Gregory, Helen Gregory (MacGill) 

  • From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: See full biography at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Gregory_MacGill
    • Helen Gregory MacGill (née Gregory; after first marriage, Flesher; January 7, 1864 – February 27, 1947) was a Canadian judge, journalist and women’s rights advocate. She was one of Canada’s first woman judges, and for many years the country’s only woman judge
    • Helen Emma Gregory was born in Hamilton, Ontario, the daughter of Emma and Silas Ebenezer Gregory. Her maternal grandfather was Upper Canada barrister and judge Miles O’Reilly, who successfully defended the group accused of participating in the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion. She became the first woman to receive a Bachelor of Music from Trinity College, and she also earned a M.A. degree in 1889 from this institution (now part of the University of Toronto). She was the only woman in her class and the first female graduate, and the first woman in the British Empire to receive a degree in music. She then went into newspaper work, working as a journalist for Cosmopolitan.
    • As part of her political and social role, MacGill was involved in the legal and political realities of British Columbia. As chair of the Laws Committee of the University Women’s Club, she was concerned about the situation of domestic legislation in the province. This situation led her to learn on her own about the subject, and then she self-published the book Daughters, Wives and Mothers in British Columbia as a guidebook with the laws regarding the topic.
    • MacGill became the first British Columbia female judge in 1917 and the third in Canada. She served as a juvenile court judge from 1917 to 1929, and then from 1934 to 1945. After 23 years of service, she retired at the age of 81.
    • As part of her legacy, she contributed to the study of the field of juvenile delinquency. She also worked for improvements in the social welfare system.
  • Third Great Grandson of United Empire Loyalist listed in Loyalist Directory: https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=6573
  • Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/90531798/helen-emma-macgill