Genealogy Chat

Hi. I wonder if anyone can help me with a strange quest. I have found out that GGGrandfather and GGGrandmother were both actors on the stage. They seem to have travelled around (census wise) quite a bit and from what my nan can recall they had quite a good career. I'm sure that there must be some record of them in a theatre somewhere and I would like to see if I can find out more. However, I have no idea where to begin and wondered if anyone here had some tips? Anyone else tried to find something similar. Any advice appreciated! Many thanks.

Incidentally, their names were:
Frederick Hamilton Constable (born in 1869 in Norton,Yorkshire) and Rose Lloyd (born in 1860 in Scarborough, Yorkshire). They married in 1890 in Durham and had two children (as far as I know), Frederick and Lillian.

I tried googling his name but all I found was their marriage. Do you have it? 28 Mar.1890, Jarrow Grange Christ Church.

On the 1901 census there's a Frederick H. Constable born 1870, Malton, Yorks. He's an actor, a boarder living in Salford, Lancashire. Problem is his wife is Ivy (wrong plant!). She was born 1874 Coventry, Warwickshire. She's an actress, too.
Marg

Marg,

Thanks ever so much for trying. I do have their marriage. I think Ivy may be a second wife. It's definitely him. I have reason to believe that Rose died in about 1899 and although my nan can't recall him remarrying, he may well have done.

I like the wrong plant thing! Made me laugh!

Saff:)

Hi,

Take a look at http://www.leodis.net/playbills which is a searchable site featuring playbills from various Leeds theatres. If you enter Constable in the search box and 'all theatres" you'll find a 1910 playbill which features Frederick H Constable. Don't be put off by the typed information which says "Fred E Constable", when you enlarge the playbill image it's definitely "Fred H Constable"

Emma.

Emma,

You are so brilliant! That must be him, it's the right area too.

I'm going to do some more digging, but I'm so happy to have this.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saff:)

Saffron,

Were they legit theatre actors or music-hall performers? If the latter, there is a very helpful historian of the music-hall whom you could contact. I don't remember his name but I found him by googling.

Peter

On the 1891 census Fred & Rose are living as boarders in Gateshead, Durham. Fred is 22, an actor, born Malton, Yorks. Rose is 31, an actress, born Scarboro.

Free BMD:
Rose Constable died March quarter 1899, Stoke upon Trent, Staffordshire, age 38.
Can't find Frederick's marriage to Ivy though. The closest one is to Eva Sarah Sorrell in Brighton, 1900.

Emma! Are you this good with theatres not in Leeds?

I discovered in the last two years that my gr-grfather's name wasn't what he said it was, but that he had a sister who said her name was the same thing. Long, looong tale. Part of it involves her appearing in the 1871 census as Ada LM Hill, actress, in St. Giles in the Fields.

So I did just do the google thing, and found two amazing sources: a cast list / season listing for the Adelphi in London, and a picture postcard of her in costume at a US picture history site!

Here are the Adelphi pages, in case they help anyone:

http://www.emich.edu/public/english/adelphi_calendar/perfactr.htm

http://www.emich.edu/public/english/adelphi_calendar/m70d.htm

(Those are for the 1870-71 season in particular, but the site has various other info. Saffron's names don't appear in the actors/actresses list; I checked.)

Anyhow, I lose my Ada after 1882, when she was married to a rich guy, with 3 kids. He emerges in 1891 with the kids and a newer younger wife (no marriage apparent) and an altered name. I've wondered whether Ada returned to the stage (she more likely died of the family plague, tuberculosis).

I find that googling "Fred E Constable", for instance, doesn't turn up the item you found. So I suppose one must travel from site to site, searching and searching ... (I did search at the Leeds site; no luck.)

That is a fabulous playbill for Fred Constable; lucky Saffron!

Hey, I found another one --

http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/STA/search/detaile.cfm?NID=&EID=6863&DID=7500&AID=

Title: The god of war
Date of Event: 1 May 1899
Event Type: play
... performer: Fred Constable


His name is clickable, but unfortunately there's nothing there. But if you click on Playbill, you get details of the event: "The god of war. Theatre Royal, Greenock, 1899 May 1."

Peter, Many thanks for the suggestion. I believe they were legit actors, but I will check it out.

Marg, Thanks for your help. It is appreciated.

Kathryn, That's abcolutely brilliant! Thank you so much.

Big thank you to you all. I always find people on here so helpful. it really is appreciated. My nan is thrilled with what I've found so far!

Saff:)

there is another match here for Fred

http://www.backstage.ac.uk/cgi-bin/query.pl?view=full_single&query=type%3ditem+and+any%3dbic.br.1039800704

Playbill - The Boy King at the Grand Theatre, Southampton | Item level record

Show associated:Collection | Location

Creator(s):CONSTABLE Fred [Actor]; LESTER George [Actor]; STONE Nance [Actor]; GRAHAM Wilfrid [Actor]; PETLEY Frank [Actor]; ROSE Dan [Actor]; HOWARD Walter [Author]; COLEMAN Charles [Actor]; BEVERIDGE Thomas [Actor]; BEVAN Arthur [Actor]; FINCH Arthur [Actor];

Date(s):17/04/1911

Local identifier:Eric Jones-Evans Collection - University of Bristol - EJE/000309

Associated event(s):1910-1911; Boy King, The;

Format:1 items; 23cm x 35cm; Printed Material;

not sure if this is your Rose Lloyd, but there is this also:

Playbill advertising the Comic Opera Company from the Garrick Theatre, London (under the management of May Bulmer) in A CRUISE TO CHINA, with ENGLAND AND AMERICA, at the New Theatre Royal, Park Row, Bristol, 25 August 1879. | Item level record

Show associated:Collection | Location

Creator(s):author : Morton, Charles H., Mr.; actor, : Morton, Charles H., Mr.; actor, : Wilton, Mr.; actor, : Fergus, Mr.; actor, : Lloyd, Rose, Miss; manager : Chute, George Macready, Mr.; manager, : Chute, James Macready, Mr.;

Date(s):25.8.1879 = 1.9.1879

Local identifier:Playbill Collection - University of Kent at Canterbury - UKC/POS/BRS ROYN : 0592730

Type of item:poster playbills

Associated event(s):ENGLAND AND AMERICA;

Note:Also advertising the forthcoming engagement of Mr. and Mrs. George S. Knight.

Publisher:New Theatre Royal, Park Row, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England;

Language(s):English;

Format:black ink on paper; 757 x 257 mm;

Subject keywords:sketch;

there is also this website you can try

http://www.bris.ac.uk/theatrecollection/search/people_search