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Clan Munro are well known for their admirable perseverance, bravery, and creativity. From battling the elements to tackle magnificent hikes, fighting fiercely for equality, and winning over all of Hollywood, the Munros have certainly stacked up some stunning achievements!
Meet the Famous Munros
Anna Gillies Macdonald Munro
Our first famous face for today is a woman who was truly ahead of her time.
Anna Gillies Macdonald Munro was born on the 4th of October 1881 in Glasgow, to schoolmaster Evan Macdonald Munro, and Margaret Ann MacVean. The young Anna spent the first year of her life in Edinburgh and was then sent to live with her uncle and aunt in Dunfermline following the death of her mother.
It seems that Anna was deeply affected by the poverty she witnessed in her youth, and as a young adult, she quickly found ways to channel this discontent. She spent 3 years working for the Sisterhood of the Poor Movement in the East End of London, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, before joining the Women’s Social and Political Union in 1906 and becoming the chief organiser for the Dunfermline branch.
However, Anna feared that the WSPU was not functioning as a true democratic organisation, feeling its leaders, the famous Pankhursts, were acting too dictatorially. She therefore decided to break away and founded the Woman’s Freedom League. The league’s popularity grew rapidly, and it soon had 60 branches over Britain and a membership of around 4,000 people, twice as much as the WSPU.
They were largely pacifists, refusing to attack people or property other than ballot papers. That does not mean that their actions weren’t noticed! They refused to pay taxes, arguing ‘no tax without representation,’ and boycotted the 1911 census.
In 1912, the WFL organised a 400 mile walk from Edinburgh to London aiming to gather signatures en route for a petition asking to give women the vote, attracting their largest crowds yet. Anna was one of 6 women who completed the walk, arriving in London on the 16th of November to a welcome parade that was supposedly over a quarter of a mile long.
Anna was also not afraid to broaden her fight when she saw injustice. While addressing a crowd in Hyde Park, London, in 1913, she was arrested and jailed in Holloway Prison for 14 days. After being released, she went to a Marylebone police station to report the horrific conditions that prisoners of both sexes suffered.
In 1913, Anna married Sidney Ashman, legally taking the surname ‘Munro-Ashman,’ but continuing to use just ‘Munro’ in her work. The pair settled in Reading where she ran the local WFL branch and continued to travel throughout England to give talks.
Anna passed away on the 11th of September 1962, but her legacy is still celebrated across the UK. In Thatcham, a development of affordable housing was named after Munro to recognise her lifelong dedication to alleviating poverty, while in 2022 she received her first memorial in Scotland when a Dunfermline Street was christened ‘Anna Munro Avenue.’
James Monroe
One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, and the fifth US President (1817-1825), James Monroe was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on April 28th, 1758.
Monroe married Elizabeth Kortright and they had three children, though sadly their second child died very young. Monroe served in the Continental Army but left in 1779 and served in the Virginia Militia where he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. It was in the spring of 1780 Monroe met Thomas Jefferson, another one of the Founding Fathers, when studying the law in Richmond and they became lifelong friends.
Practicing law for three years, Monroe's career in public service then started in 1782 when he was elected to the Virginia General Assembly. Some of his roles during his career were serving in the first United States Senate, as Governor of Virginia, and Secretary of State for President James Madison. Monroe was finally elected the fifth US President in 1816 and in 1820. He is remembered as a strong and successful diplomat, amassing a cabinet that were powerful and accomplished in shaping a young country.
On the same day five years after the deaths of fellow Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson and John Adams - Independence Day (July 4th) 1831 - James Monroe passed away in his daughter's home.
Sir Hugh Munro
If you are a fan of hiking, you will be particularly interested in our next famous face for today.
Sir Hugh Munro was born on the 16th of October 1856, and spent much of his childhood either in London, or at his family’s 3000-acre estate in Angus, Scotland. The young Munro is thought to have developed a love for hillwalking while living near the Alps as a teenager. He clearly carried that love into adulthood, and in 1889 became one of the founding members of the Scottish Mountaineering Club!
In 1891, the editor of the club’s journal, Joseph Stott, asked Munro to create a list of all the hills in Scotland above 3000 feet, knowing that Munro was a keen collector, classifier, and cataloguer. Munro was enthused by the task and threw himself into it unreservedly, setting off to climb and measure Scotland’s hills.
He published ‘the table giving all the Scottish mountains exceeding 3000 feet in height, compiled by Munro,’ in the SMC Journal, Volume 1, no.6, in September of 1891, listing 283 mountains (known as ‘Munros’), and 538 ‘tops.’
While further refinements have been made over the years, these figures are impressively close to those of today’s list: 282 Munros and 509 tops.
Sir Hugh aimed to climb all of the tops and summits on his list, and he very nearly achieved that goal! At the time of his death in 1919, he had only 3 left to go. Poor weather had thwarted his attempt at climbing the Inaccessible Pinnacle in Skye, and he hadn’t manged to climb Carn and Fhidhleir, nor Carn Cloich-Mhuilinn, which he had been saving for last.
‘Munro bagging’ is now a beloved hobby, and many people take on the challenge each year. The Scottish Mountaineering Club keep a list of ‘completers,’ and as of 2024 there are 7934 mountaineers who have managed it!
Would you give it a go?
Norma Jeane Mortenson
Our last famous Munro is another pioneering woman, and arguably one of the most famous faces in the world!
Born in Los Angeles in June of 1926, Norma Jeane Mortenson had a difficult childhood; her mother was often ill and spent time in various asylums, while the young Norma was sent to live in an orphanage, and then with 12 different sets of foster parents. She later said that during this time, she would often spend whole afternoons watching movies alone and began to dream of being on the screen herself.
Her potential was first spotted while she was working in a factory during the Second World War, when she met a photographer from the First Motion Picture Unit and found early success as a model. This led to a contract with major studio, 20th Century Fox in 1946, and marked the start of her new life as Marilyn Monroe. While her stage name signified a new and exciting chapter, it also represented a return to her roots, as ‘Monroe’ was her mother’s maiden name.
Fox instructed her to spend the first 6 months of her contract honing her craft, studying acting, singing, and dancing, and observing how films were made. She won her first small role the following year, playing a bit part in ‘Dangerous Years.’
However, the studio chose not to renew her contract, so she was left to return to freelancing. As well as modelling jobs, Monroe also managed to land several small roles in films, including the esteemed ‘All About Eve,’ and ‘The Asphalt Jungle.’
As a result, Fox offered her another, much better, contract in 1950. She built her popularity with comedies including ‘As Young as You Feel,’ and ‘Monkey Business,’ before cementing her star power by starring in the hits ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,’ ‘How to Marry a Millionaire’ and ‘The Seven Year Itch.’
Despite her success, Monroe felt that Fox was underestimating her, not paying her a fair wage, or allowing her to take more interesting and serious roles. As a result, she started her own production company in 1954 and began studying method acting in 1955. Fox, impressed by her tenacity, asked her to return later that same year, offering her a new contract that allowed her more control and a better salary.
While in this contract, she delivered some of her most critically acclaimed performances, receiving a BAFTA nomination for ‘The Prince and the Showgirl’ in 1957, and winning a Golden Globe for ‘Some Like it Hot’ in 1959.
Sadly, Monroe died a few years later, in 1962, at just 36, having suffered an overdose at her home. To this day, she remains one of pop culture’s biggest icons and is remembered and beloved all over the world.
Burt Munro
One of our customers told us about another famous face, Burt Munro of Invercargill, New Zealand. Born on 25th March 1899, Burt is famous for rebuilding a 1920 Indian Scout motorbike in his shed and breaking several speed records at the Utah Bonneville Salt Flats in the 1960s. His fastest run was in 1966 with an unofficial speed of 212mph. He set several speed records in the streamliner class that still stand today.
A movie "The World's Fastest Indian" was made about Burt and his first trip to Bonneville, starring Anthony Hopkins as Burt. There was an earlier short film also called "Burt Munro: Offerings to the God of Speed" and was produced for NZBC.
Burt is revered in motorcycling circles and is up there with the greats of New Zealand such as Bruce McLaren and John Britten. Thank you to Jeff for letting us know!
There are many many more famous Munros who made a mark, including Helen Munro Ferguson who set up The Red Cross in Australia, Grace Emily Munro who set up the Country Women's Association in Australia, Darby Munro who won the Melbourne Cup 3 times as a jockey, Ebenezer Munro who fired the first shot of the American Revolutionary War. The list goes on. Clan Munro Association Australia and New Zealand have a list of notable Clan Munro members on their website, which is worth a read if you're interested in learning more. Thank you to them for listing these extra names!
That brings us to the end of the Famous Faces of Clan Munro. We’re sure you’re feeling as impressed by this powerful family as we are!
If you’d like to learn more about the mighty Munros, head over to our Clan Munro page, and make sure to keep an eye out for the rest of our Munro content this month.
Image Sources:
Anna Munro suffragette and women's freedom league in Scotland guess 1909 by Women's Freedom League (photographer unknown) - https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/18499615.object-week-edith-craigs-theatrical-slippers/#gallery5, Public Domain
Portrait of James Monroe, The White House Historical Association by Samuel Finley Breese Morse - https://www.whitehousehistory.org/photos/james-monroe, Public Domain
Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet by Alistair Munro - https://www.scotsman.com/200voices/innovators/sir-hugh-munro-scotlands-mountain-hero/, Public Domain
Photo of actress in a late 1953 issue of Modern Screen. A search revealed that this was taken for 1954 film River of No Return. by Bert Parry - Page 39, Public Domain
Munro's Indian on display in Invercargill by Sicnag - 1920 Indian Scout Land Speed Record Motorcycle, CC BY 2.0
