Portrait of Marjorie Mcinnes 1921 by Cowan Dobson Rba, Rp.

Oil on canvas board in a glazed modern gilt frame.

Signed and dated.

A charming portrait of Marjorie McInnies,a pretty young girl, painted in 1921, when she was four, by David Cowan Dobson.

MARJORIE MARY MCINNES OBE, (1917-2015) Marjorie was the daughter of Robert and Nettie McInnes. She had an older sister, Eileen, and a younger brother, Roy. They were born into a wealthy timber merchant family which fell upon hard times in the late 1920s. Her father died when she was ten. While she began her education at Craigholme School she completed it through a bursary at Hutcheson Girls Grammar School in 1934.

Initially she found work in a publishing house, and on leaving that got a job as a bank clerk. Her teenage years were beset by illnesses which she finally overcame.

Marjorie obtained the Diploma in Social Services from Glasgow University in 1939, there being no degree course at that time, and proceeded to train as an almoner (later called medical social worker) at the Institute of Almoners in London. She qualified in 1940. Her first posts were in 1941-42 working as an almoner at Hull Royal Infirmary, Stafford Royal Infirmary and as a caseworker at Greenock Social Services Council. These were all locum posts.

For a brief period in 1942-43 she worked in Southport, but on hearing that her brother, who was in the RAF, had been killed over France she returned to Scotland. From November 1943 to May 1948 Marjorie was almoner at Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride. She was exempt from war service as this hospital had a military wing but she was active as a volunteer in civil defence.

One of Marjorie’s great achievements was the work she undertook between the years 1949-52 as one of the social work representatives on the Cope Report, set up to establish a register for all medical auxiliaries. Marjorie and her colleague objected vehemently to almoners being included as auxiliaries and were finally successful in the establishment of social work as a separate profession.

During the years 1948-1953 Marjorie held the post of Head Almoner at the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow and from 1954-57 was Head Almoner at Western Infirmary, Glasgow. During this period she also had a part-time teaching post in the University Department of Public Health and Social Medicine.

In 1969 Marjorie was appointed Deputy Chief Social Work Adviser within the Central Advisory Service of Social Work Services Group.

She held this post with great distinction and was held in the highest regard by all her ?colleagues throughout the Scottish Office.

Her retirement at the age of 61 in 1978 was the commencement of a new career serving within the Scottish voluntary sector. She contributed another two decades of guidance and oversight to many major Scottish charities. It was the recognition of her work as Convener of the Scottish Council on Disability which led to her being honoured by the Queen in the New Year’s Honours List for 1982.

Marjorie’s Christian faith enriched everything she did and achieved. She was a lifelong member of Adelaide Place Baptist Church – where she served as Deacon and subsequently Honorary Deacon – and also the wider denomination of the Baptist Union of Scotland through the Scottish Baptist College. In 1990 she was elected President of the Union – the only woman to have achieved this position.

(Our thanks to Patricia Leary for information on Marjorie)

DAVID COWAN DOBSON (1894–1980), referred to as 'Cowan' Dobson, Associate of the Society of Royal British Artists (1919),Member of the Society of Royal British Artists (1922), Member of the Royal Society of Portrait Sainters (1963); he was a leading Scottish portrait artist who painted with bravado and style, and in this intimate portrait there is a painterly delight in the handling of the medium - the brushwork to the dress very fast and impressionistic.

SIZE:25 x 21 inches inc. frame.

PROVENANCE: Scottish Private Collection.