Help - Scenic/Theatre Artists in 1840's

[jomcd967]

Thanks Yendis & Hanes,

I agree - too many Pitt's!!! A whole day wasted. Yendis I can't find the archives for the era? Must be doing something wrong. The other site you gave me all referred to Dibdin Pitt (the search seems to ignore the William) but I did order the one referencing William Pitt, Princess Theatre Melbourne - but am sure this will be William Jnr., the architect of the Princess. So needed a break - found this interview with Mosnar Yendis where the interviewer talks about tracking him down through his printer to the Tax Office?

 http://www.research-design.co.uk/find_article.php?find=&page=1&what=article&asImages=text&article=31950

I will keep an eye for him but he was definitely in London in 1903 when interview took place.

I'm sure you've found all the references to The Sidney Ransom that was a member of the London Theosophical Society. He wrote books about this subject (fits with being an author), was born in 1881, travelled extensively and married Josephine Maria Davies  - Jan/Mar 1907, Brentford, Vol 3a, p273. She was born 22 Mar 1879 in Australia & died in England in 1960. I think it would be worth ordering the marriage certificate as he sounds like a man who could have become involved in this sort of society & it would explain his absences on later censuses.

Let me know how you go and thank you (all) so much for your thoughts and ideas. I will find him somewhere, I'm sure. Maybe I need to hire a researcher in London? Anyway, the neglected family are clamouring for food, clean clothes and a bit of attention/affection (in that order!), so back to current life for today at least!

Best wishes, Jo   

[gracie23]

Hi Jo,
Have you seen this family tree on ant*sy?
Source citations are ants*y.com.au. It may be worth tracking down.

William Pitt  b. 1799  Wiltshire County, England, United Kingdom
Jane B. Giles b.1801  Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom (spouse, no marriage date)
Children:
William Pitt b. 1820  Sunderland, Durham, England.   d. 1879
Thomas Pitt b. 1826

1830 Second Marriage to Grace Amelia Seymor b. Kingston House, Dorset, England
Children: Ann Pitt b. 1831

For William Pitt (Jr.)   b.September 18, 1820:
Marriage to Jane Dixon in 1850 in Sunderland, Durham England
                                 d. 1879 Melbourne, Australia
Children:
William Pitt (Architect)  1855-1918
Alice Pitt  1857-1879
Richard Brinsley Pitt 1860-1929
Charles Pavey Pitt 1865-1944

Deb

[jomcd967]

Thanks Gracie,

That's my William and some of his children but so much else on there is unreliable, the problem with public trees. The father William is an ag lab in the 1841 census in Gloucester, which doesn't fit with what I (think) know of William's father. But I really appreciate you looking as I need a census in 41 or 51 showing someone named Pitt as an artist/painter/scenic artist/set designer??? Even working in a pub as William run several 'licensed' places in Australia (although his partner Jane came from a 'pub' family, so that could be more her influence. Also the marriage to Amelia Grace Seymour is to William Morton Pitt of Dorset.

Thank you though, all help is gratefully received!

Regards, Jo 

[gracie23]

Jo,
I think part of the problem is that I am not seeing many census records from Sunderland or Durham, on the 1841 or 1851 census. Is there anyway of finding out if these records are available or have been transcribed?
Deb

[yendis44]

Thanks Jo - dont spend too much time on my SLR only if in passing when searching for a Pitt you spot him. The Captain Sidney Ransom of the Theosophical is not him - I checked him some time ago. Wrong birthplace and no Lewis in his name. Also wrong parents.
The link to The ERA, I will go back and check it out - its probably my fault for forgetting something!
Thanks for your interest.
Yendis44

[maidmarianoops]

1871

William Pitt
 52  Born 1819 
  Head
 Profession Artist  Birth parish Birmingham  Parish Paddington 
  St Leonards Terrace 7  District: Rg10-011  Kensington
wife janetta 45
eugene fowler niece



=====================
 London 1881



 Pitt William 62    HeadArtist Painter  Birmingham  6 Cantelowes Road St Pancras, Middlesex         
  Pitt Jeanetta 55      Wife   Worcestershire                            "
  Fowler Eugine A    22   Niece   Birmingham, -                         "     
  Coleman Maria     18 Domestic  London  6 Cantelowes Road   


any help
sylvia

[jomcd967]

Thanks Deb & Sylvia,

The Birmingham Pitt family aren't mine - William in Australia from 1853 onwards. I'm not sure about what records are available for Durham, I will have to look into that. I thought he might be there in 51, in time to meet Jane, but thought he was more likely in London in 41. Maybe he is one of the areas missing in 51, or out of the country??? I have now started hunting ALL records of BMD that show an occupation for Pitt/Pitts - even a sibling showing father as an artist would be brilliant at this stage, unfortunately - nothing, except very sore eyes and very annoyed family!

But thank you both so much, I will keep at it and (fingers crossed) hopefully something will turn up. I have no other ideas at the moment.

Cheers, Jo 

[apfin]

The Bookplate Society (www.bookplatesociety.org) is preparing for publication in The Bookplate Journal a review of a paperback book by Roger Jones (2nd edition, 2016) that illustrates (based on what is probably SLR's personal archive, now in Jones's ownership) 29 bookplates designed by SLR for fellow actors. Secondly, we plan to include a short biography of SLR (1876-1933), artist, author, playwright, and actor. This has been largely drafted, but it would be helpful if any relative (especially yendis44) could please now contact the Hon Treasurer and Membership Secretary (click on Contact us at top right of Society's webpage). A photo of SLR can be viewed online in the "The Stage Year Book 1913" at https://archive.org/stream/stageyearbook1913londuoft#page/n71/mode/2up but we would hope to find more material at the Victoria & Albert Museum's Theatre and Performance Archive at Blythe House. The link posted by jomcd967 would appear not to work, and it would be most helpful to receive a valid link to, or a copy of, the Mosnar Yendis interview.

[sarah]

Welcome to RootsChat Apfin, hopefully Jo will reply soon

Regards

Sarah