Actress/dramatist Gertrude L. Robins (abt. 1880-1917) - looking for birth date

[guvoko]

All,

@Arevans777: Great!!! I just got this article from someone else in this forum as well, as a link via PM, and from another co-researcher per email. Yes, it would be too much of a coincidence if both Gertrude Louisa Robins' would have taken Honors in Modern Languages at Oxford, in addition to all the things we already knew "they" had in common. I agree, it must be ONE person. Would anybody object, at this point? Still this "Irish father" story remains a mistery, possibly it can not be solved... btw., would you mind emailing me a copy of the will?

@Spidermonkey: thanks for the obituary! I will forward it to my co-researchers. Quite strange that her year of birth is not mentioned (I think).

@BarbaraH: so far I did not come across Gertrude Minnie Robins, if she is related to "our" Robins my co-researchers might have more info, I believe they now all follow the discussions here and will let us know.

If someone comes across additional information on GLR (outside of the present Google results), please let us know...

Thanks to everybody who helped, this forum is really wonderful! 

Greetings from Holland,
Gudrun

[arevans777]

Gudrun, credit goes to you and the person who PM'ed the link.

My theory on the "Irish" factor is that she "wanted" to be Irish because of her association with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, not least her connection to Lillah McCarthy (wife of Granville Barker), her friend and mentor. And because it has a veneer of truth, given that her paternal grandmother is a Reardon.  But her father certainly was not "pure Irish" unless there is something major we don't know!

I have pretty much lucked out on researching Elizabeth Reardon's parentage, though. Her marriage cert says her father was John Reardon, a dyer.  But that is the only verified info I have. I have my best guesses on Ancestry, but it is all quite speculative.

[beatrice834]

Hi everyone!  I have been following the interchange of information on GLR with great interest, having lately joined with the Robins family to validate the connection between their Gertrude and the Gertrude whom I had researched as wife of the artist Charles Edwin Dawson.  It was Antony's query to me on ancestry which alerted the family to the possibility that "my" actress and writer was also theirs.  I was researching on behalf of a friend whose interest was Charles, but she has gathered all kinds of information about his wife, including theatre programmes etc., as well as immense detail on Charles himself.
My friend does not have a computer, but would be happy to share through me and my computer  information further to the research we have already given to the family.
Once again rootschat has triumphed: it is a fantastic resource which has often helped me when I have "hit the wall"!

[Spidermonkey]

Well done guys!  I'm so pleased that you have been able to sort out your Gertrude tangle!  Christopher T Robins family sounds so interesting - there are some archives on the national archives website that relate to some of his business dealings.

Let us know if there are any other bits to sort out - it is so nice to have a 'juicy' family to hunt!

[guvoko]

Hello! Once again I would like to thank all of you  .

After going through all the material again I am wondering if it might be possible to find her grave or at least the cemetery where she has been buried.

The - again slightly contradictive - information we have is:

1. She died 24 December 1917 at Shotter Mill, Surrey (Probate Calendar).
2. She died 24 December 1917 Ridge End, Linchmere R.D., registration district Midhurst, Subdistrict Fernhurst, West Sussex (from a certified copy of an entry of death).
3. Both places seem to be very close to each other.
4. She died of tuberculosis.
5. Her last address was 46 Berner's street Middlesex (Probate Calendar).
6. On August 25 1917 she lived 17 John St. Adelphi, London (will).
7. Her religion is unknown, she was baptized Lutheran.
8. There are death records from St. Stephens Church Shotter Mill online, but she is not listed (http://www.shottermillparish.org.uk/burial%20details.pdf)
9. The website of this church mentions tuberculosis victims and patients of Holy Cross Hospital in Haslemere from 1917 on (http://www.shottermillparish.org.uk/burials.html).
10. She might have been buried under "Gertrude Robins", "Gertrude Louisa Robins" or "Gertrude Dawson".

Does anybody have a suggestion where to start?

Spidermonkey, thank you also for your hint on Christoper T. Robins material in archives, I will check with his grandson if he is aware of this.

With kind regards,

Gudrun

[beatrice834]

Gertrude Dawson (sic) who died at Ridge End, Linchmere, on 24 December 1917, was cremated at Woking Crematorium on 31 December 1917, Applicant Charles Dawson, Savage Club, London, ashes dispersed area Byron South, Woking Crematorium.

I have a rather blurred photograph of the confirming letter from the Crematorium, but could get the letter scanned in the next few weeks if anyone would like this.  I cannot read the Cremation Reference Number in the photograph, but we checked this out some time ago in the research on Charles Dawon.   

Gail

[guvoko]

Hello, Gail! Yes, it would be great to have a copy of this letter. Of course I was hoping for a nice headstone somewhere... a pitty. Am wondering, would a crematorium (after so many years) have any records with a birth date of a deceased person? Not that I still have serious doubts, but I think it would be nice to have...

Greetings,
Gudrun