Katherine Stagg
Katherine Mary Stagg was born in 1882. She came to work for the National Vigilance Association (Eastern Division) in July 1915, initially to replace Miss Taylor. By 1917 she had been appointed as the Organising Secretary, a role she was to continue in until 1929, when she was replaced by Miss Kay Stewart.
During the time when she was the Organising Secretary the objectives of the NVA were:
“The protection of women and girls against outrage, abduction and prostitution, and the terrible wickedness and cruelty of the White Slave Trade.
To agitate for, and to consider and promote such strengthening and amendment of the law in regard to these matters as experience shows to be necessary.
To provide trained night workers for the streets, railway stations and docks.
To render all possible help to, and co-operate with, all Associations and Agencies working for objects cognate to those of this Association.”
(National Vigilance Association, 1919, p. 3)
We see clearly that the protection of women, and the prevention of women becoming involved in prostitution, was central to their cause.
Across Scotland, both police and magistrates were keen to ensure that women engaged in prostitution or other crimes of vice were dealt with through probation (as opposed to prison sentences). At the heart of this was the belief that a welfare focused approach, as opposed to punishment, was the most appropriate way to address this problem. Voluntary organisations such as the NVA were central to this approach because of the input they could give these women (Settle, 2016).
This input took several forms. The NVA had women workers based at the railway station, and Leith docks, to identify and then assist young girls and women who the workers identified might be in need of assistance/or at risk of being taken advantage of. These girls could be given money to return home, or the NVA could find them accommodation and jobs/or training positions (often in domestic work). Workers also enquired into cases where someone had referred women or young girls who were missing, or who they believed to be in situations of vice, or at risk of harm. The NVA workers would then try to assist the women to leave the situation (if they agreed to) and find them a placement in a hostel, domestic position, or to return to family. The NVA was dealing with between 500 – 600 cases a year during this period.
The Annual Reports at this time gave examples of the “typical cases illustrative of the Association’s work” (NVA, 1920, p.8), such as:
“Three girls arrived at Leith Docks from Shetland to look for work here. They had no money or friends. Work and lodgings were procured for them at once and they are doing well.
-Girl of under 16 had been led away by elder sister, was taken off a foreign boat in docks and sent to N.V.A. Was placed in a Training Home, and after six months was taken home by her mother.” (NVA, 1920, p.9)
-Child, 14 ½, RC [Roman Catholic], with very bad home surroundings. Authorities helped over removal of girls and a good R.C. Training Home found for her in north. Taken there by worker and doing well.” (NVA, 1922, p.8)
As the Organising Secretary Katherine Stagg did much of the work, but others were also employed during this time including Alice A. Robertson, Beatrice Howitt and Mrs Boyd. However, it was hard work, as we see in the 1924 Annual Report which notes that:
“The work at the Docks is especially arduous and uncertain, as boats arrive late as well as early, and on Sundays as well as week days…the smallness of the staff, which consists only of the Secretary, one Workers, and a Typist (for three afternoons a week), has this year added to the difficulty of carrying the work on adequately, and has made it frequently necessary for its members to be on duty outside the regular office hours.” (NVA, 1924, p6).
For this work Miss Stagg was paid in 1919. As we can see from an excerpt from the archives this was an increase, but her original salary is not noted:
In line with the NVA’s objective to offer assistance to other similarly focused organisations Katherine Stagg sat on the Committee of the Edinburgh Rescue Shelter, the St Andrew’s Home, Joppa and the Mothers’ and Infants’ Case Committee of the City of Edinburgh Council of Social Service (Edinburgh Rescue Shelter, 1923; Scottish Episcopal Church, 1928; City of Edinburgh Council of Social Service, 1921).
In October 1929 “the Committee accepted with regret the resignation of Miss Stagg, who for fourteen years had been Secretary of the Association. During this period Miss Stagg had endeared herself to many and the news of her resignation was received with general regret.” (National Vigilance Association, 1929. p9)
References:
City of Edinburgh Council of Social Service (1921) Fifteenth Annual Report. Edinburgh: City of Edinburgh Council of Social Service.
Edinburgh Rescue Shelter (1923) The Edinburgh Rescue Shelter, No. 18 Dean Terrace: Annual Report. Edinburgh: Edinburgh Rescue Shelter.
National Vigilance Association of Scotland (1919) 8th Annual Report – National Vigilance Association of Scotland (Eastern Division). Edinburgh: National Vigilance Association.
National Vigilance Association of Scotland (1920) 9th Annual Report – National Vigilance Association of Scotland (Eastern Division). Edinburgh: National Vigilance Association.
National Vigilance Association of Scotland (1922) 11th Annual Report – National Vigilance Association of Scotland (Eastern Division). Edinburgh: National Vigilance Association.
National Vigilance Association of Scotland (1924) 13th Annual Report – National Vigilance Association of Scotland (Eastern Division). Edinburgh: National Vigilance Association.
National Vigilance Association of Scotland (1929) 18th Annual Report – National Vigilance Association of Scotland (Eastern Division). Edinburgh: National Vigilance Association.
Scottish Episcopal Church (1928) Year Book for the Episcopal Church in Scotland for 1927-1928. Edinburgh: R. Grant & Son.