Alice Hall. Source: SGCT Archive
Alice Hall became a widow in 1905 when her youngest son was just two years old. While she was left in comfortable circumstances she tried to improve the lot of those less fortunate. She played an active part on the committees of the National Council of Women and campaigned for the appointment of women police. She wrote thoughtful letters on the subject of women’s suffrage which appeared the Sheffield Telegraph under the name CORDELIA. She gave time and expertise to the House of Help which was formed to support vulnerable girls and women. She wrote three books of children’s fairy tales one of which, ‘The Pirate Princess’ was, as the title suggests, very unusual for the early twentieth century. She was appointed a JP in 1924.
Despite Alice’s tireless work for good causes, and a seat on the Bench, she is simply recorded in the 1935 burial register as ‘widow’ and on the family monument as ‘beloved wife’.
Alice Hall was buried in plot E 82 in the cleared Anglican area but the pink granite cross can be seen on the incline next to the main drive.
You can read more about the lives of women buried in the Cemetery in the Sheffield General Cemetery Trust’s publication A Woman’s Place.