Special plaque now marks Lancaster birthplace of woman who saved a million birds

Emily Williamson (née Bateson) who in 1889 founded the all-female Society for the Protection of Birds – later to become the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds – was honoured with the unveiling of the green commemorative plaque at her Lancaster birthplace.

The plaque was unveiled on Sunday April 16, the day before Emily’s birthday, at the Quernmore Road entrance to Williamson Park opposite Emily’s actual birthplace, by zoologist and bird scientist Prof Melissa Bateson, Emily’s great great niece.

The unveiling was preceded by a talk about Emily and her legacy, in the Ashton Memorial, where there were displays about her life and how her work continues.

Emily’s actions were critical in saving thousands of bird species around the world from being hunted to extinction for the millinery trade, including the Great and Little Egret and the Great Crested Grebe.