THE HEADMISTRESS IS A SUFFRAGETTE

To celebrate their 150th anniversary in 2019, Girton College had a rose named after one of their founders and their first headmistress. Emily Davies. Davies, who was born on April 22nd, 1830, was a pioneer compaigner for woman's rights and later became involoved in the Suffragette Movement.

She was to die at the grand old age of 91 on July 13th, 1921.

The College on the outskirts of Cambridge, was founded as a ladies only college on October 16th, 1869 and was Cambridge's first woman's college. Though it was not until 1948 that the college received full status within the University of Cambridge.

A major change came in 1977 when the college became co-educational by admitting their first men, Frank Wilkson and John Marks.

The Emily Davies Rose was bred by Colin Dickson of Newtownards, Northern Ireland by crossing one of the roses bred by Mathias Tantau Jnr and his own Miss Kate. It is a floribunda rose that grows to about 85 by 90cm tall and has dark greem flossy follage.