Gladys Williams (‘John Presland’) was born on 6 September 1885 in Melbourne, Australia, the daughter of John Frederick Williams, merchant, and Alice Emily Presland. Her parents had emigrated when they married but returned to London after six years in Australia. Gladys was educated successively at Maida Vale High School, a private school in Folkestone, and Queen’s College, Harley Street before studying Modern and Medieval Languages at Girton College from 1903 to 1906. In 1907 she married John Herbert Skelton (known as Bert), who died in 1942. She then married Francis Edmund Bendit in 1943, who died in 1953. Gladys wrote poetry, drama, fiction and biography under the pen name ‘John Presland’ (it appears that she may also have used the pen name 'Myfanwy Sloane' - see GCPP Williams 2/13). She also earned some income from translation work, chiefly German into English. In addition, she held the following positions: Head and Lecturer to Women’s Section, Central Council for Economic Information 1921-24; Lecturer for L N U [League of Nations Union?] 1921-25; London University Extension Lecturer in Literature 1921-27; Ashridge Conservative College 1927-31. She was a member of the Aliens’ Advisory Committee appointed by the Home Office in 1940 and she also undertook work for a number of charitable organisations, including the Save the Children Fund, whose Foreign Relief Section she chaired from 1943. Gladys Bendit died on 29 September 1975. [These notes are derived from the following sources: Girton College Register Vol. I; Who Was Who Vol. VII, 1971-80; and information from family members.]