Background
She was born in Brighton, the daughter of George Augustus Haig, a merchant and landowner from Pen Ithon, Radnorshire, Wales, and his wife, Anne Eliza Fellow Her father was of Scottish descent and was a cousin of Douglas Haig.
She was born in Brighton, the daughter of George Augustus Haig, a merchant and landowner from Pen Ithon, Radnorshire, Wales, and his wife, Anne Eliza Fellow Her father was of Scottish descent and was a cousin of Douglas Haig.
Their principal residence was Llanwern, Monmouthshire. In the 1890s Sybil Thomas became president of the Welsh Union of Women"s Liberal Associations, which was strongly feminist and pro-female suffrage. She was also a prominent moderate in the National Union of Women"s Suffrage Societies.
Her sisters Janetta and Lotty were also prominent suffragettes and both went to prison for acts of violence in the name of the cause.
Her daughter, Margaret Haig Thomas, became one of the most prominent British feminists of the inter-war years. Under their influence, Sybil joined the more militant Women"s Social and Political Union.
In 1914 she was sentenced to one day"s imprisonment after holding a public meeting outside the Houses of Parliament. He died shortly afterwards and Lady Rhondda devoted the rest of her life to feminist and philanthropic projects.
Lady Rhondda was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1920 civilian war honours for her work with the National War Savings Committee.
She died on 11 March 1941.