Ethel Sarah Beard 1893-1918
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Photo taken in Alloa, 8 m E of Stirling, Scotland- so likely in 1916
1893. Ethel Sarah Beard was born at 12 Albion Street, Brighton, on 17/12/1893 to Richard Beard & Ann Watkins Brighton Mar 1894 . Her father a general Hawker . Ethel one of 10 children
1901C. Ethel Beard, 7, is living Richmond Buildings 32, Brighton, Sussex with her parents and siblings, 5 older, 4 younger
| Richard | Beard | Head | Married | Male | 40 | 1861 | Fish & Greengrocery Hawker | Brighton, England | |
| Annie | Beard | Wife | Married | Female | 38 | 1863 | - | Brighton, England | |
| Annie | Beard | Daughter | Single | Female | 16 | 1885 | Ironer | Brighton, England | |
| William | Beard | Son | - | Male | 15 | 1886 | Fish & Green Grocery Hawker | Brighton, England | |
| Daisy | Beard | Daughter | - | Female | 12 | 1889 | - | Brighton, England | |
| Edith | Beard | Daughter | - | Female | 10 | 1891 | - | Brighton, England | |
| Ernest | Beard | Son | - | Male | 9 | 1892 | - | Brighton, England | |
| Ethel | Beard | Daughter | - | Female | 7 | 1894 | - | Brighton, England | |
| Florence | Beard | Daughter | Single | Female | 6 | 1895 | - | Brighton, England | |
| Samuel | Beard | Son | Single | Male | 2 | 1899 | - | Brighton, England | |
| John | Beard | Son | Single | Male | 2 | 1899 | - | Brighton, England | |
| Elizabeth | Beard | Daughter | Single | Female | 0 | 1901 | - | Brighton, England |
1908. I wonder how Ethel joined the theatrical world?? She first seems to appear, as Ethel Glyde/Clyde, in Bristol March 1908 in a part in A Soldier of France in "Fred Osmonds" company. Henry L Osmond not in it, but could the company be his, run under the name of his wife Freda Osmond ??
1910. Appears on 22/6/1910 in Aberdeen as Ethel Glyde - but I cannot find the correct part of the paper, the Aberdeen Journal 22/6/1910, having searched all of its 10 pages . Ethel was the slavey in, possibly, Fine Feathers -FMP
1911C. Ethel Glyde / Beard, 19,[ actually only 17] is living as a boarder in 51 Portland Square, Sutton in Ashfield, Notts, working in the theatrical community with the stage name of Glyde . 11 rooms in the house
| Rita | Fzetle | Boarder |
Single | Female | 27 | 1884 | Variety artistes | Paris |
| Charlotte | Fzetle | Boarder |
Single | Female | 28 | 1883 | Variety artistes | London |
| Ethel | Glyde | Boarder |
Single | Female | 19 | 1892 | Theatrical | Brighton |
| Isa | Wade | Boarder |
Single | Female | 21 | 1890 | Variety artist | Bradford Yorks |
| Molly | Ray | Boarder |
Single | Female | 22 | 1889 | Professional artist | Horwich |
| Leonard | Gale | Boarder |
Married | Male | 43 | 1868 | Author and composer | Birmingham |
| Gladys | Welford | Boarder |
Married | Female | 28 | 1883 | Music hall artists | Manchester Lancaster |
| Thomas | White | Boarder |
Single | Male | 50 | 1861 | Fitter | Derby Derby |
| John Draper | Marriott | Son |
Single | Male | 15 | 1896 | Brickmaker | Sutton in Ashfield Notts |
| Elsie | Marriott | Daughter |
Single | Female | 18 | 1893 | Housemaid | Sutton in Ashfield Notts |
| Annie | Marriott | Head |
Widow | Female | 54 | 1857 | Boarding house keeper | Nottingham Notts |
1911-1912. Ethel Glyde joins Henry Lewis Osmond's theatre company . Appears with him in Gloucester in July 1912
1912. Ethel gives birth to daughter Doris Ethel Osmond on 3/12/1912 at 4 St David Street, Gelli, to the NW of Pontyfridd. Henry Lewis Osmond, the father, was already married, under the name of Ormrod, - 1903 to Alice W M Partridge- and had several children [at least 3, born 1894-1910] still living at this time, 2 of them looked after by his parents. Gaynor's story was that Ethel & Henry were staying in these digs as all the hotels were full up; but they do not seem to be performing in the area at his time, so think this was just disseminated as a smoke screen-for some reason Henry knew Catherine Bird and knew that she would take care of Ethel and subsequently of the child.
This new babe is left with the owner of a boarding house, a Catherine Bird, and her protegee, Lizzie, and Ethel & Henry continue with their touring life . N.B. Ethel actually gave birth to Doris in a house very nearby to Catherine's boarding house, that of Catherine´s son
H L Osmond's Company did play in Tonypandy in early 1913 - Tonypandy very close, ~ 2-3k - to Gelli - map- so they would have needed lodgings for that . Doris passed down to daughter Gaynor that HLO and Ethel used to stay in the best hotel always, with the rest of the cast in digs, but in 'Pontypridd' on one occasion there were no spare hotel rooms, so they had to go into the best digs available, those of Catherine Bird
Marjory (Madge)- first born, 1894, of Henry Lewis Osmond , was later to become a great friend of Ethel's as they were about the same age. But Madge was not on the stage. -Wendy, but did her mother actually tell her this??
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Photos taken in Alloa in 1916
1916. Ethel gives birth on 1/7/1916 to daughter Irene May Osmond in Alexandria, Scotland . The father, HLO, was present for this birth . This daughter is brought up by HLO & his parents
1917. HLO's company was performing "Goody Two Shoes" in Kirkcaldy, with Ethel as Boy Blue in January.
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This photo found in Doris' belongings could be of this. . . . . H.L. Osmond & Ethel :on the back of the photo 'Mummy & Daddy' written by Doris
Her daughter, Doris, said you could 'hear a pin drop' in the theatre when Ethel came on the stage; her presence and charisma were such´. -Gaynor
1918. Ethel Sarah Ormrod, 26, of 6 Church Road, Bipsham, Blackpool, 'wife' of Henry Lewis Ormrod, travelling theatrical manager, died on 25/10/1918 during an abortion at 21 Roughey Street in Leigh, Lancashire - her death was explained to her 2 children as being due to Spanish flu. Leigh is a long way from where they were living in Bipsham , almost Blackpool . Interestingly, Henry had lived at 42 Wilkinson Street Leigh in December 1910 when his 2nd son with Alice W M Partridge had been baptised . Family myth- from Gaynor- has it that HLO went to pick her up after the operation ,only to be told she was dead! Family myth from Wendy was that HLO knew nothing about her going to have an abortion!!. But certificate states that he was present at the death
A Roughey Street exists in Leigh today
Seemingly no obituary in the Stage - but Wendy says she found one!
Ethel Sarah Ormrod- name on the grave, from Wendy was buried at All Hallows Church, Bispham, Lancashire. Wendy has seen the grave several times, but does not have a photo of it . Daughter Irene used to visit it every day on her walk back from school in the early 1920s . Gravestone Photographic Resource website has details of 33 graves & a 100 person records for this graveyard - yet she not on their records?- has the grave deteriorated- though Wendy could only have seen it 2006 at the earliest??
" May Lee Brownlee was his- HLO's - wardrobe mistress- or introduced as such- when Ethel was alive, but mummy-Doris 1912- always said she had her sights on Henry. He must have been very charismatic and attractive to women. I do believe he was very much in love with Ethel. She was an absolutely stunning looking woman. Apart from being a very good actress, she was also a fantastic seamstress , a talent my mum inherited. Apparently, according to my mum I inherited Henry's entrepreneurial drive and his organisational talent. He was never down for long, a great worker with amazing energy he'd pull himself up again. I also got 'his' lazy muscle in the left eye in the bargain." -Gaynor
Wendy also told me that HLO always told Irene 1916 that Ethel was the love of his life.
Did you know that HLO's life was saved twice by his pet dogs. When he played Bill Sykes in his production of Oliver Twist , on his way back to his lodgings with the nights theatre takings he was attacked and coshed, the bull dog who acted with him in the play caught the attacker by the ankle, the dog's jaw locked and unfortunately had to be destroyed, but granddad -HLO - survived. Another time when they lived in Bispham, nr. Blackpool, he owned a Labrador, every day Henry L would go to the beach to swim, taking the dog with him, one day he was stung very badly by jelly fish, he managed to get back to the beach, but no further, the dog ran all the way back to Bispham to raise the alert, Henry had to go into hospital. When he went bankrupt in 1902, my mum told me that the story was that he had lost all his stage props in a fire at Bispham town hall. They also at some time lived in a house called Rock Mount in Bispham, before my mother, Irene, was born, but later moved to a smaller cottage No 6 Church Lane Bispham, which is situated near All Hallows.. I forgot to tell you that I did find my grand mother Ethel's grave in All Hallows Church yard, Bispham. the name on the stone is Sara Ethel Ormrod- INCORRECT - Wendy |