Christine Haldane

Christine Haldane was a Church of Scotland Police Court Worker based in Edinburgh.  She worked closely with the NVA, then Guild of Service from the 1920s until the 1960s. 

Originally from Dundee, Christine Haldane was appointed as the Church of Scotland’s Court Welfare Worker in Edinburgh Borough Court in 1923. This role was similar to that of a probation officer and involved her attending court as well as visiting girls and women in their homes (Neill, 1968).  The Church of Scotland had established its Committee on Social Work in 1904 and appointed its first Police Court Sitter, Katherine Scott in 1905.  Katherine Scott worked with women and girls who were involved with the criminal justice system who needed rehabilitation.  She had rented a flat (with her own money) at which they could live.  This work was “the precursor of the social welfare work carried on with much effectiveness by Miss C. G. Haldane at the Mission Buildings, 190 High Street, Edinburgh” (Cameron, 1971, p. 27). 

Christine Haldane worked closely with William Merrilees, a policeman (and later Chief Constable of The Lothians and Peebles Constabulary) whose role it was during this time to co-ordinate the police’s response to women involved in prostitution (Jackson, 2020).  Christine Haldane worked with women involved in prostitution to find them work as domestic servants (Merrilees, 1966).  She worked closely with the NVA, referring girls and women to them so that they could identify and then arrange placements for them in shelters or homes (such as the Edinburgh Rescue Shelter or the Magdalene Reformatory).  These interventions aimed to reduce recidivism by giving the girls and women alternative work and a safe place to live. 

Christine Haldane became a Justice of the Peace in the City of Edinburgh and was awarded an MBE. During her career the way in which probation work was organised and staffed changed considerably in Scotland.  Christine Haldane herself reflected that when she started working individuals would manage one or two probation cases on a voluntary basis.  Gradually probation (and social work) became increasingly professionalised during this time and when she retired the Church of Scotland decided not to replace her as statutory probation services were now far more widespread and developed (Neil, 1968; Cameron, 1971).

References: 

Cameron, Lewis Legertwood (1971) The Challenge of Need: a history of social service by the Church of Scotland. Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press. 

Jackson, Louise A. (2020) Police and Community in twentieth century Scotland. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. 

Merrilees, William (1966) The Short Arm of the Law: The Memoirs of William Merrilees OBE, Chief Constable of the Lothians and Peebles Constabulary.  London: John Long Limited. 

Neill, M. (1968) ‘A Friend in Need…Margo Neill interviews Miss Christine Haldane, M.B.E, J.P.’ Life and Work. Edinburgh: Church of Scotland.