Lottie T may be the first official female member of Alcoholics Anonymous in Great Britain. Lottie arrived in the fellowship in 1947, just a year after the first meeting held at the Dorchester Hotel.
Meetings are now held at this time at Canadian Bob’s home in Kew. Bob was elected as the first general secretary of the newly formed A.A. group in Great Britain. He was voted in on the second meeting.
In 1948, the New York General Secretary of New York, Bobbie B, wrote to ‘Canadian’ Bob, “It’s a thrill to know you have a woman member”. Bobbie was talking about Lottie T., who joined the A.A in Great Britain and became secretary, when Bob’s work took him overseas in 1948. A.A. had groups in Bolton and Leicester, while in London, 23 members regularly attended meetings at Lottie’s or Bob’s home.
Below is a picture of Lottie.
Lottie was newly sober and took on the task of handling all correspondence throughout Great Britain and Europe. The role was overwhelming, as the fellowship was growing rapidly. It was new, and the group was learning as the days went by. Lottie kept in touch with Bobbie, asking as many questions as she could. Bobbie B is one of those people who also helped grow and start the fellowship over here.
A little bit about Lottie T., who was a very talented illustrator, and would send drawings in her letters to New York, such as the one below. While the meetings in London were still being held in private homes, and when Bob was away for long periods of time due to work commitments, they would be held at Lottie’s home in St John’s Wood. Her letters and her works were frequently illustrated with appropriate, humorous cartoon-like drawings/printings.
Lottie spoke fluent English and would make up words and expressions such as “Oh my forgettery!” She was the youngest child, born in 1902 in Wuppertal, Germany. As she grew, so did her personality, and she was a fan of odd, practical jokes.
As the years went on, Lottie married a fella who was a stage designer. The two had a daughter and moved to Austria. In 1937, Lottie and her husband divorced. Lottie moved to England with her daughter, where she began a career making toys and illustrating children’s books.
Lottie met her second husband, who went by the name of Tubby, and apparently they both found out each other’s ages at the registry office. (Tubby looked much older than he was at 25, and Lottie much younger than she was at 41.) They divorced a few years later, in 1950 or 1951.
Lottie struggled with alcoholism, which led her to enter Alcoholics Anonymous and take on the huge task of helping others. At the same time, the meetings in London were still being held in private homes. When ‘Canadian’ Bob was away for long periods of time due to work commitments, the meetings would be held at Lottie’s home in St John’s Wood.
In November 1949, AA Co-Founder Bill W wrote to Lottie to reshape A.A to suit GB temperament – ‘you will eventually settle on the essential principles of 12 Steps’. The letter below concerns the creation of A.A in Scotland and how Philip D met Lottie T, who helped create the first meetings held in Scotland.
Below is a letter from Bill W to Lottie thanking her for her help on his and Lois’s visit to London in 1950. During her time as General Secretary, there were many letters sent to Bobbie of New York, which stated her passion and concern for her role as Secretary, as she was so busy, and yet alone in passing out 12-step letters to contacts in places such as Norway and other parts of Europe and the U.K.
Dear Lottie, August 1950
How can we find words to tell you of our thanks for all that you and Tubby did for us in London? for all that you and Tubby did for us in London? The remembrance of the contributions you both made for our comfort and inspiration is something we shall always treasure. Books, gifts, parties, and you, yourselves. What pleasant hours! Speaking of hours, I must say that I have all too few to go around. Arrived home, we found a mountain of work and responsibility of all sorts. I am you see, preparing to apologise for the brevity of this letter. But how much deep affection it takes, neither of you will be able to guess!
Gratefully
P.S. The New York office is out of pictures. As soon as they get some more prints We will send them right along.
All pictures of Lottie were provided by her granddaughter
The fellowship was still small, in its infancy. Bobbie helped Lottie by answering all her questions/worries. At one point, the New York group met with Lottie’s husband, who was visiting, to take him around and show him the sights while letting Lottie know how everything was going. Bobbie’s responses towards Lottie were of a calm head that was needed in such a delicate time for our fellowship.
According to ‘Canadian’ Bob, Lottie was a real toiler in the vineyard, a real motherly person with a great sense of humour, which you can see with her illustrations. While living in London at her daughter’s and son-in-law’s home, she would be the face of the party, painting people who were nearly naked in the bathroom. Lottie said English people avoid looking at each other, and to prove it, she walked the length of Oxford Street with a chamber pot on her head… and no one commented.
Lottie was a successful artist in her own right, with her illustrations appearing in Great Britain, Spain, and Mexico. Around 1951, Lottie left her position as secretary and moved to Rapallo, Italy, where her sister joined her. Even though Lotte wasn’t in Great Britain anymore, she was asked to provide a drawing for the second convention held in England and Wales, which she did, and it can be seen in the convention signing book with the quote.
‘From little acorns, mighty oaks grow’
The drawing was of a bottle with an acorn as the plug in the jug. Lottie had moved to Tenerife, Spain, to be with her daughter.
Sadly, Lottie passed away in Puerto de la Cruz, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, in 1981 at the age of 79 years old. Lottie will go down as one of the many, many people who helped A.A. grow into what we have today. Lottie opened her home so meetings could be held. She gave hours upon hours to 12-step call-outs while responding to letters from people who needed help with their alcoholism, also offering the guidance of setting up a fellowship in other parts of the U.K. I think you can agree that A.A.’s growth in Great Britain wouldn’t have been as successful as it is today if it weren’t for those early pioneers who helped lay the steps we are allowed to climb.
Lottie E/T/G was born January 24th 1902.
Lottie headed to the meeting in the sky in 1981.
East London Archives of Alcoholics Anonymous. 