Blue plaque for Guernsey's first female deputy

The plaque has been put up on Marie Randall's former home

A blue plaque commemorating the first female deputy in Guernsey is due to be unveiled later.

Marie Randall was elected in 1924 to represent St Peter Port and was the only woman in the assembly for 24 of her 31 years in government.

The woman's rights activist has been described as 'inspiring' by Ladies College pupils who studied her legacy.

The plaque is due to be unveiled at her childhood home in St Peter Port at One St Julian's.

Ms Randall was a member of the Voluntary Aid Detachment in World War One and was a nurse in Guernsey, Rouen, and London.

She was an equal rights advocate and campaigned for women's rights.

In 1933 she signed an unsuccessful petition calling for the voting age for women to be reduced from 30 to 20 to match the voting age for men.

She brought it back to the States in 1938 and after a proposal from the bailiff, the voting age for women was reduced to 20.

Ladies College pupils have been studying Marie Randall's legacy 100 years on from her election to the States

Pupils from Ladies College, where Ms Randall was educated, have been looking at her legacy.

One pupil said Mrs Randall was "inspiring and trailblazing" in setting out a path for women, but said it was important to "recognise there are still only eight female deputies and we still have so far to travel before we are at the point where men are now".

Another student said the plaque would show girls and woman in Guernsey "what people really can achieve, even one hundred years ago".

"The fact that she went to ladies college is so special, because it shows that even though her pathways were quite narrow, she managed to use her connections and her voice in the States and that's so inspiring," she said.

Ms Randall was 42 when she was elected and she served until retiring in 1955, a year after being made an MBE. She died in 1965.

Her election came four years after Nancy Astor became the first woman to take a seat in the UK Parliament and 24 years before Ivy Forster was elected to the States of Jersey.

Ms Randall's great, great nephew Ben Randall said he had "lovely memories" and described his relative as a "generous, lovely person" who helped his parents to buy their first house.

He said she was a "character" in the family and that he had a great deal of pride in knowing what his "relatives achieved in their lifetime".

"It was brilliant to have such a good name in the community who made huge contributions to the island," he said.

Speaking of her legacy, Mr Randall said "I think there is a huge future for woman in politics and public life, the influence of woman really puts a very important slant on our communities."

The campaign group Women in Public Life nominated her to the Blue Plaques Panel.

Speaking at the time of the announcement, group chair Shelaine Green said: "We really hope Marie's story will inspire other Guernsey women to follow in her footsteps - and we'd of course be very happy to support them."

The plaque is due to be unveiled by Deputy Bailiff, Jessica Roland - the first woman appointed to that post.