Alice Elizabeth Hooke was one of George Archer Hooke's siblings. She never married and she lived most of her life in London. where she was born in 1862. For most of her life she worked as a Civil Servant clerk. In Hooke family circles she was known as a very keen and talented chess player and it seems that she was one of the leading lights in the development of women's chess.
Alice remained close to her brother George who mentions her frequently in correspondence.
In November 2022, Richard James, writing for British Chess News, published two "Minor Pieces" articles about Alice, describing her life with a particular focus on some of her chess achievements including details of some of the matches she played. My thanks to Richard and the British Chess News for their permission to post links to these articles here and for additional information about her life. You can read all about her by following these links.
Minor Pieces 48: Alice Elizabeth Hooke Part 1 - British Chess News
Minor Pieces 49: Alice Elizabeth Hooke Part 2 - British Chess News
Richard James records, "Alice Elizabeth Hooke played an important part in women's chess in England for more than forty years, both as a player and as a background administrator, from her pioneering work with the Ladies' Chess Club through to playing club chess into her late 70s. Although she wasn't all that much more than an average club player herself, she was still good enough to share first place in two British Ladies' Championships in her late 60s. Reaching your peak at that age is also something to be proud of, I think."
Below is a page from a scrapbook saved by my Granny Elaine Hooke about Alice.
In 1921 Alice moved to 87 Castelnau, Richmond, London SW13. Here's a photo of it a century later in 2023. She shared the accommodation with a lady who George Archer Hooke described in correspondence as "Aunt Maria". I'm not exactly sure where Aunt Maria fits in the family tree. She was not in good health and Alice often had to look after her.