Mary Barbour, born Mary Rough in Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire, in 1875, stands as one of Glasgow’s most profoundly kind and courageous champions for the working class. Her life was a testament to the power of community, compassion, and tireless activism, centered on the belief that dignity was a right, not a privilege.
The Heart of ‘Mrs Barbour’s Army’
Mary Barbour is most famously remembered as the galvanizing force behind the Glasgow Rent Strikes of 1915. At the outbreak of World War I, as the shipbuilding and munitions industries boomed in areas like Govan, unscrupulous landlords began steeply hiking rents, threatening the security of families whose men were away fighting or working long hours.
Mary, a working-class mother herself and an active member of the Kinning Park Co-operative Guild, understood this hardship firsthand. She responded not with anger alone, but with incredible organisational warmth and community spirit, setting up the South Govan branch of the Women’s Housing Association.
Collective Kindness: She organised tenants—mostly working-class housewives—who had no political voice, holding meetings in kitchens and tenement closes. This network of neighbourly support quickly grew into “Mrs Barbour’s Army,” estimated at one point to be as many as 20,000 striking tenants.
Creative Resistance: When bailiffs came to evict a family, a woman would ring a bell or rattle a warning, and the community would mobilise. They would physically prevent the officers from entering the close, often using ingenious methods like flour bombs, forcing the authorities to retreat. This unified, direct action was a powerful display of protecting their neighbours.
The government, facing a threatened general strike by shipyard workers in solidarity with “Mrs Barbour’s Army,” was forced to act. In November 1915, they passed the Rent Restriction Act, freezing rents at pre-war levels—a historic victory for the working class and a powerful demonstration of what a united community, led by a kind heart, could achieve.
A Dedicated Public Servant
Mary’s passion for social justice did not end with the rent strikes. She was also a founding member of the Women’s Peace Crusade (WPC) in 1917, campaigning for an immediate, negotiated end to the war—a courageous stance in a time of intense patriotism.
After women won the right to vote, she transitioned her community activism into political service:
Pioneering Councillor: In 1920, she was elected as a Labour Councillor for the Fairfield ward in Govan, becoming one of Glasgow’s first female councillors.
Health and Welfare Champion: Her focus was on improving the daily lives of the working class, particularly women and children. She tirelessly campaigned for free school milk, children’s play parks, municipal wash-houses, and better healthcare.
Magistrate and Bailie: In 1924, she achieved another milestone, becoming a Bailie and one of Glasgow’s first female Magistrates.
Family Health Pioneer: Crucially, she was the Chair of the Glasgow Women’s Welfare and Advisory Clinic, which was the city’s first family planning centre (opened 1926). This advocacy for birth control demonstrated her deep, practical care for the health, autonomy, and well-being of working-class women and their families.
Mary Barbour retired from the Council in 1931 but continued her community and co-operative work, including organising seaside outings for the children of disadvantaged families. Her entire career was one of extraordinary compassion, proving that the most effective activists are often those who lead with a steadfast commitment to the welfare and dignity of others.
The YouTube video History of Mary Barbour with The History Girls, on Live at Five provides a short, accessible look at her life and work, particularly her influential role in the 1915 Glasgow Rent Strikes.
