TEMPLEMAN LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF KENT AT CANTERBURY

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS : THEATRE COLLECTIONS

Melville Collection

The Melville Family Tree

GEORGE MELVILLE ROBBINS (1824-1898)

Married Jane Beckett Chase (1836-1902), the daughter of a schoolmaster John Chase, April 2nd, 1864, at St.Pancras Church. The witnesses were George U.B.Chase and M. Buckeridge.
They had lived together as man and wife for several years before this and already had 5 children living. A baby girl had been born dead?, the previous December? (See UKC/MEL/BIO/GEO for biographical details etc.)

The eldest child was Andrew, born July 4th 1853, at 65 Union Street, Cardiff.He only lived until 1896.Details of his will and that of his wife can be found at UKC/MEL/BIO/A I/6 : 0599977

Next came Jessie born in 1857?, who married first a man called Hopkins, by whom she had 2 boys and a girl called May, and then James Martin Rutter by whom she had 3 girls, Jessie, Sybil and Florence.
In 1859 Alice was born. she lived until 1931.
Next came Clara, in 1861. She lived until 1874
The next child was given his father's name George. He was born in 1863. He married Elizabeth, and they had 4 children. SEE B for this branch of the family.
After the death of the little girl born in December 1863, the next child was the first born in wedlock: Henry, or Harry known as Douglas Bruce. He was born in 1865. He married Martha Phillips, who lived until 1937. She was a niece of Jack Harvey.
Hubert was born in 1867.He wrote "Theatrical Memories" principally concerned with George and Andrew I. It is not known when he died.
Next came an unnamed girl in January 1868, presumably not surviving.
Florence, the last child who survived infancy was born in 1869. She married Percy Shuttlewood, and they had four children: Jessie who died in 1977, Sara who died in 1895, Lucy and Percy, who died in 1956. Florence died in 1931.
UKC/MEL/PHO/FAM : 600683: photograph of Jessie and Lucy.

ANDREW MELVILLE ROBBINS (1853-1896)

In 1869 Andrew was living at 25, Singleton Street, Swansea. At 4, Singleton Street lived Alice Jane Bullock, four years his senior having been born in 1849. They married on February 19th, 1871, at St. James Church, Swansea, at first living at no. 25, and then moving to Cornhill Cottage, Singleton Street (or Christana Christina? Street as it is now called) in 1873.

Their first child Edith, was born on December 6th 1873, at Cornhill Cottage. She took the name Edith Millicent as her stage name.
She appeared as Cinderella at the New Theatre, Swansea in December 1892, and was Principal Girl in "Sinbad the Sailor" and "Dick Whittington" at the Standard Theatre, Swansea? in the 1897/98, and 1898/99 seasons respectively. In about 1897 she had married. Her husband, Dr. A. E. Lathbury was a specialist in Radiology, and they lived at Calthorpe? House, Eastbourne, divorcing in about 1897. She died on September 24th, 1935, aged 62 at "Woodcot", Beach Road, Shorham-by-Sea, and is buried in Hove Cemetery.

Their second child Walter was born on February 8th, 1875 at Cornhill Cottage.SEE D for details of his family.

The third child Tom, born in 1876, died at birth.

Frederick was born on 3rd January 1877.He sometimes used the stage name Louis Mervin. He married an actress called Jane Eyre and they had 2 daughters: June, (1915-1970) who married John Le Mesurier, and then Tom Godsil; Sheila (1918-?) who married Gordon Abel and had 2 sons Richard and Nicholas. Frederick died in 1938.

The 2nd girl's name was Mabel. She only lived until 1884, dying at the age of 5.
Next in May 1879 came Kate, who used the name Kate Walfred as her stage name. In 1908 she married Herbert Leonard Podmore. Before her death her husband "fled" to Australia She died in 1910 at "dreadful digs" off the Calidonia Road, London N.1. in poverty at the age of 31.

Minnie was born on February 13th, 1881. She used the name Waller on the stage. She married Henry Richard Pigeon (known as "Dick"), a barrister in Marshall Hall's Chambers, at All Saints Church, Highgate on July 18th, 1910.She lived to be 90, dying in 1971.
In 1882, on March 18th Andrew was born. For his family SEE F

Josephine was born on September 21st?, 1883, but only lived until 1885.
Beatrice, was the first child to be born in Perry Barr, Birmingham, at Calthrope House, 211 Birchfield Road. Beatrice married Vernon Lucas, and then J. Gilman. She had a daughter called Verity. Beatrice died in 1969.

John, known as Jack, was also born at Calthrope House on February 2nd, 1888. He was known as Jack Emm on the stage, but only played small parts , helping out at the Standard Theatre, Swansea?, as a "Glorified" Office-Boy to his brothers Walter and Fred. He died aged 20 in a nursing home at Edgleigh? Gardens near Amhurst? Park

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(Last updated 1st July '99)