Harriet Leisk

Harriet Atherton Leisk (10 August 1853 – 3 July 1921) was a Shetland suffragist, who played a leading role in the Shetland Women's Suffrage Society. During the World War I, she was instrumental in organising the 'Emergency Helpers', who carried out voluntary war work and fundraised for the Scottish Women's Hospital at Royaumont. The society was affiliated to the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, and worked for the vote through public meetings, leafleting, and letters to the local press. The Helpers' efforts focused largely on preparing themselves in case of casualties, including through the gathering and creation of supplies (such as surgical dressings and blankets), and through the provision of nursing training and first aid classes.