – later known as the Glasgow Girls – who did much to promote the arts within the city and produced some of the most notable works of their time. As part of this group, she worked alongside her one-time student Ann Macbeth to support women’s suffrage and women who had been imprisoned for fighting for their right to vote.

 

 

Other events that occured in April

  • 01

    SS St Sunniva wrecked off Shetland
    SS St Sunniva was one of the first cruise ships. It was wrecked off Shetland in April 1930 and declared a complete loss.

  • 02

    The Radical War begins
    Industrial disputes led to widespread violence and possible underhand action from the government, resulting in several trials and executions.

  • 03

    The River Dee ferryboat disaster
    An overloaded ferry capsized when crossing the River Dee, resulting in the deaths of more than 30 passengers in March 1876.

  • 04

    Swedish explorer hunts for Nessie
    Jan Sundberg travelled to Scotland, to capture a Loch Ness Monster. He planned to lay an eel trap and extract some DNA.

FREE Scotland history newsletter

Don't miss our weekly update on Scotland's fascinating history. We promise never to sell your data to anyone else, and there's a super-easy unsubscribe link on the bottom of each email so you can leave whenever you want.