Domini Crosfield, Lady Crosfield (1884 – 15 January 1963), was a British

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

politician and tennis player.

Background

Born Domini Elliadi in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

, she was the daughter of Elie M. Elliadi (1843–1928), a Greek merchant from Smyrnia, and Marie Homer (1863–1924). In 1907 she married

Arthur Crosfield Sir Arthur Henry Crosfield, 1st Baronet, (5 April 1865 – 22 September 1938) was a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Warrington from 1906 to December 1910. Background In 1907 he married Domini Elliadi who was also active in Liberal polit ...

, Liberal MP for Warrington, 1906–10. When her husband was created a baronet in 1915 she became Lady Crosfield.‘CROSFIELD, Domini, (Lady Crosfield)’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 ; online edn, April 201
accessed 20 June 2020
/ref>

Career

During World War One, Lady Crosfield was Honorary Adviser on Exhibitions and Art to the Greek Department of Information. From 1915-19 she was Commandant of two VAD hospices. She was actively involved in the running of the North Islington Infant Welfare Centre and School for Mothers. In 1919 she became President of the centre, a position she would hold until 1959. She was Founder and Chairman of Pediki Steghi (Day Nurseries) and of Music for Children in Greece. She was a Member of Council, for the

Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) is an international dance teaching and examination board based in London, England. The registered educational charity, which was established on 25 July 1904 as the ''Imperial Society of Dance Te ...

. She was a Member of the Grants Committee of the

National Playing Fields Association Fields in Trust, is a British charity set up in 1925 as the National Playing Fields Association (NPFA), by Brigadier-General Reginald Kentish and the Duke of York, later King George VI, who was the first president, which protects parks and green s ...

. She was a Member of the Executive of the Children’s Playground Committee. She was a Member of the Executive of National Association of Maternity and Child Welfare. She was a Member of the Executive and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the

Anglo-Hellenic League The Anglo-Hellenic League was founded in the aftermath of the 1912–13 Balkan Wars in order to counter anti-Greek propaganda in the United Kingdom. Dedicated to promoting Anglo-Greek understanding and friendship, the League has a long history of c ...

. She was Vice-President and Director of the London Philharmonic Society. She was Vice-President of the

and a member of the Grants and Children’s Playground Sub-Committee.

Political career

At a parliamentary General Election she contested, as a

Liberal party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

candidate

Islington North Islington North () is a constituency in Greater London represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1983 by Jeremy Corbyn. He served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition from 2015 to 2020. Co ...

in 1929; She did not stand for parliament again. In 1938, she was awarded the Golden Cross of the

Order of George I The Royal Order of George I ( el, Βασιλικόν Τάγμα Γεωργίου Α') is a Greek order instituted by King Constantine I in 1915. Since the monarchy's abolition in 1973, it has been considered a dynastic order of the former Greek r ...

(Greece). She was made a Commander of the

Order of the Phoenix (Greece) The Order of the Phoenix ( el, Τάγμα του Φοίνικος) is an order of Greece, established on 13 May 1926, by the republican government of the Second Hellenic Republic to replace the defunct Royal Order of George I. The order was ret ...

and the Diploma of Commander of Order of Welfare (Greece). She was a championship tennis player, and at her home in

Witanhurst Witanhurst is a large Listed building#England and Wales, Grade II listed 1930s Georgian Revival mansion on in Highgate, North London. It has had several prominent owners since being rebuilt by soap magnate Sir Arthur Henry Crosfield, Arthur Cro ...

she hosted her own charity tennis competition immediately after the Wimbledon fortnight, with many of the championship players staying on in London for the event. For the

1906 Intercalated Games The 1906 Intercalated Games or 1906 Olympic Games was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated in Athens, Greece. They were at the time considered to be Olympic Games and were referred to as the "Second International Olympic Games i ...

, Domini Elliadis entered the Women's singles but did not start at the event.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crosfield, Lady Domini 1963 deaths 1884 births Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates Wives of baronets Tennis players at the 1906 Intercalated Games English female tennis players British people of Greek descent