Violet Neilson

Violet Neilson (16 July 1931 – 11 June 2024) was a Jamaican politician and teacher. A member of the People's National Party, she was the first female speaker in the House of Representatives and the first female president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS).

Early life
Neilson was born in Somerton, St. James, Jamaica on 16 July 1931, to Caswell and Ellen (née Stewart). She was educated at the Mico Teachers' College in Kingston and returned to Somerton to become a teacher.

Career
Neilson was a teacher for some nineteen years. She then worked as a secretary for South East St. James member of parliament Upton Robotham. She was Member of Parliament for Saint James East Central from 1989 to 1997.

Later life and death
After retiring from politics, she became an active volunteer at the Somerton United Church.

Neilson died on 11 June 2024, at the age of 92.