Winifred Mayo

Winifred Mayo born Winifred Monck Mason (8 November 1869 – 18 February 1967) was a British actress, director, translator and suffragette. She was a co-founder of the Actresses' Franchise League and the secretary of the Six Point Group which called for social reform.

Life Mayo was born in Mumbai in 1869. Her parents were Alice Portia (born Wolley) and Thomas Monck-Mason. Her father, who was a civil servant, died in 1874 and Mayo was educated in Britain. In 1881 her family were living in Bath. Her siblings were Roger Henry, Edith Mary and Thomas George. Her sister Dorothea died when young. By the twentieth century Mayo and her mother were living in London.

Actor and director Mayo co-directed and starred in Rosina Filippi's adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The play was called The Bennets and it was performed at the Royal Court Theatre in a special matinee on 29 March 1901. She co-directed the play with Harcourt Williams. Williams appeared as Mr. Darcy

Mayo's next project was not so successful. She decided to translate Gabriele d'Annunzio's play La Giaconda which had been written for the leading Italian actress Eleonora Duse. The play involved a love triangle where a husband is torn between the love of his wife and that of his muse. A review in The Era newspaper in 1907 suggested it would not appeal to "healthy-minded" British citizens. In the same year she and her mother joined the Women’s Social and Political Union's branch in Kensington. In 1908 she wrote about her prison experience The league's work included helping those who needed to speak publicly and also giving advice on make-up and clothing to suffragettes who were trying to avoid attention (and arrest). She was arrested again in 1909 and 1910 but she was not charged. However, the enumerator was able to confirm from the neighbours that the head of the house was Mrs Monck Mason, who lived there with her daughter, her sister, and two servants. In December 1932 the group was invited to talk to the Ministry of Labour and the deputation consisted of the MP Eleanor Rathbone, Eva Hubback of the National Union for Equal Citizenship, Rae Strachey for the Women's National Service League and Mayo.

She died aged 97 on 18 February 1967 and her obituary noted her devotion to social reform.