Edith Hacon

Edith Hacon (1875 – 25 August 1952), also known as Rhyllis Llewellyn Hacon, later Mrs "Amaryllis" Robichaud, was an international socialite, an artists' model and a leading Scottish suffragist. She was vice-president of the Dornoch branch of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies and president of the Women's Liberal Association. During the First World War she volunteered with the Scottish Women's Hospitals in France for three years and was awarded a silver Medaille des Epidemics, the British War Medal and Victory Medal. She would later take a key role in the development of Girl Guiding as an early leader in Dornoch in the 1930s.

Biography and early life

Edith Catherine Mary Dolores Broadbent was born in 1875 to John Broadbent and Margaret Broadbent, née Rayment. Her parents died when she was a young woman. The portrait is held in the collection of the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin. Her social circle included Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley, Selwyn Image, Herbert Horne and international visitors, such as Paul Verlaine. It is not clear whether this fictional narrative reflects Edith's experience in her early life. 'Muriel' also appeared in a poem To Muriel: At the Opera (14 November 1892) published in his collection London Nights.

Edith married barrister and art collector, and investor in the Vale Press, William Llewellyn Hacon and became known as Rhyllis Llewellyn Hacon. At this point in her life she converted to Roman Catholicism.

Life in Dornoch before the First World War

Due to her husband's interest in golf, the couple built a home in Dornoch, Sutherland called Oversteps an Arts and Crafts style house (now a nursing home).

It has been suggested that Edith became a 'society hostess' at this point in her life. Prime Minister H. H. Asquith resided at Oversteps on his annual holiday in Scotland in 1912. The Llewellyn Hacons also had a home in Dieppe where they hosted artist Toulouse Lautrec.

After her husband's death in 1910, when Edith was only 36 years old, she became involved in charitable work in Shetland in 1912–13 with 'Irish fisher girls' who were supported by the Catholic church in the 'gutting' season. and they hosted a tour of leaders from the Scottish women's organisations, encouraging local support for the women's suffrage cause. Prime Minister H. H. Asquith resided at Oversteps on his golfing holiday in Dornoch in 1912 and probably 1913, when suffragettes disturbed him while playing both years.

In 1914, Hacon became vice-president of the Dornoch National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) branch and she was able to report that half of the electors had signed their petition in support of women's suffrage, whilst campaigning at the Northern Burghs by-election that year. Her friend Margaret Davidson, a teacher, was the first secretary of the branch and she lived at Oversteps with Edith before the First World War.

The NUWSS membership had grown to 60 members under her leadership She began as an orderly but 'Mrs. Hacon' became the housekeeper and called herself 'Head of Char'. Hacon supervised the kitchen, and seamstress work, making and repairing uniforms and organised hockey matches and tea to keep up morale, and made a rag doll for one of the wounded soldiers. Hacon served for three years, and was awarded a Silver Medal "Medaille des Epidemics" by the French Government, and both the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

As a Roman Catholic, Hacon was not included in the Dornoch Cathedral World War One Roll of Honour plaque as was her friend Margaret Davidson.

They also both became Girl Guide leaders in 1931 and were integral to the development of the movement in Dornoch and Sutherland.

Hacon died on 28 August 1952 in Glasgow but is buried next to William Llewellyn Hacon in Dornoch.