Madge Elder

Margaret Moffat (Madge) Elder (17 July 1893 – 25 December 1985) was a Scottish gardener, plant nursery owner, writer and feminist. She published two books on the history and folklore of the Scottish Borders, as well as regular articles for the Weekly Scotsman and The Scots Magazine. She recognised similarities between the suffrage movement and pioneering women gardeners.

Early life and education Madge Elder was born in Portobello, near Edinburgh, on 17 July 1893 to Margaret Virtue and John Elder, a marine engineer. She was brought up on a farm in Berwickshire and educated at Gordon village school. She was solely reliant on lip-reading for communication due to deafness. graduating with a first-class certificate in horticulture. as head gardener under the red cross.

Madge Elder retired from gardening in 1948 to become a writer.

Ballad Country, first published in 1963 Tell the Towers thereof: the ancient Border story, first published in 1956 Winter Garland, first published in 1947