Members of the Mar Women’s Institute in 1912.

Anyone with interest in local history or family ancestry can now access the Bruce County District Women’s Institute (BCDWI) records through the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre (BCM&CC).

From an October 27 media release from Bruce County Museum, the Women’s Institute records tell the story of the county’s history from the perspective of the women living in the communities. Reading through these volumes can provide information on people, places, businesses, schools, churches, community events, farm histories and more. Details can now be found on the Museum’s collections website at collections.brucemuseum.ca and can be viewed in the Research Room at BCM&CC in Southampton.

Many of the county’s Women’s Institute branches have donated their records to the Bruce County Archives in Southampton for preservation under a formal agreement with the Federated Women’s Institute of Ontario. This group has a rich history with 70 different branches in Bruce County dating back to 1898; 16 of which are still active and looking for new members.

The BCDWI archives consist of administrative and historical records reflecting the activities of the various branches and include minutes, financial records, Tweedsmuir Community Histories and current events scrapbooks.

Sue Schlorff, Archival Assistant at the BCM&CC and Judy MacKinnon, BCDWI Tweedsmuir Coordinator have had a productive year organizing and inventorying the records.

In particular, the Tweedsmuir Community Histories, named for Lady Tweedsmuir, reflect the history of the communities represented by the different Women’s Institute branches. Lady Tweedsmuir, wife of Lord Tweedsmuir, Governor General of Canada from 1935 to 1940, was an enthusiastic Women’s Institute member in England. In 1940, she suggested that the ladies of the Women’s Institute in Ontario record their community histories. In the foreword to the Tweedsmuir volumes, she wrote, “It is a most useful and satisfying task for Women’s Institute members to see that nothing valuable is lost or forgotten, and women should be on the alert always to guard the traditions of their homes... The oldest people in the village will tell us fascinating stories of what they remember, which the younger members can write down, thus making a bridge between them and events which happened before they were born. After all, it is the history of humanity which is continually interesting to us, and your village histories will be the basis of accurate facts much valued by historians of the future.”