A number of alliances between actresses and peers of the realm took place or were current in the Edwardian era, almost all of them in the face of tremendous opposition from the families of the noblemen involved. Often, the young peers were ostracised by their families, and those that did not yet have independent incomes were often deprived of their allowances so that their new wives had to carry on working to support them.
It might have been expected under such circumstances that many of these marriages might have come to a swift and unhappy ending. In fact, however, the opposite seems to have been very much the norm. In many instances these marriages seem to have turned the men involved from indolent idlers to productive and respected members of their social class, and the actresses initially seen as pariahs were frequently elevated to become the darlings of their new families.
Reproduced below are two period articles discussing the successes of these high profile marriages.
THE FREDERICK POST - FREDERICK, MARYLAND - 15th Aug, 1913
MOST MARRIAGES OF ENGLISH PEERS WITH ACTRESSES HAPPY
Instances of Unhappy Alliances of This Sort Are Exceedingly Rare
LONDON, Aug 14 - How to be happy though married to a peer. It sounds a good deal harder than it really is.
Despite the popular notion to the contrary, the life stories of a long line of English peeress-actresses, dating almost from the time womeu first appeared before the footlights, show that it isn't a problem after all. In fact, the instances of unhappy alliances between the nobility and the stage have been so rare as to have caused considerable speculation recently how the idea originated that such unions necessarily mean social ostracism for the wife among her husband's friends.
When the young Marquis of Northampton jilted Daisy Markham, of the "Glad Eye," he gave two reasons: that his father — then near to death — had extracted from him a solemn promise that he would never marry the girl, and other that he was throwing her over for her own good.
"The ways of the world are hard," he wrote. "You don't know how these so-called ladies would treat you. I could not bear to see you suffering." The jurymen in giving the little actress an unprecedented heart balm of one-fourth million dollars evidently didn't regard either reason as valid, but probably they didn't know at the time that practically all the weight of historical evidence was against the boycott theory — or they might have made it a million.
First One Won a Place
The very first actress to marry into the English nobility was able to conquer the new world in which she found herself, and that at a period when actors generally were regarded as little better than vagabonds and only fifty years after women began to be employed on the stage. True, it took Lord Peterborough thirteen years to summon sufficient nerve to announce his secret marriage with Anastasia Robinson, but the "so-called ladies" of that day then promptly received the actress wife. The Duchess of Portland referred to her as "a very dear friend, which is Lady Peterborough," and such other testimony as is available indicates that she was held in genuine esteem by all women of her husband's aristocratic circle.
Lady Wortley Montague wrote concerning Lavinia Fenton, who in 1751 became the wife of the Duke of Bolton: "Though she was regarded in an alehouse, she finds the way to esteem, whereas the late duchess, although crammed with virtue and good qualities, was despised by her husband and laughed at by the public."
Many Have Had Success
When the twelfth Earl of Denby married Eliza Farren six weeks after her farewell appearance as Lady Teazle at Drury Lane Theater, she was presented at court where she was received with marked favor by royalty, a hint which society generally was quick to act upon. Another early marriages of actresses and peers which resulted happilly were those of Louise Brunton and the Earl of Craven; Mary Bolton who became Lady Thurlow; and Kitty Stephens, who married the Earl of Essex. Frances Braham, after her marriage with Earl Waldegrave, became a leader of society, and Harriet Meilon of Drury Lane was admired universally and respected as the Duchess of St. Albans.
Present day evidence is none the less convincing. Baroness de Clifford, once the beautiful Eva Carrington, was thoroughly happy until her husband's death. Camille Clifford, the "Gibson Girl." who married the Hon. Henry Lyndhurst Bruce, and who will therefore someday be Lady Aberdare, has made good in London society. Rosie Boote, formerly a great favourite on the English stage, is now the Marchioness of Headfort, one of the most popular of the "grand ladies" of Ireland. Twenty-four years ago the Earl of Clancarty made a bet with some friends on the street that he would marry the first girl he met. Belle Bilton, then appearing at the Oxford Music Hall, happened to be the one. He proposed at once and later was accepted. The earl's family was furious and insisted that he divorce her, even going to the extent of trying to compromise her. But Clancarty refused. The unconventional match proved to be a happy one for both, and before Belle's death the earl had the satisfaction of seeing her accepted by society generally.
Among other notable stage and peerage romances of recent years, all of which have culminated in singularly happy unions, were those of the Earl of Poulett and Sylvia Storey; Denise Orme, now Lady Churston; Frances Donnelly and Lord Ashburton; Estelle Berridge, who became Lady Clopmell, and Connie Gilchrist, who married the seventh earl of Orkney. "I have found it roses all the way," said the Countess of Orkney to a friend the other day."
Depends Entirely Upon The Actress
"I believe the 'so-called ladies' will make a place for any actress who marries into their own class, if she has a gentle heart," said Lady Muir-Mackenzie — one of the "so-called" — in an interview growing out of the Northampton affair. "Those who take the view that class hatred is a real thing have perhaps not noticed that change of thought that has taken place among English women of the upper classes. The best among them no longer admire the do nothings and eat-alls, either among men or women. It is those who can write, or speak, or act that are sought after by society in these days."
Primary Sources: As indicated plus various other period neswpapers and journals.
Articles Index Home