Margaret Montgomery Pirrie

Margaret Montgomery Pirrie, Viscountess Pirrie (née Carlisle; 31 May 1857 – 19 June 1935) was an Irish public figure and philanthropist, the first woman Justice of the Peace in Belfast, and the first woman to receive the freedom of the city.

Early life and family Margaret Montgomery Pirrie was born on 31 May 1857, most likely in Belfast. She was eldest daughter and third child in the family of three sons and two daughters of an English master in the Belfast Academical Institution, John Carlisle, and Catherine (née Montgomery). Her mother's sister was the mother of William James Pirrie. Her brother, Alexander Carlisle, was the general manager of the Harland and Wolff shipyards. Their father educated the children. On 17 April 1879, she married her cousin William James Pirrie, who eventually became chairman of Harland and Wolff from 1895. Pirrie was hugely involved in her husband's business affairs, which was unusual for the time. She would often accompany him on business trips and visited the shipyard often, getting to know the managers and some of the workers. She would work with her husband on engineering designs and financial planning in the evenings, at first from their home in Belfast, Ormiston, and then from their London office. Pirrie took an intense dislike to the new managing director, and attempted to undermine his position, even going so far as to appear to challenge his leadership on a number of occasions including a meeting of the works committee she chaired in late 1924 in Belfast. She later accepted the new arrangements, and sold her homes in England, with her Belfast home being taken over by the new managing director.

Death and legacy Pirrie died on 19 June 1935 in London, and is buried in Belfast city cemetery. In obituaries she was remembered as a woman of huge influence on "every field of useful endeavour, industry, philanthropy, social service, learning and the arts". There is a bust of Pirrie in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

Portrayals Eileen O'Brien (2005) - Titanic: Birth of a Legend; TV Documentary Eleanor Methven (2012) - Titanic: Blood and Steel; TV series/8 episodes/Episodes 1-2 & 7-12