Olive Hawthorne

This article needs to be updated.

Needs info from White Witch of Devil's End: episodes 3-6 and all Benton and Hawthorne Investigate stories.

These omissions are so great that the article's factual accuracy has been compromised. Check out the discussion page and revision history for further clues about what needs to be updated in this article.

Olive Hawthorne
Species:	Human
Place of origin:	Earth
Grandparents:	Hester Hawthorne
Mother:	Mother
Father:	Father
Sister:	Poppy Hawthorne
First appearance:	The Dæmons
Appearances:	see list
Main actor:	Damaris Hayman

Miss Olive Hawthorne was a white witch and the guardian of Devil's End.

Devil's End was situated upon a large power source caused by Azal's crashed spaceship (TV: The Dæmons ^[+]Guy Leopold, Doctor Who season 8 (BBC1, 1971).) which made it a prime target for dark forces and extraterrestrial invaders. (COMIC: Scorpio's Sting ^[+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2018).) Olive protected the village from said forces and often took on apprentices and students such as Grace Reynolds and Jiro Kazama (COMIC: Scorpio's Sting ^[+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2018)., Pluto's Gate ^[+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2022).) and the Reverend Canon Smallwood to assist her. These helpers came to be colloquially known as Hawthorne's Brigade.

When Olive died she handed over her role as guardian to her sister Poppy Hawthorne who had reappeared from her disappearance many decades before like she had never been away. (HOMEVID: Hawthorne Blood ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

Biography

Early life

Olive was the elder of twin girls, and she spent most of her time outdoors, quickly growing restless whenever she was confined inside. She suffered from sleepless nights and harboured secret fears and phobias that she couldn’t even share with her sister, Poppy. Often, she dreamt of monsters invading the village. (HOMEVID: The Inheritance) Shortly before her death, her her grandmother gave her an ankh necklace. (PROSE: The Inheritance)

One night, Olive was awakened by strange noises coming from the stables. When she went outside to investigate, she encountered a witch who introduced herself as Lobelia—her great-aunt. Lobelia revealed that the Hawthorne family’s purpose was to protect Devil’s End from the evil it attracted and that Olive’s birthright was to become a white witch. She gave Olive a grimoire to guide her and a bridle to help her sleep, warning her that one day she would have to choose between good and evil, and that the right path would demand great sacrifice.

The next morning, Olive's mother woke her, asking where Poppy was. Despite months of searching, Poppy was never found. Grief-stricken, Olive recalled Lobelia’s words about sacrifice and became haunted by guilt, believing she had somehow caused her sister’s disappearance. Two years later, during the Second World War, Olive met a Gypsy witch selling luck charms. The woman promised to grant Olive anything she desired—including a reunion with Poppy—if she would serve her master. Remembering Lobelia’s warnings, Olive refused, noticing the witch’s eyes turn black before she vanished. From that moment, Olive understood that her apprenticeship was complete—she was now the true guardian of Devil’s End. (HOMEVID: The Inheritance)

The guardian of Devil's End

Olive began having visions of a hazy silhouette, which her runes warned was a sign of danger. One night, she heard violin music coming from The Cloven Hoof and met the mysterious violinist, Victor, who seemed able to read her thoughts. Fascinated, Olive sought him out the next day, and the two formed a deep connection, often speaking for hours and seemingly sharing a psychic bond.

Olive soon dreamed of Victor’s dual nature—both a calm, elegant man and a wild creature in the mirror—and of a crying baby she believed to be their child. When she invited him to her home, Victor refused, warning her never to do so and promising she would understand in time.

Later, Olive found Victor feeding on a dead deer in the church graveyard. Though terrified, she realised he meant her no harm. He confessed his dark origins and refused her offer to join him, saying they would become the greatest threat to Devil’s End. The next day, during an unexpected eclipse, Victor stepped into the sunlight and burned to death to protect her. Olive kept his ashes in a silver urn until her own death in 2017. (HOMEVID: Half Light)

Fighting Azal

In 1977, (HOMEVID: Dæmos Returns) Olive spent weeks warning Professor Horner not to dig at the Devil's Hump tomb on Beltane, believing "the Prince himself is nigh". She was taken by the verger Garvin after failing to be hypnotised by the Master and was left bound and gagged inside a chest in the village church. UNIT Sergeant John Benton freed her, and they hid in the cavern beneath the church. Benton was rendered unconscious by a forcefield in the cavern, and Olive carried him to The Cloven Hoof pub when the Dæmon Azal killed Garvin. She saved Benton from an attacking Morris dancer by hitting him over the head with her reticule which contained her crystal ball. She and Benton helped stop the villagers from burning the Third Doctor when they tricked them into believing he was a mighty wizard. Olive took quite a liking to Sergeant Benton, going so far as to ask him to dance with her in celebration of their victory over the Master and in the festive spirit of May Day. (TV: The Dæmons)

Some time later, Olive confronted the Master when she observed his return to Devil's End following his escape from Fortress Island. Underneath the new church where began showing interest in the Stone of Sacrifice, the Master held Olive hostage with his Tissue Compression Eliminator in front of the Doctor and Jo Grant but she was able to summon a strong wind to subdue him. The Master managed to escape due to the Stone of Sacrifice actually being his disguised TARDIS, leaving Olive unharmed. (PROSE: The Eight Doctors)

A year after Azal was defeated, Olive dealt with the lingering presence of the Daemon beneath the church. (HOMEVID: Dæmos Returns)

Training the next generation

Olive confronts Scorpio but is attacked by Bok. (COMIC: Scorpio's Sting ^[+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2018).)

While one account depicted her as having passed away in 2017, (HOMEVID: Hawthorne Blood) another account showed Olive taking on Grace Reynolds and Jiro Kazama as students during the 2020s.

When Olive was interviewed by a newsreader her two students took different stances with Grace condemning the interviewer's patronising tone and Jiro excusing her as simply being ignorant. Olive sensed Scorpio's presence in the village and astral projected herself to confront him where she found him at the Ministry of Defence facility attempting to restore Bok to life. Olive was attacked by Bok and awoke in her real body, she proceeded to instruct Grace and Jiro to put a stop to Scorpio which they managed to do by stealing his scanner and entangling Bok in a net. Scorpio warned that this wasn't over before teleporting away and Olive congratulated her students but suggested that this was only the beginning. (COMIC: Scorpio's Sting ^[+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2018).)

Later life

Olive in her final years. (HOMEVID: The White Witch of Devil's End)

In her final year, Olive was visited by Bryony Hawthorne, a distant cousin who was orphaned at birth. Destiny had led Bryony to Devil's End, and Olive was thankful she had someone she was able to teach and pass on her Hawthorne grimoire and protectorship of Devil's End to. She taught Bryony many things, but always held a suspicion of her. This was because Bryony was part succubus, and had been killing the men of Devil's End. Olive banished Bryony, though it took most of her energy. (HOMEVID: Hawthorne Blood)

Death

As she prepared for death, Olive feared for Devil's End, having no successor to protect it once she had gone. Then there was a knock at the door, and Olive was greeted by her sister Poppy, having not aged a day since she went missing. Poppy promised to protect Devil's End once Olive had passed, and soon after Olive died. (HOMEVID: Hawthorne Blood)

Appearance

Olive was said to be tall and bony with drawn-back black hair streaked with grey. She wore a brocade dress and a long black cloak in some handwoven material. A heavy Celtic cross hung at her neck. (PROSE: The Eight Doctors ^[+]Terrance Dicks, BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 1997).)

Powers and abilities

Olive astral projects herself to investigate Doctor Scorpio. (COMIC: Scorpio's Sting ^[+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2018).)

Olive was prone to psychic premonitions and visions from a young age. As a child she dreamt of invading monsters. (HOMEVID: The Inheritance ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.) She was able to feel Scorpio's presence in Devil's End when he was looking for Azal. (COMIC: Scorpio's Sting ^[+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2018).)

Olive using her powers. (COMIC: Pluto's Gate ^[+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2022).

Olive was skilled in the ability to astral project. (COMIC: Scorpio's Sting ^[+]James Hudnall, Devil's End: The Adventures of Olive Hawthorne (Lucky Comics, 2018). When confronting the Master, Olive was able to summon up a strong wind which targeted him. The Doctor dismissed the notion that Olive really was a witch to Jo Grant and suggested that she had latent telekenetic powers that showed themselves in a crisis sort of like a "controlled, benevolent poltergeist". (PROSE: The Eight Doctors ^[+]Terrance Dicks, BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 1997).)

Behind the scenes

The character was originally named Lady Olivia Featherstone. (INFO: The Dæmons)

Damaris Hayman first met Keith Barnfather in 2008 when Reeltime Pictures were filming short interviews with supporting actors from Doctor Who at an event called Flight Through Eternity in Gloucester. Barnfather was impressed by Hayman's memory of her time filming The Dæmons and her obvious love for the character of Hawthorne. Two years later Barnfather and his wife Anastasia arranged a full interview with Hayman for the Myth Makers fanzine during which Hayman made clear her desire to revisit the role of Hawthorne and do some more acting. Keith and Anastasia devised the initial conception of The White Witch of Devil's End on the car journey home and in 2012 Hayman filmed her part for the main section of the drama. The serial was released in 2017. Subsequently John Michael Helmer contacted Barnfather about creating a comic series focusing on the character of Hawthorne. (INFO: Devil's End #1) Hayman couldn't quite believe the popularity of the character and was astounded to win her first acting award at 89 for her monologues in The White Witch of Devil's End. (INFO: Hawthorne's Brigade #1)