A female artist who was not socially acceptable by the English colony in Cyprus was Marjorie Congreve. She lived with her husband near the Tsouloupas bakery. He was interested in the medieval history of the island and the coats of arms to be found in Cyprus, so he thoroughly researched the subject, but was jobless. Therefore, Ms Congreve was the one who had to care for the family.
In her garage, she taught young Kyrenia girls how to weave carpets and paint postcards, which she sold for a living. To mingle with the “natives” was socially unacceptable to the British ladies of Kyrenia, thus Congreve was rendered an outcast. But she was also a difficult person.
She was known as the “donkey woman” due to her great love for donkeys.
One day, as she was riding her donkey up St Hilarion, a snake frightened the animal, which accidentally threw her off the saddle. Marjorie was badly hurt and the accident left her crippled.
Nevertheless, when it came to decrepit donkeys, Marjorie Congreve used the services of a policeman, known to the locals as Andrew “Shootagain”. Often her voice would be heard in the streets of Kyrenia: “Shoot again Andrew, shoot again… I can’t see them in pain, put it out of its misery, shoot again…”
Once, seeing a Cypriot peasant overloading his lame donkey with thistles, she reported him for cruelty to animals and asked that the donkey be put down. The case went to court. There, the poor peasant asked the judge: “If you put down my lame donkey, which is my life line, my only source of income, shouldn’t you do something also about this crippled and useless woman?”
© Costas and Rita Severis Foundation
The 'Did you Know' series is supported by The Hellenic Initiative Canada.
