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Note: 5th July 2008 - Found interview in THE ERA dated 13 April 1895
with NELLIE L' ESTRANGE she started in Dublin and also appeared
in 1877, therefore SHE CANNOT BE NELLY McALLUM
Sep 05
Nothing is known about Nelly. It is not known when and where she was born or where and when she died. She does not (seemingly) appear in any census. There are so many questions. We know she had 3 children (Charles, Violet and Hilda) by Ellick Frederick Charles Blake, but they were not married. The 1891 census does not show Nelly at 11 Engineer Road Woolwich, where Violet was born. In 1894 she was at Stevens Cottages, Barnfield Road Plumstead where Hilda was born. I have the birth certificates of Violet and Hilda, at present there is no certificate for Charles.
1891 census shows a Leonora Blake age 23, born India, with son Charles age 3 and daughter Helena age 7 months, (visitors) at the home of George and Florence Reid in Ramsgate, their father was in lodgings in Woolwich.
(1901 Charles is shown as visitor with same people). is Leonora Nelly? is Florence the sister of Nelly?
(I obtained a death certificate for a Leonora Blake who died 1 January 1908 aged 42. Her mother, E. Matthews, was the informant. The certificate shows Leonora was the widow of a Charles Blake. a blacksmith's labourer. Did her mother try to give her some respectability in death by saying she was a widow. Ellick Blake was sometimes known as Charles and his father had been a blacksmith. I do not know if Leonora was Nelly)
1901 census shows Violet and her sister Hilda in Margate with their aunt Harriett Egan.
We know Nelly was still alive in 1899 as Ellick's wife Matilda was told that he was seen giving money to a woman outside the factory gates and she had 2 young children with her - Violet and Hilda? (info from Fred Millard - grandson of Ellick Blake and Matilda Godfrey, who lived with him for many years)
Chatfield's mother (Nelly's granddaughter) remembers she was a well known singer and entertainer,or chorus girl. ( I wrote to the �Water Rats� who passed me the name of the historian of the British Music Hall Society who unfortunately could not help me. I do not know the stage name, so it is difficult to know where to look.) and that she was born in India. Does that fit in with the fact my grandmother Violet Blake, named her father as Newton McAllum tea planter, and also had him as deceased on her marriage certificate; it is ironic that the Chatfield's grandfather also listed his father, Ellick, as deceased
My grandmother, Violet, was born at 11 Engineer Road Woolwich. I contacted the Greenwich Heritage Centre with details as I wondered if I could ascertain who was living there at the time of the 1891 Census. They replied saying there was a family called McMullen at that address in 1893. The 1891 and the 1901 Census showed there were William and Mary McMullen and children living there. I then searched for an Ellen (another name for Nelly) McMullen and found such a person aged 24 who was a domestic servant at the Barracks. I wondered if she could have been William�s sister. That requires more research.
16 Oct 05
obtained birth cert of Gladys Nelly Hurst McAllum (Sutton) witness to Violet McAllum (Blake) marriage to John Little. Confirms Nelly as mother but no father. gives the address as 42 Marine Terrace, Margate. and she was a barmaid. Gladys was born in Winifred House, Islington. The Chatfield's mother also remembers her father staying with his Aunt Gladys in Margate. 'Gladys' is one of her names.
Jan 2006
a Gladys Grey appears in the 1891 census as niece at home of George and Florence Reid (see above), a Gladys P Egan also appears as niece at home of Harriett P Egan in 1901. Is this Gladys McAllum - the age is right.
@@ May 2006, we now have to find a link between Nelly, Florence Reid (or Reed) and Harriett Egan.
Oct 2006
Have found Nelly L. Strange on a playbill appearing with Vesta Tilley. Input the latter into google and found a few playbills with Nelly. She is Nelly/Nellie L'Estrange. She seems to have been on the stage between the years 1877 - 1891. In June 2006 a music sheet of hers was sold on E-bay. According to the person who purchased it she was married to John Cooke jnr, the composer. Have looked www.1837online.co.uk marriages 1880 - 1884.
Dec 06
From marriage certificate of Newton McAllum and Ellen Ann Tait and the death certificate of Ellen have ascertained that Florence Reid and Harriette Egan were sisters to Ellen Tate.
Jan 09 1911 Census Leonora Blake appears as widow at home of Thomas
and Ada Sullivan, charing. 155 Powis Street, Woolwich
ut maybe your local reference library has one. My attached Help Sheet may also suggest fruitful areas of research.
Mar 2008
email from Michael Kilgarrif
Nellie was indeed married to the song-writer John Cooke. He was b. c.1860 and d. 22 Nov 1900 in Brighton. There's an obit for him in The Era 24 Nov 1900 p14 col 2 which might tell you more about her (I found this ionformation in George B Bryan's Stage Deaths). But I can't find her dates. In JP Wearing's American and English Theatrical Biography she is, oddly, listed as 'singer actress' and has a portrait listed in Lillian Arvilla Hall's 'Catalogue of Dramatic Portraits in the Theatre Collection of the Harvard College Library', published in 4 vols by Harvard University Press 1930-34. Perhaps after she was widowed she worked in the US for a time.There is a copy in the library of the V&A, the BL and the Bodleian in Oxford, bSep 07 appears on 1881 Census at a girls' boarding school in Margate.
I am having to assume it is her. Hers is the only name not listed but all initials, the first could be an L for Leonora. By 1881 both her parents were dead.
My website shows her repertoire to include the following songs: Ask Any Working Man, The Harem, Petticoat Rule, You Can't Lose Me Charlie and my book Sing Us One of the Old Songs list the following under her name (the ones marked * were written or part- written by her husband):
From Thomas Cummings GR 10/1/2006
Hi Stella, saw your message on TTF board and decided to have a trawl for your family.
First off, there is no trace in 191 or any other census of Nelly S F McAllum,I've tried all
the combinations I could think of,but no joy!
However the children in 1901 were at 2 addresses in Ramsgate and Margate, the 3 girls
Gladys, Violet and Hilda were staying at St Marys Cottage,Margate, as the niece's of
Harriett P Egan.
Harriett P Egan 56 Wid living on own means Cambridge
Gladys P Egan 17 S niece Cambridge
Violet Blake 9 niece Woolwich
Hilda Blake 6 niece Woolwich
"Llanelly" Newington Rd, Ramsgate. George Reid 49 M retired army officer Tormay ? Ireland
Florence M Reid 48 M Cambridge
Charles Blake 13 visitor schoolboy Woolwich,London
From this I backtracked to 1891 and found in Ramsgate,26 Leopold St.
George Reid 39 M living on own means London
Florence Reid 38 M Cambridge
Leonora Blake 23 M visitor India, Upper Assam
Gladys Grey 7 niece London
Charles Blake 3 son of visitor Kent,Woolwich
Helena Blake 7 months dau of visitor Kent,Woolwich
Gladys seems prone to change surnames but I am sure this is the same family as in 1901.
Helena seems to have perished between 1891 and 1901 though I can't find a death reg, nor any
birth!
I would guess the connection is on the female side,possibly Harriett and Florence
being sisters of Nelly S F ( Leonora ) ? Would love to hear your thoughts on this and any other info you may have,
I just love a mystery!! Best Regards Tony
PS if you'd like the census images,mail me your email address.
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