Looking for Rose Morris

[reklaw]

One of my ancestors was Rose Morris, an opera singer who performed with Sadlers Wells and the Old Vic in a number of productions during the period of roughly 1920-1946, afterwards she dissapears from history. Her family lived in Southwark from rougly 1800 onwards and I do have photograhs of her and her name appears in a number of theatre programs from that era. I have contacted the Sadlers Wells/old Vic archives and they can only really confirm that she existed but not what happened to her. I Had a few possible hits on her birth certificate but none panned out.

I am trying to find out more about her to fill in the gaps and if anybody could assist I would be very grateful. The questions I am asking is when/where was she born, would she have had a stage name or have used her real name? And, how did you get into theatre from an obviously not very well to do household and where would she have trained? And finally, what happened to her.

[ChristineR]

If Rose's father was Edmund S. Morris, then she died November 11th 1949.

There is a death notice in The Times, Monday, Nov 14, 1949; pg. 1; Issue 51538; col A

Rose Morris.
Interred privately at Tonbridge Wells.

Christine

[reklaw]

Sorry, I should have added in the family at least. Father was William John Morris, mother was Emily Morris (nee Mott). The family lived in Park Street Southwark.

Siblings and DOB of same were
Grace Helen Morris (1886 Westham)
Edith Mary Morris (1889 Westham)
Katie Elsie Morris (1893 Westham)
Florence Lillian (1894 Westham)
Jessie Miriam (1897 Westham)
Alfred John (1898, possibly St Olave)
Gladys Winifred (1901 St Olave)

I did call up the following: Rose Lillian Southwark 1d 49 1901 Q4
Rose Westham 1904 Q1 4a 335
Rose Southwark 1d 99 Q4 1904
But none of them panned out as the parents were all wrong.

[reklaw]

Performances:
Magic Flute, The Old Vic, London 1922-1923 conducted by Charles Corri Collection
Marriage of Figaro, The New Oxford Theatre, London 1923-1924
Rigoletto Old Vic, London 1924-1925
As You Like It Old Vic, London 1925-1926
Mignon Old Vic, London 1925-1926
Magic Flute, The Old Vic, London 1925-1926
Madame Butterfly Old Vic, London 1926-1927
Rigoletto Old Vic, London 1926-1927
Marriage of Figaro, The Old Vic, London 1926-1927
Daughter of the Regiment, The Old Vic, London 1926-1927
Aida Old Vic, London 1926-1927
Maritana Old Vic, London 1926-1927
Marriage of Figaro, The Old Vic, London 1927-1928
Carmen Old Vic, London 1927-1928
Rigoletto Old Vic, London 1927-1928
Tannhauser Old Vic, London 1928-1929
Hansel and Gretel Old Vic, London 1928-1929
Marriage of Figaro, The Old Vic, London 1929-1930
Force of Destiny, The Old Vic, London 1929-1930
Shakespeare Birthday Festival Old Vic, London 1929-1930
Magic Flute, The Old Vic, London 1929-1930
Faust Old Vic, London 1930-1931
Marriage of Figaro, The Old Vic, London 1930-1931
Hansel and Gretel Old Vic, London 1930-1931
Tannhauser Old Vic, London 1930-1931
La Tosca Old Vic, London 1930-1931
Aida Old Vic, London 1931-1932
Faust Old Vic, London 1931-1932
Marriage of Figaro, The Old Vic, London 1931-1932
Tales of Hoffman, The Old Vic, London 1931-1932
The Old Vic, London 1932-1933
Snow Maiden, The Old Vic, London 1932-1933
Tannhauser Sadler's Wells, London 1933-1934
Marriage of Figaro, The Old Vic, London 1933-1934
Macbeth - Opera Old Vic, London 1933-1934
Marriage of Figaro, The Sadler's Wells, London 1933-1934
Snow Maiden, The Sadler's Wells, London 1934-1935
Travelling Companion, The Sadler's Wells, London 1934-1935
Marriage of Figaro, The Sadler's Wells, London 1934-1935
Hansel and Gretel Old Vic, London 1934-1935 preceded by 'Uncle Remus'
now Maiden, The Old Vic, London 1935-1936
Madame Butterfly Old Vic, London 1935-1936
Faust Sadler's Wells, London 1937-1938
Beggar's Opera, The New Theatre, London 1940-1941
Madame Butterfly New Theatre, London 1941-1942
Peer Gynt New Theatre, London 1944-1945 Old Vic Company

also found: b5f338"Celestial Voices" by Rose Morris; F.B. Haviland (New York) -

[ET in the USA]

This originally caught my eye, but I don't see how she could have been born in 1862 and still preforming in 1945 at about 83 years old ! (Unless maybe she was the old lady parts then).

Any chance she was married (or said she was) in 1881 and had a 3 month old daughter ?

Household:

Name RelationMarital StatusGenderAgeBirthplaceOccupationDisability
(Mr) TRANSFIELD Lodger (Head) M Male 53 Actor Troup Of Actors And Actresses
(Mrs) TRANSFIELD Wife M Female 52 Troop Of Actors & Actresses
Tom TRANSFIELD Son U Male 22 Troop Of Actors & Actresses
Alice TRANSFIELD Daur U Female 20 Troop Of Actors & Actresses
Troy TRANSFIELD Son Male 11 Troop Of Actors & Actresses
Florence TRANSFIELD Daur Female 14 Troop Of Actors & Actresses
Rose MORRIS Lodger M Female 19 Troop Of Actors & Actresses
Martha MORRIS Daur Female 3 m Troop Of Actors & Actresses
Mary GOUGH Lodger Female 12 Troop Of Actors & Actresses

Source Information:
Dwelling 21 Victoria Crest
Census PlaceSt Woollos, Monmouth, Wales
Family History Library Film 1342267
Public Records Office Reference RG11 Piece / Folio 5266 / 9 Page Number 13

[ET in the USA]

If you think it possible that she was born that early, here is a birth around that time
Births Jun 1861 Morris Rosina W Ham 4a32

OOps , looks like we just lost the patient ..

Deaths Jun 1870 Morris Rosina 9 W. Ham 4a50

[reklaw]

From the photographs I have of her, and the productions she acted in I suspect she was either born late 1890's or early 1900's. She looked very young in a pic which was taken about 1949. I always wondered if she didnt use Rose Morris as a stage name. But there is no real way to know unless the census form 1911 comes out in my lifetime. Thanks to all that have been peering at their records so far. Who knows, we may get lucky.

[reklaw]

Thanks to Marks good work we know a bit more about Rose. She was born Ivy Rose Morris in Southwark in September 1902 (Southwark vol 1d page 12). She also had additional siblings who we didnt know about until the 1911 census. Namely Doris Jennie Morris (born Dec 1907), Robert Charles Morris (born march 1909), and Margery (sic) Phyllis Morris. (born March 1910) If anybody could shed any more light.. we would be grateful.