Christopher St. John

Christabel Marshall, also known by her pen name of Christopher St. John, was a British playwright and author known for her contributions to the women’s suffrage movement. Born in Exeter as the youngest of nine children to Emma Marshall and Hugh Graham Marshall, Christabel studied a BA in Modern History at Somerville College, Oxford. She became a secretary to Mrs. Humphry Ward, Lady Randolph Churchill, and occasionally, Winston Churchill. Christabel studied stagecraft for three years with the aim of becoming a dramatist. In 1900, Christabel published her first novel, The Crimson Weed and joined the Women’s Social and Political Union in 1909, adding to her work with the Women Writer’s Suffrage League and the Actresses’ Franchise League. In 1909, she turned Cicely Hamilton’s short story, How the Vote Was Won, into a play which became very popular with the suffrage movement. Other notable works include The Pot and the Kettle (1909), The Coronation (1912), and The First Actress (1911). In 1915, she published her autobiographical novel, Hungerheart, which talks about her polyamorous lesbian relationship with thespian Edith Craig and artist Clare Atwood.