Life History

24th Nov 1844	Born in London, Middlesex.
28th May 1845	Baptised in Paddington.
16th Oct 1924	Died in Paddington.

Notes

Georgina appears in the 1851, '61, '71, and '81 censuses, living with her parents.

In the 1871 census, Georgina is 26, Reader at Newspaper Office;
in the 1881 census, still with her parents, she is 36, and a 'Novelist & Press Writer, Author Corrector Of Press', unmarried and living at 1 Westbury Terrace.
It is possible that she could have been working with/for her brother William Tillotson who in that census describes himself as 'General Printer'.

After the 1881 census I cannot find Georgina (or any of her sisters - other than Edith) in any censuses. It is very likely that she uses a pen-name after her father dies in 1881. Indeed, she appears to have adopted part of the name prior to 1881.

Georgina and her Sisters - a pre-Bloomsbury Set

All the following information about Georgina and her sisters came to light through questions raised, and information provided by John Herrington.

The initial question was about Violet Drewry (daughter of William T. Drewry) who appears
in the 1901 census as niece to an Annie Stewart (and Ina Leon Cassilis):

Annie Stewart	Head	Single	36	Professor of Music (Author)	b. Kensington, London
Mateon Cassilis	Sister	Single	38	Novelist, Dramatist, Journalist	b. Kensington, London
Violet M M Drewry	Niece	Single	14		Brixton, London
Gibbs, Elizabeth	Servant	Single	32	Domestic Servant	Swindon, Wiltshire

In the 1901 census Ina Leon's has been transcribed as Mateon. The girls have lied about their ages or more like their ages (like the names) have been transcribed incorrectly. (The Census records we see are transcriptions of original house-to-house information collected on the census day.)
I believe Annie Stewart should really have been transcribed as Aimée Stewart and that this was the name that Emily Drewry was using at the time.
Violet is definitely the niece of Georgina and Emily - who must have been very interesting aunts.

In the 1911 census at 250, Portsdown Road, Maida Vale:

Ina Leon Cassilis	Head	Single	66	Dramatic, Author, Novelist	b. London, Kensington
Aimée Stewart	Sister	Single	62	Pianist, Novelist	b. London, Kensington
Anne Wallis	Servant	Single	58	General Servant Domestic	b. Essex, Braintree

I believe that:

'Annie Stewart' in 1901 is 'Aimee Stewart' in 1911;
Annie/Aimee Stewart is the pen-name of Emily Drewry.
(In the 1881 census Emily is: Amy Drewry, 32, Pianist Professor Of Music);
Ina Leon Cassilis is the pen name of Georgina Drewry.

Then Emily and Georgina are Violet's aunts.

There are a number of facts that support the above interpretation of the two censuses:

The Victoria Magazine (published from 1863 to 1880)

In Poole's index to periodical literature" there is: 'Through deep Waters' by I. L. Drewry (Victoria Magazine 26, 34-471 and 27, 3-483).

There are also:
      E S Drewry, 'Almost wrecked' (Victoria 24, 209-476 and 25, 569-761)
      L M Drewry, 'Leigh Mutiny' (Victoria 25, 889-? and 26, 34-471)

Other references

Another Reference to I. L. Drewry is in Shakespeare in the Victorian Periodicals By Kathryn Prince.
And another to Drewry, Ina L. in German in Gericke, R. Shakespeare Auffiihrungen in Dresden.

One of the works listed for Ina Leon Cassilis is a 1891 typescript of a one-act written for and performed at the Opera Comique in Paris. This could explain why Ina is not on 1891 census. (I have not found Annie/Aimee in the 1891 census either, so perhaps she accompanied Georgina to Paris).

250, Portsdown Road, Maida Vale

The census address for Aimee Stewart and Ina Cassilis in 1911 is 250 Portsdown Road Maida Vale West.
There is a Miss Drewry listed in the electoral roll at this address in 1910.
A Miss Drewry is listed at the same Maida Vale address in a 1915 Kellys directory.

The curious thing is that the 'Miss Drewry' who is listed at that Address is almost certainly Edith Stewart Drewry, who is recorded there in the 1911 census. The electoral rolls also record a Laurie Lansfeldt at that address and the 1911 census show Miss Lansfeldt in a separate entry at Portsdown Road. Laurie is shown as 'author and journalist', b. Kensington 1847.

Laurentia M Drewry (b. Kensington, 1847) does not appear on the 1911 census and it seems very likely that Laurie Lansfeldt is Laurentia; that laurentia has followed her sisters in adopting her pen-name as her official name.

The 1911 census has three separate entries for 250 Portsdown Rd - Ina Cassilis, and Aimee Stewart; Edith Drewry; and Laurie Lansfeldt with Cassilis, Edith and Laurie all appearing to be a head of household! It looks like the the four sisters are living in the same house, with Georgina and Amy/Emily sharing one flat and the other two in separate flats.

The electoral rolls were checked up to 1915 and show Edith and Laurie at Portsdown Road till then, but Cassilis and Stewart are not listed. Perhaps they were not eligible to vote in local elections. (This was before universal suffrage.)

The Primrose League

Georgina was a member of The Primrose League.

"The Primrose League was set up to promote Conservative values through social events and supporting the community."
The Daily Telegraph reported on 16 December 2004: "this week saw a significant event for any observers of political history: after 121 years, the Primrose League was finally wound up."

The Wikipedia entry on suffrage says: "As women were able to join, this gave females of all classes the ability to mix with local and national political figures. Many also had important roles such as bringing voters to the polls. This removed segregation and promoted political literacy amongst women."

Some of Ina's Writing:

'Society's Queen, V1', by Ina Leon Cassilis

'A superior person', by Ina Leon Cassilis (Samuel French, 1890)

'Cheerful and musical' by Ina Leon Cassilis (Samuel French, 1891)

'Those landladies' by Ina Leon Cassilis (Samuel French, T. Henry French, 1890)

'Between Midnight and Dawn' by Ina Leon Cassilis

Swan, Annie S.; Watson, Sydney; Maggie Swan; Laurie Lansfeldt; Elton Harris; G. B. Stuart; Ina Leon Cassilis - 'In Haste to Be Rich, for the Sake of the Family and Other Stories' (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1898). ... 'A Daughter to Sell', by Laurie Lansfeldt; ... 'The Perfect Knight', by Ina Leon Cassilis.

Pennsylvania Grit Story Companion, Vol. XIX, No. 43, September 29, 1901. 'My Lady's Kinsman' by Ina Leon Cassilis.

'A Type-Writing Romance' by Ina Leon Cassilis (illus. M. F. Sambourne)

'Between Midnight and Dawn' by Ina Leon Cassilis

'A King of Shreds and Patches' by Ina Leon Cassilis

'Cash for Coronets', by Ina Leon Cassilis and F. H. Morland. 1894.

'Demon Darrell' by Ina Cassilis and Frank H. Morland, 1898.

'Hearts or Diamonds', Ina Leon Cassilis, 1891

'Hidden Foe', A melodrama, Ina Leon Cassilis

'Interviewed' by Ina Cassilis, Publ. by S. French, Ltd

Probate

GRO

Birth: Dec 1844, Kensington, 3, 295
Death: Dec 1924, Paddington, 1a, 3