Charteris, Catherine Morice (1835–1918)
Charteris, Catherine Morice (1835–1918)
Scottish social activist. Name variations: Catherine Anderson. Born Catherine Anderson, 1835, in Aberdeen, Scotland; died in 1918 in Scotland; dau. of Sir Alexander Anderson (Lord Provost of Aberdeen); m. Archibald Hamilton Charteris (minister in Church of Scotland, early and vocal advocate of women's rights, Royal Chaplain), 1863 (died 1908); children: raised husband's nephew, Archibald Charteris.
Activist who promoted Church of Scotland's Women's Guild, women's rights and support for poor families; met husband in Glasgow, where he was working as minister of Park Church; pursued social reform with husband, who demanded wealthy congregation endow funds for territorial outreach and set aside pews for poor; led group of well-to-do women from Park Church to slums of Port Dundas to visit homes and run meetings; founded Order of Deaconesses in Scotland; moved to Edinburgh where husband took post as professor of Biblical Criticism at University of Edinburgh (1868); helped him establish Women's Guild and later became its president, serving until 1906; assisted in launching of husband's Christian Life and Work magazine; continued activities into old age, organizing slum missions, Bible classes and mothers' meetings and setting up homes for missionaries' children and deaconesses.