Marie Randall, the first woman to be elected to the States, is to be honoured with a Blue Plaque in January 2024 and islanders are being invited to help fund the plaque by adding a personal dedication to one of her 31 years of service to the island.
Deputy Randall was 42 when she was elected 100 years ago in January 1924. She remained a member for 31 years and for 24 of those years was the only woman in the States.
Women in Public Life nominated Marie Randall for the Blue Plaque and its chair, Shelaine Green, says, ‘We have had some moving dedications so far from people who have chosen a year that is meaningful to them, often the birth year of someone who has been a true inspiration to them.
‘We’ve very grateful for the donations we’ve received so far towards the cost of the plaque. It is a fitting way to pay tribute to Marie Randall who was a true pioneer, the first female Deputy and an advocate for equal voting rights for women.’
All donations towards the cost of the plaque are welcome. And people who donate £25 or more can add a personal dedication to one of the 31 years she spent in the States.
A selection of the dedications will be read out at the unveiling of Marie’s plaque which is on Wednesday 24 January at 12.45pm at One St Julian’s, the site of Marie’s former home, Vauxlaurens Brewery. The plaque will be unveiled by the Deputy Bailiff, Jessica Roland, the first woman to be appointed to the role. All are welcome to attend.
The dedications received so far can be seen on the Women in Public Life website and include:
- 1937, from Martina Lenfestey: The birth year of Madeleine Albright. Born in the Czech Republic, the first woman to hold the role of Secretary of State in the US.
- 1949, from Diane Mitchell: My Grandma, Susan Marquis, was widowed when the bombing happened on the White Rock. She was 45, a mother of two. She was a stoic stalwart on the island.
- 1951, from Joanna Jezewska-Oudhof: For my father, Witold Andrzej Jezewski, who encouraged me to be strong, to believe I deserved equal opportunities as a woman and above all to be independent.
