Dorothy Ellicott
Encyclopedia
Dorothy May Ellicott, MBE
, OBE
, GMH
, JP
, was a Gibraltarian
historian
and politician
.
, Hampshire
, England
in the last quarter of 1901. She was raised in Gibraltar
having relocated there with her parents at the age of 5 when her father was transferred to work at the Gibraltar Dockyard. There, she received her education from the Sisters of Loreto
, either at the day school
at Gavino's Passage or at the Loreto Convent on Europa Road, even though Ellicott's family were Anglicans at a time when there was a "fashionable Protestnt school, Miss Hepper's".
As a young woman she worked as Secretary to the Editor of the Gibraltar Chronicle
, a connection she maintained over the years contributing numerous articles. She was also a Reuters
correspondent. In 1926 she married John (Jack) Teague Ellicott. At the start of World War II
, she was a member of the St. John Ambulance Nurses
and took part in some of the first journeys to French Morocco
, in the initial stages of the evacuation of the Gibraltar civilian population (May/June 1940), later returning to "the Rock"
. When the Gibraltarian evacuees were later expelled from the French Morocco and a wider scale evacuation schema was being implemented, Ellicott had to leave Gibraltar by September 1940 and relocated to the United Kingdom
, where she remained for four years. She did not return to Gibraltar until August 1944.
(AACR) (Joshua Hassan
's party, of which her husband was also a member; he was elected to the City Council in the first elections after the war, in 1945). In 1947 she was awarded the MBE. She was the first woman to become a member of the City Council, in December 1947, within the candidature of the AACR (this being the first election in which women were allowed to stand and vote), and remained so as an elected member for nine years. In the early 1950s, Ellicott left the AACR. In 1959, she also become the first woman to be elected to the Legislative Council, this time as an independent, remaining there for five years. She was also Chair of the Gibraltar Museum Committee.
After giving up her political roles, she became increasingly active in charitable and cultural activities. She was the Honorary Secretary of the Gibraltar Society for the Prevention of Blindness for twenty years and Chair of the Gibraltar branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
for fifteen.
In 1970, Dorothy Ellicott was appointed first female Justice of Peace of Gibraltar. In 1972, she was awarded the OBE. In 2008, the recently created Gibraltar Medallion of Honour
was bestowed, posthumously, upon Dorothy Ellicott for public service and service to heritage.
As a historian, she wrote several articles, booklets and books. Her most renowned work was Our Gibraltar, published in 1974 by the Gibraltar Museum. It was described by Sir Varyl Begg
(Governor of Gibraltar
from 1969 to 1973), as a work that told "the story of The Rock in a manner suitable for the visitor seeking a brief outline of historical events in easily digestible form". It is also mentioned by Sir William Jackson (historian and Governor of Gibraltar from 1978 to 1982), in the preface of his work The Rock of the Gibraltarians (1990).
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, GMH
Gibraltar Medallion of Honour
The Gibraltar Medallion of Honour is a civil award scheme established by the Government of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Its creation was announced in July 2008 by Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Peter Caruana...
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, was a Gibraltarian
Gibraltarian people
The Gibraltarians are a cultural group native to Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterranean sea.- Origins :...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Early life
Dorothy Ellicott was born in HavantHavant
Havant is a town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area. The town has rapidly grown since the end of the Second World War.It has good railway connections to London,...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the last quarter of 1901. She was raised in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
having relocated there with her parents at the age of 5 when her father was transferred to work at the Gibraltar Dockyard. There, she received her education from the Sisters of Loreto
Sisters of Loreto
The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, more commonly known as the Loreto Sisters , is a women's Catholic religious order founded by an Englishwoman, Mary Ward, in 1609 at Saint-Omer in northern France...
, either at the day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
at Gavino's Passage or at the Loreto Convent on Europa Road, even though Ellicott's family were Anglicans at a time when there was a "fashionable Protestnt school, Miss Hepper's".
As a young woman she worked as Secretary to the Editor of the Gibraltar Chronicle
Gibraltar Chronicle
The Gibraltar Chronicle is a national newspaper published in Gibraltar since 1801. It became a daily in 1821. It is Gibraltar's oldest established daily newspaper and the world's second oldest English language newspaper to have been in print continuously...
, a connection she maintained over the years contributing numerous articles. She was also a Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
correspondent. In 1926 she married John (Jack) Teague Ellicott. At the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, she was a member of the St. John Ambulance Nurses
St. John Ambulance
St John Ambulance, branded as St John in some territories, is a common name used by a number of affiliated organisations in different countries dedicated to the teaching and practice of medical first aid and the provision of ambulance services, all of which derive their origins from the St John...
and took part in some of the first journeys to French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
, in the initial stages of the evacuation of the Gibraltar civilian population (May/June 1940), later returning to "the Rock"
Rock of Gibraltar
The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone promontory located in Gibraltar, off the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is high...
. When the Gibraltarian evacuees were later expelled from the French Morocco and a wider scale evacuation schema was being implemented, Ellicott had to leave Gibraltar by September 1940 and relocated to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where she remained for four years. She did not return to Gibraltar until August 1944.
Political career
After the war she became involved in politics, initially as a member of the Association for the Advancement of Civil RightsAssociation for the Advancement of Civil Rights
The Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights is a now defunct political party in Gibraltar.Like all Gibraltar political parties, it opposed transfer of sovereignty over Gibraltar from the United Kingdom to Spain...
(AACR) (Joshua Hassan
Joshua Hassan
Sir Joshua Abraham Hassan, GBE, KCMG, LVO, QC , nicknamed "Salvador" , was a Gibraltarian politician, and first Mayor and Chief Minister of Gibraltar, serving two terms as Chief Minister for a total of 17 years...
's party, of which her husband was also a member; he was elected to the City Council in the first elections after the war, in 1945). In 1947 she was awarded the MBE. She was the first woman to become a member of the City Council, in December 1947, within the candidature of the AACR (this being the first election in which women were allowed to stand and vote), and remained so as an elected member for nine years. In the early 1950s, Ellicott left the AACR. In 1959, she also become the first woman to be elected to the Legislative Council, this time as an independent, remaining there for five years. She was also Chair of the Gibraltar Museum Committee.
After giving up her political roles, she became increasingly active in charitable and cultural activities. She was the Honorary Secretary of the Gibraltar Society for the Prevention of Blindness for twenty years and Chair of the Gibraltar branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. In 2009 the RSPCA investigated 141,280 cruelty complaints and collected and rescued 135,293 animals...
for fifteen.
In 1970, Dorothy Ellicott was appointed first female Justice of Peace of Gibraltar. In 1972, she was awarded the OBE. In 2008, the recently created Gibraltar Medallion of Honour
Gibraltar Medallion of Honour
The Gibraltar Medallion of Honour is a civil award scheme established by the Government of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Its creation was announced in July 2008 by Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Peter Caruana...
was bestowed, posthumously, upon Dorothy Ellicott for public service and service to heritage.
As a historian, she wrote several articles, booklets and books. Her most renowned work was Our Gibraltar, published in 1974 by the Gibraltar Museum. It was described by Sir Varyl Begg
Varyl Begg
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Varyl Cargill Begg GCB, DSO, DSC was First Sea Lord, the professional head of the Royal Navy, from 1966 to 1968.-Early life:...
(Governor of Gibraltar
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
from 1969 to 1973), as a work that told "the story of The Rock in a manner suitable for the visitor seeking a brief outline of historical events in easily digestible form". It is also mentioned by Sir William Jackson (historian and Governor of Gibraltar from 1978 to 1982), in the preface of his work The Rock of the Gibraltarians (1990).