Rita Shell

While serving as the governess to his children, Shell was the mistress of Thomas Gibson Bowles after the death of his wife Jessica Gordon.

[5] Shell's journalism career commenced with the Princess, a penny weekly for women, where she did a variety of work.

In January 1895, she became the first woman editor of Bowles' magazine, The Lady,[5] serving in that role till 1925, when she retired.

[7] With Shell as its editor, The Lady took up a very practical side, aiming to help its readers as much as possible.

Thus, it devoted considerable space to home decoration, household management, cooking, going into each subject very thoroughly.