Cicely Mary Hamilton (15 June 1872 – 6 December, 1952), born Hammill, was an English actress, writer, journalist, suffragist and feminist. She is now best known for the play Diana of Dobson's, with a setting in an Edwardian department store.

She was born in Paddington, London and educated in Malvern. After a short spell in teaching she acted in a touring company. Then she wrote drama, including feminist themes, and enjoyed a period of success in the commercial theatre.

In 1908 she founded with Bessie Hatton the Women Writers' Suffrage League . This grew to around 400 members, including Ivy Compton-Burnett, Sarah Grand , Violet Hunt, Marie Belloc Lowndes, Alice Meynell, Olive Schreiner, Evelyn Sharp , May Sinclair, Margaret L. Woods. It produced campaigning literature, written by Sinclair amongst others, and recruited many prominent male supporters.

During World War I she initially worked in the organisation of nursing care, and then joined the army as an auxiliary. Later she formed a repetory company to entertain the troops.

After the war, she wrote as a freelance journalist, particularly on birth control, and as a playwright for the Birmingham Repertory Company. In 1938 she was given a Civil List pension.

Works

• The Traveller Returns (1906) play
• Diana of Dobson's (novel, play 1908)
• Women’s Votes (1908)
• Marriage as a Trade (1909)
• How the Vote was Won (1909) play
• A Pageant of Great Women (1910) play
• Just to Get Married (1911) play
• William, an Englishman (1920) novel
• The Child in Flanders: A Nativity Play (1922)
• The Old Adam (1924) play
• The Human Factor (1925)
• The Old Vic (1926) with Lilian Baylis
• Modern Germanies as seen by an Englishwoman (1931)
• Modern Italy as seen by an Englishwoman (1932)
• Modern France as seen by an Englishwoman (1933)
• Modern Russia, as seen by an Englishwoman (1934)
• Modern Austria as seen by an Englishwoman (1935)
• Life Errant (1935) autobiography
• Modern Ireland as seen by an Englishwoman (1936)
• Modern Scotland as seen by a Englishwoman (1937)
• Modern England as seen by an Englishwoman (1938)
• Modern Sweden. as seen by an Englishwoman (1939)
• The Englishwoman (1940)
• Lament for Democracy (1940)
• The Beggar Prince (1944) play
• Holland To-day (1950)

Reference

• Lis Whitelaw (1990) The Life & Rebellious Times of Cicely Hamilton

External links

• page at Literary Encyclopedia
• page at Spartacus