Catherine Taylor Suffragette

Catherine Taylor was a Scottish Suffragette who was identified in 2003 as the person who had set fire to the grandstand at Ayr Racecourse in 1913. One of a number of fire bomb attacks attributed to the Scottish Suffragetes of the time, the fire destroyed the stand. No-one was ever arrested for the attack, nor was anyone ever questioned or identified in connection with the event.

The attack took place during the night, so there were no injuries as a result, however, the damage caused amounted to �2,000 at the time, equivalent to some �300,000 by 2003 costings.

In 2003, news reports finally revealed the identity of the woman responsible, a cinema cashier from the Gorbals in Glasgow, she has always been guarded by friends and family - concerned about prosecution and compensation claims for damage. At the time of the fire bombing, retribution against the women was both swift and harsh, and the would be imprisoned when caught.^[1]