With thanks to Historian Debbie Cameron for this post
Olive studied art at The Slade School of Art. By 1911, she was living in Berkshire and described her occupation as “artist".
She was imprisoned for four months in 1913 for bomb attacks at the home of Prime Minister, David Lloyd George. Papers with Olive's address were found at the scene of the attack and wire cutters and paraffin were later discovered at her home. While she was in prison, Olive agreed not to go on hunger strike providing she could continue to create art. Olive continued exhibiting at the Society of Women Artists, at the Walker Gallery and until 1915, at the Royal Academy.
During the First World War, Olive joined the Women’s Land Army and worked on a farm in Dartmoor, Devon. She wrote a book describing her experience as a Land-girl entitled “Two Girls on the Land: Wartime on a Dartmoor Farm”, published by E. Arnold, London, 1918. Here is a quote from the book:
“In those early days of the War it was not common for a young woman to go about seeking situations as a farm-hand. In the West Country especially, such a thing was almost unknown and long after the sight of lady farm-workers had become a commonplace in the home counties, th idea would be greeted with sceptical and derisive laughter by the slow-moving old farmers of Devon.” (Chapter 1 – “Arrival”, p. 8).
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| "Moorland View" watercolour by Olive Hockin |
In 1922, Olive married John H. Leared who trained polo ponies in Cheltenham. They had two sons.
The National Portrait Gallery has a picture of her by the Criminal Record Office, and two pages of picture called "Surveillance Photograph of Militant Suffragettes", also by the Criminal Record Office, which includes her.
Illustrations:
Cover of the Summer edition of the Suffragette publication "Votes for Women" designed by Olive Hockin. Date: June 26th 1914
And “Moorland View” watercolour
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| Olive Hockin cover design for "Votes for Women" |
Sources:
http://www.rammuseum.org.uk/…/olive-hockin-suffragette-art…/
https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/olive-hockin/
https://www.mediastorehouse.com/…/votes-women-summer-1914-1…
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https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89034614867&view=1up&seq=7
