Nursery World - Early Years Pioneers - Margaret and Rachel McMillan

Margaret (1860-1931) and Rachel (1859-1917) McMillan made real
advances in early childcare, and their ideas still resonate today, says
Linda Pound

Sisters Margaret and Rachel McMillan were born in Westchester County in New York State. While they were still very young, in 1865, both their father and younger sister died of scarlet fever - an illness which also left Margaret deaf until the age of 14. Their mother decided to return to Scotland where they lived with their maternal grandparents.

Both sisters were devout Christians and staunch socialists with strong feelings about the plight of the poor. Together, they spent some time in London in the late 1880s, but moved to Bradford after Margaret was dismissed by her employer for speaking on behalf of the socialists at Speakers' Corner. In Bradford, Margaret did much to support the development of the Labour Party.

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