flora mckinnon gibson was born on 4 august 1878 in manchester to sarah (née cook) and francis gibson. her father was a tailor and whilst flora was still a small child the family moved to pirnmill on the isle of arran, where her mother had her roots. on leaving high-school at the age of fourteen flora moved to glasgow to take a business training course at a civil service school where she passed the qualifications to become a post-mistress but standing at was refused a post as she did not meet the newly introduced minimum height requirement.