Fifty years ago, on May 15 1944, Bermuda's women gained the right to vote.

It was, to be sure, a restricted right, since at that time, only property owners were eligible to vote anyway. But it marked an important political milestone and, as Dr. Marjorie Bean attests, was instrumental in heightening political awareness on an island where the formation of political parties was still almost 20 years away.

Paying tribute to the courage of those early fighters for women's rights, Dr.

Bean points out that although almost all who engaged in the struggle were white women from comfortable, even rich, backgrounds. They were tenacious in their demands for political recognition.

Bermuda's suffrage leader, Mrs. Gladys Miswick Morrell, after attending the Bermuda High School for Girls, went on (unusual for women in those days) to obtain an English degree from London University. This was not her first choice; she had harboured a desire to become a lawyer, but before World War I, female lawyers were practically unknown.

Her time spent in London was to have important ramifications for the future of Bermuda, for it was there that she became caught up in Britain's suffrage movement. At one point, she led a 100-mile march from Land's End to Taunton in the west of England.

After extensive travel in India, she returned home, where her frustrated ambitions in the legal field found a natural outlet as she began to fight in earnest for women's rights in Bermuda.

"After the Bill was passed, the Women's Suffrage Society was disbanded, as it had finally achieved its aim. But some of the younger members were asked by Mrs. Morrell, to form the nucleus of a new organisation, to encourage women to use their new empowerment,'' she explains.

Dr. Bean was one of the first members of this group, which was called the Bermuda Civic and Political Association.

"Mrs. Mona Carle, who originally came from Scotland, was the leading figure, and when I came back from my studies at London University, I joined.

We used it as a forum to discuss the issues of the day and gradually, more women became interested in political matters.'' Dr. Bean's interest in civic and political affairs had, however, started quite some time before women were finally successful in obtaining the vote.

"Between 1932 and 1936, I was teaching in Somerset, as headmistress of Sandys Secondary School, and they held a lot of their meetings up there, so I used to go along. At that time, nurse Alice Scott was the secretary of the Sandys Secondary Association, and the only black member of the suffragettes.

So she would take me along to the meetings with her!'' Recalling that Miss Scott was a strong and dynamic personality, who delivered "almost every baby in Somerset'', she says that Mrs. Morrell and Miss Scott became good friends.

"Nurse Scott was one of the early black pioneers who helped bring about social change in Bermuda. She was very much respected by everyone.'' Those were momentous days for Dr. Bean to be working in Somerset, since that was where some of the more dramatic events of the suffragettes' fight for political freedom took place.

Like their American forebears who cried `No taxation without representation' in their revolt against Britain, a small group of Bermuda's women adopted the same tactics.

"The present Somerset Police Station was the Somerset Magistrates Court in those days. When Gladys Morrell (who was a resident of Somerset) refused to pay her taxes, the magistrate ordered her furniture seized and auctioned off.

So there it was, all over the lawn outside! But her friends, political supporters and family bought the furniture and immediately handed it back to her.'' To show their disgust with chauvinistic male tactics in thwarting their political rights, the women also held a symbolic mock funeral -- again, outside the Somerset Magistrates Court.

Dr. Bean, who had gone on to become the first Bermudian woman to hold the post of Supervisor of Schools, was still deeply interested in civic affairs, and particularly the role played by women.

In 1974, she was appointed by Premier E.T. Richards as Chairman of the Bermuda section of the UN-proclaimed International Women's Year.

"This was to increase women's awareness of their political potential,'' she explains, "and we had a wonderful programme that included the publication of a journal called `After International Women' s Year -- Then What?'' The answer to that question came when Dr. Bean met some Australian women who told her about the International Federation of Business and Professional Women, with headquarters in London.

"I said, `that's just what we need here', so I gathered some women together and we decided that Bermuda would become an affiliate.'' The BPWA had been born, and still serves as a powerful force in the community.

Stressing that the organisation is non-partisan, and non-racial, Dr. Bean recalls that in the beginning the membership was quite evenly divided between whites and blacks. These days, that membership is overwhelmingly black and Dr.

Bean, who celebrates her 85th birthday later this month, says she feels partly to blame for this.

"I've been so busy, that I neglected to carry on recruiting people from all sectors of the community, as I should have done. I would really like to see people of all races join the BPWA. We need all women who will make a contribution, in civics and political expression. Unfortunately, a lot of people join organisations for their own personal ends. I want to have people who will put something back into the organisation.'' As we celebrate the role of women in this year's Heritage Month, the fascinating story of Bermuda's battling women has been fully documented in a new book, researched by St. George's Secondary School principal, Dale Butler and mainly written by historian Colin Benbow. It is called `Gladys Morrell and the Women's Suffrage Movement in Bermuda', and will be launched at a special reception hosted by the BPWA this evening at the Bacardi Building.

This marks just one of the special events planned by various women's groups under the umbrella of the BPWA to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Bill, which also enabled women to hold parochial and municipal office and to serve as Members of Parliament.

On May 21, the Premier will hold a reception at Camden for past and present women MPs, and on Sunday, May 22, there will be a Suffragist Tea Meeting at the Bermuda High School for Girls, where Ruth Thomas & Co.'s `Mosaic' will present a special programme.

Guest of honour at the celebrations will be Baroness Blatch, Minister of State for Education in the House of Lords in London. During her stay, on May 27, she will visit the House of Assembly, where she will unveil a portrait of Mrs.

Hilda Aitken, Bermuda's first female MP On May 30, at 11 a.m., she is also due to unveil a plaque at Somerset Police Station, dedicated to Gladys Morell and the Suffragists of Bermuda. That same evening, Baroness Blatch will address a forum at the Bermuda College at Stonington. Admission is free.

On Saturday, May 28, she will be the guest speaker at the Anniversary Banquet at the Sonesta Beach Hotel, and on May 31, is due to address the Hamilton Rotary Club.

Baroness Blatch, who served in the air traffic control branch of the Women's Royal Air Force, also served in a similar capacity as a civilian with the Ministry of Aviation. As the former leader of the Cambridgeshire County Council, she was a member of The Schools Council of the Association of County Councils and was involved in the work of the Citizen's Advice Bureau. She was a member of the European Economic and Social Committee, being created a Life Peer in 1987. She has served as Government Whip in the Departments of Health, Social Security and Education and was Under Secretary of State for the Environment and then promoted to Minister of State for Heritage. Last year, she was appointed a Privy Counsellor.

Dr. Majorie Bean in her younger days opening a garden party at the Bethel AME Church in 1948.