Louisa Isabel Dillon

[Sandeea]

It seems to me that my Louisa was not the one that travelled to the USA. It seemed to all fit so nicely with Agnes, however, I didn't check thoroughly enough ! I usually check and double check but this time, I slipped up. I'm going to review Louisa's whole
record and make sure all the entries are as correct as they can be.
Thank you all for your contributions.
Sandeea

[geneius]

I didn't check thoroughly enough ! I usually check and double check but this time, I slipped up

Do not be that harsh on yourself!

As a late poster I couldn't understand the married aunt being a spinster!

Must admit I am starting to warm to the actress, but am I trying to make the bits of the jigsaw fit?

[Sandeea]

Thank you for your reply. I will get back to you once I've delved into as much detail as I can find.

[MattMiall]

Hello,

'Louisa Isabel Dillon' was Baptised on 27th June 1880 at St John the Evangelist, Kilburn, London, W10. Her parents were William & Elizabeth Dillon, and in her baptismal record William Dillon, her father, was recorded as a 'Gas Inspector' living at '107 Pembroke Road'.

In the 1881 England Census, carried out on 3rd April, a 'Louisa [?] Dillon', aged '11' months, is living on 'Pembroke Road' at '107' in the 'Civil Parish of Willesden' and, according to the 'Willesden: Settlement and growth' pages in British History Online (https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vc...vol7/pp182-204), Pembroke Road, in 'Kilburn Park', is now Granville Road, NW6, just below 'Alexandra Road' which is now Princess Road. In this record 'William T Dillon' is an 'Assistant Gas Inspector', aged '30', and living with, besides 'Louisa [?] Dillon', Elizabeth Dillon, his wife, aged 28, and Robert H Dillon, his son, aged 2. - William T Dillon was born in 'Scotland'.

According to a '1939 England and Wales Register', dated 13th October, there is an 'Isabelle Louise Dillon', living at 'Blacksmith's Lane, Virginia Cott.' in 'Staines Middlesex', who is a 'Retired Theatrical Artister', 'Divorced', and born on '1st May' 1880. But, unfortunately, this record does not specify where she was born.

In the 1901 England Census, carried out on 1st April, there is an 'Isabella Dillon', aged '20', living as a 'Boarder' in 'Cheshire', and was born in 'Kilburn London', whose Profession or Occupation was an 'Actress'. And, according to the 1911 England Census, carried on 3rd April, there is, again, an 'Isabelle Dillon', aged '30', living at '20 West Kensington Mansions', Fulham, London, and was born in 'Kilburn London', and whose Personal Occupation was as an 'Actress'.

The father of Louisa Isabel Dillon/Isabelle Dillon/Isabella Dillon/Isabel Dillon appears to be 'William Thomas Dillon' who married 'Elizabeth Cooke' on 4th February 1878. On his marriage record, William Thomas Dillon was living at 'St. John's Kilburn', and his Rank or Profession was as a 'Gas Fitter'. The father of this William Thomas Dillon was 'Robert Hay Dillon', who had attended the wedding, and it does seem that this William later named his own son, born c. 1879, after his father, born on 29th October 1832. - This Robert Hay Dillon, born in 1832, appears to be the grandfather of Louisa Isabel Dillon, is the brother of one of my great-great grandfathers, Linn Dillon, born on 11th August 1824 in Glasgow, Baptised in the Gorbals Parish Church, Carlton Place, Glasgow, on 29th August 1824.

The father of both Linn Dillon and Robert Hay Dillon, thus the great grandfather of Louisa Isabel Dillon, was a William Dillon who married an Elizabeth Strathie on 12 November 1821 in Gorbals in Glasgow. - I have been unable to find out if this William Dillon is related to a John Dillon who was a Sheriff Substitute for Glasgow in the early 19th century.

---So could 'Isabel Dillon (born 1881), Actress and singer', in London's National Portrait Gallery, be the one and the same Louisa Isabel Dillon, daughter of William Thomas Dillon and Elizabeth Cooke? - As so very often, if the birthday date is AFTER the date that a Census is carried out, it would be customary, say, to record Isabel's birth-year as being 1881 when she was, indeed, 20 in April 1901, or 30 in April 1911, soon becoming 21 in May 1901, and 31 in May 1911. Also Actors and Actresses often play around with their names so as to give themselves 'Stage' names, and that maybe the case with Louisa Isabel Dillon, who chose her middle name, and then occasionally made it French sounding, as in Isabelle, or Isabella.---Could she be the Isabel Dillon mentioned here: https://www.
imdb.com/name/nm2782202/ ?

Best Wishes,
MattMiall.

[Sandeea]

Thank you for your message. It is extremely interesting and I will look into it further and come back to you later. It certainly was a nice surprise to get this message after all this time.
Best Wishes,
Sandeea

[MattMiall]

Hello Sandeea,
---In my message sent yesterday (4th) unfortunately I had sent you the wrong link at the very bottom/end of that message, which concerns an Elizabeth Dillon. The link I should have sent was
https://www.
broadwayworld.com/shows/cast.php?showid=6966
which concerns an 'Isabel Dillon' playing the character 'Heart's Desire' in 'The Rose of Persia', by Basil Hood-Arthur Sullivan, at the Daly's Theatre, Broadway, New York, between 6th September 1900 - 29th September 1900.
'The Rose of Persia' is a comic opera in two acts, and the character 'Heart's Desire' opens Act II with the song 'Oh, What is love?' which can be found on YouTube here:
https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=yMRfJKbKOb8 beginning from 9:07 into the video,
and here: https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=vGrFNlEXwMg

---Tomorrow is the 6th September 2020, so did Louisa Isabel Dillon, born in Kilburn, London, sing on Broadway exactly 120 years ago from the 6th September 1900?
Best Wishes,
MattMiall.

[Sandeea]

Hi Matt.....thank you for forwarding the correct link. Unfortunately, I was a bit busy yesterday with organising my contribution to Father's Day today (in Australia)and this being by coincidence the 6th September too. The family are getting together at elder daughter's house soon for brunch so today I will not be able to do much in the way of looking at the sites you have advised about. However, I am extremely interested in checking all this out and quite excited about it. My family know how keen I am on finding everything I can about my ancestral background and soon as I find new information they are soon receiving emails with photos or documented evidence etc. I will be back as soon as I can once I check everything out.
Thank you.
Sandeea

[Sandeea]

Matt..

Just a quick message... Louisa Isabel Dillon's brother, Robert Hay Dillon aged 59 years died in Virginia Cottage, Laleham, Surrey in 1938 (4th qtr), Vol.1b, Page 9. Could this be the same Virginia Cottage you have mentioned where Isabelle Louise Dillon was living in 1939?

Louisa Isabel Dillon's grandmother was a 'Louisa'. I share a birth date (day/month) with Louisa Isabel Dillon. I am a first cousin, twice removed.
Sandeea

[Pam Downes]

Matt..

Just a quick message... Louisa Isabel Dillon's brother, Robert Hay Dillon aged 59 years died in Virginia Cottage, Laleham, Surrey in 1938 (4th qtr), Vol.1b, Page 9. Could this be the same Virginia Cottage you have mentioned where Isabelle Louise Dillon was living in 1939?

Louisa Isabel Dillon's grandmother was a 'Louisa'. I share a birth date (day/month) with Louisa Isabel Dillon. I am a first cousin, twice removed.
Sandeea

Yes, it will be. The correct address of the cottage in 1939 is Virginia Cottage, Blacksmith's Lane, Laleham, which is in Staines U.D. If I remember correctly U.D. is Urban District.

I looked to see if Robert left a will but there doesn't seem to be anything in the probate calendar for 1838-1941.
However, when I checked the calendar for Louisa, beside her name it said 'see Homewood'. Quick flick to Homewood, where it says 'Homewood, or Dillon Isabelle Louise, of Laleham Abbey, Laleham, Staines, died 3 May 1969. Probate London 10 September. £4529.
Probate calendar https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar
Make sure you select the tab for the years 1858-1996.
You can send for a copy of the will for £1.50. Delivery isn't instantaneous, but I'm given to understand that it's about 2-3 weeks. Not bad in these Covid times.

ADDED: I should have said that there are two death registrations, so there will have been two death certificates issued. One in the name of Isabella Louise Dillon and one in the name of Isabella Louise Homewood, June quarter 1969 in Surrey Northern registration district. She obviously died away from Laleham, as these are the places in that registration district. https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/distric...0northern.html

Pam

[MattMiall]

Hello Sandeea,
There is today a 'Virginia Close' off 'Blacksmith's Lane' in 'Laleham, Staines-upon-Thames, Staines', and looking at the 1938 Burial record for Robert Hay Dillon, living at 'Virginia Cottage Laleham', Staines, and the 1939 record for Isabelle Louise Dillon, 'Retired Theatrical Artister', living at 'Blacksmith's Lane, Virginia Cott.', 'Staines', it does appear that this Virginia Cottage is indeed one and the same place. - Also, Laleham, a village, is historically a part of the county of Middlesex, but transferred to the county of Surrey in 1965, therefore some records will have Virginia Cottage, Laleham, as being in Middlesex, and others as being in Surrey.
And one thing that maybe confusing is that, in a 1901 England Census record, there is a Louisa Dillon, living in Wandsworth as a domestic Servant, but born in Battersea, which is in south London. But I think that this maybe the wrong Louisa Isabel Dillon, because in another 1901 England Census record there is an 'Isabella Dillon', living as a 'Boarder' in 'Crewe' in 'Cheshire', aged 20 on 1st April 1901, when the census was carried out (one month before her 21st birthday), and was born in 'Kilburn London' and whose occupation is as an 'Actress'.
Pictures of an 'Isabel Dillon (born 1881), Actress and singer' can be found here: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/s.../isabel-dillon
Best Wishes,
MattMiall.