Mary Barbour ( Rough; 20 February 1875 – 2 April 1958) was a Scottish political activist, local councillor, bailie and magistrate. Barbour was closely associated with the Red Clydeside movement in the early 20th century and especially for her role as the main organiser of the women of Govan who took part in the rent strikes of 1915. Life Barbour was born on 20 February 1875 at 37 New Street, Kilbarchan to Jean (Gavin) and James Rough, a handloom carpet weaver. She was the third of seven children. Barbour attended school until she was fourteen years old. In 1887, the family moved to the village of Elderslie and Barbour worked as a thread twister, eventually becoming a carpet printer. On 28 August 1896, Mary Rough married an engineer, David Barbour (2 May 1873 – 13 November 1957), at Wallace Place, Elderslie. By the 1901 census, the couple had settled in Govan at 5 Macleod Street, where they lived with their son, James. Their son David died in infancy in 1897. By the 1911 census, the family, including another son, William, had moved to 43 Ure Street (now Uist Street). In 1933, Barbour moved to a council house at 34 Cromdale Street in Drumoyne, Glasgow, where she lived until her death. One year after she was widowed, Barbour died at age 83 in the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow. Her funeral was held at Craigton Crematorium in Cardonald, near Govan. Political activism Barbour first became politically active, joining and becoming an active member of the Kinning Park Co-operative Guild. Barbour's political activism began in earnest in leading the South Govan Women's Housing Association during the Glasgow rent strikes of 1915, when she actively organised tenant committees and eviction resistance. The protestors became known as "Mrs Barbour's Army", and included Agnes Dollan, Helen Crawfurd, Mary Burns Laird, and Mary Jeff. Women's Peace Crusade Barbour was a founder of the Women's Peace Crusade (WPC) at the "Great Women's Peace Conference" in June 1916, with Helen Crawfurd and Agnes Dollan. These women also worked with Agnes Harben and others across Britain. The WPC campaigned throughout June and July 1916 for a negotiated settlement to World War I. Barbour and the others organised this predominately through open air meetings in Glasgow, Clydeside and Edinburgh. The possibility of a negotiated peace settlement became less likely with the formation of a new coalition government in December 1916, led