FLASHBACK TO 1921: Bristol Resident First Woman Juror

A regular feature looking back at what was being printed around 100 years ago in the Bristol Daily Courier. This week’s entry comes from the January 18, 1921 edition of the newspaper.

Bristol Girl, First Woman Juror, Does Not Dodge Her Duty

The Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown Borough that functioned from 1878 to 1960.

Miss Winfred Callahan, of Bristol, cashier at the Forrest theatre and who is serving on the jury this week at a session of civil court, arrived early yesterday prepared to take her place in the jury box and to pass judgment upon the evidence submitted in the various cases for which she might be drawn.

“This all seems so strange to me,” said Miss Callahan. “I have never been in court in my life, I do not know what to do, but I will feel right at home since I am here,” she said.

“I am not a suffragette either,” said the pretty “juress” from Bristol. “I did not vote at the last election, but I will the next time.”

“Will you ask to be excused?’’ she was asked.

“No I will stay here. I feel as though I have no excuse for not serving on a jury. I have a responsible position in Bristol but I am willing to serve.’’ Miss Winifred said she hoped she would not tie called on the first jury because she wanted to see how things are worked.

“I do feel,” said Miss Winifred, “that 1 can do as well as any other woman that might be called.

Bucks county women, for the first time in the history of the county, look their places yesterday in the section of the courtroom reserved for jurors without fuss or fluster. They behaved exactly as if they had always been accustomed to serving on juries. It was the beginning of the January term of civil and equity court where Judge William C. Ryan presided.

Probably the only noticeable change in the vicinity of Doylestown was that all the barber shops were doing a rush of business before Court opened.

Many of the occupants of the tonsorial chairs were none others than the officers of the Court who surely looked “spick and span” when Court convened.

Why? Anyone would know that it was the presence of Bucks county’s first women jurors.

There’s been much conjecture con concerning women jurors. Just like the many skeptics who insisted women wouldn’t vote, there were many who said they would never sit as jurors; they would get nervous; and if worst came to worse, they would faint.

But none of these things happened, they stood up just like men and are just as willing and confident as the men.

They realize their obligations as citizens were on hand to do their duty, and did it.

“It is all new to me, and I am here because I believe in doing my duty,” said Mrs. Agnes Williams Palmer, housewife of Solebury Township, the first of the women jurors to make her appearance in court. “This was forced on me, I do not care to serve on a jury. I am not a suffragette, but I voted because I believed it was my duty to do so.”

“I will asked to be excused, because of conditions at home,’’ said Mrs. Palmer.

“Don’t you believe that women should serve as jurors?” Mrs. Palmer was asked.

“Yes they should serve; but I believe they should put on juries the women who were such great advocates of suffrage,” she replied.

The other women who were listed for the January term were excused because of their occupation. They are school teachers and were present. They are Miriam School, of Warminster Township, and Alberta M. Tomlinson, of Warwick Township.

Mrs. Palmer refused to talk freely about jury service after she realized she was talking to a newspaper man.

“I have been forced into this,” she said, “but I believe it is a woman’s duty to serve when called.”

Miss Callahan was called on the first jury, but the case was settled.

An advertisement from the January 18, 1921 edition of the Bristol Daily Courier: