A delve into the postcard collection comes up with some images and captions worth sharing. Hundreds and hundreds of women tried their luck on the music hall stage, living in cheap boarding houses as they crisis-crossed the country hoping for fame and fortune. Some scratched a living, some achieved greatness, but many sank into lives of poverty and squalor. The following are a mixed bunch of performers of whom some are traceable for a good number of years while others tried to find their way with no mention in the publications of the time.
Edna Mayne is described as the Rembarkable Toe Dancer and in January 1911 we find her at the Palace Theatre, Gloucester, in Puss in Boots. She is described as an exceedingly clever sand dancer while her work on her toes was said to be very smart. A sand dance has been described as an eccentric dance with exaggerated movements while dressed in an approximation of Egyptian style.
Annie Casey is variously described as a comedienne, serio and dancer. The first listing I can find for her is 1896 and by 1904 she was doing well enough to put a notice in the trade paper, The Era. She tells us she has no vacancies in 1904 and 1905 but five weeks vacant in 1906. Reports of her become scarce after 1909 although in 1911 she is on the bill at the North Seaton Hippodrome as a vocalist and chorus singer. In 1913 a notice in The Era placed by the MHARA (Music Hall Artistes’ Railway Association) asks for information on the addresses of various performers, including Annie Casey. The MHARA negotiated reduced fares on the railway for its members. I’ve seen a postcard of Will and Annie Casey but can’t find evidence of them performing together. She had a brother called Will, this information coming from their mother’s obituary which was placed in a trade paper.
Update 27/8/23 – I’m extremely grateful to Annie Casey’s grandson, Mike Casey, who has contacted me about Annie Casey. I said above that Will was her brother but he was, in fact, her husband. Apologies to all, and especially members of their family, for that mistake. I was confused at the original time of writing as there seemed to be conflicting information available. Mike has kindly sent me interesting information about his grandparents and I’m pleased to put the record straight. There is so much interesting information that I’m going to make it the subject of my next blog with huge thanks to Mike Casey.
According to her postcard Miss Etta performed a disrobing act on the trapeze. From the trade paper of the time, The Entr’acte, dated March 21st 1903 we learn she was due at the Alhambra on the following Monday evening. Ten years later, in 1913, there is a reference in The Era to Mlle Yetta whose act is on a high wire. ‘She disrobes, picks up a handkerchief, gives a very clever dance—a splendid turn this.’ There is a reference to Miss Etta in an American publication so she may have been from the States. More research!
Lastly, the Sisters Earle, of whom I can find no trace other than the photograph they left behind. They look like real sisters and greet us cheerily with a salute. If anyone can come up with information about these two performers, or any of the others mentioned in this post, I’d love to receive it.
UPDATE!
The great-nephew of the Sisters Earle has contacted me to say that they were Florrie and Harriet Warsaw from a family of performers. Their brothers were Ernie and Dave, who performed as the Warsaw Brothers and their younger sister Doris was a pianist who performed as Doris Crawford. Around 1901 they were living in Broken Hill, Australia but were living in London by 1911. Thank you so much for the information, Mike.
A FURTHER UPDATE
More information has emerged about the Sisters Earle. Mike, who has kindly kept me up to date with his research, met descendants of their brother, Reggie Warsaw. Reggie became part of the act, the Warsaw Brothers, after his brother David died in the flu epidemic in 1919. He then had to give up performing as he lost his hearing after diving head first into a water barrel. After finding more photos of the Sisters Earle, Mike is now sure they were not of Florrie and Harriet, but of his own grandmother Doris, the youngest child, and her sister Gladys. He has found photos of them in the Far East and more photos of them performing. What a fascinating family! Thanks very much for passing on the new info. Much appreciated.
Thanks to the British Newspaper Archive, Mike Pailthorpe, Monomania Collection
Into the Limelight 
Hi. Ive recently discovered that the Sisters Earle were my Great-Aunts, Florrie and Harriet Warsaw, whose brothers were performers Ernie and Dave, the Warsaw Brothers, and whose youngest sister Doris, who performed as pianist Doris Crawford, was my grandmother. They lived in Broken Hill, Australia around 1901, but by 1911 lived in London.
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Hello Mike
Thanks so much for the information about the Sisters Earle. I loved the postcard but couldn’t find out anything about them from the trade papers etc. I’ll update the blog with a big thanks to you.
Best wishes for the festive season.
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Hello Mike – would you like a scan of the postcard of the Sisters Earle?
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That would be fantastic, thank you! I only discovered about the Warsaw side of my family in September, but they sound like they were great people. Keep up the good work!
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This is amazing. I’m the great grandson of Ernie Warsaw and this article / comments tie in with the research recently made available to me. Scarily the postcard of the sisters sow a striking resemblance to my own sister and pictures of Ernie show a strong likeness to my own son.
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Hello Jon
Thanks for contacting me about the blog. I put the sisters Earle into a blog as I thought it was a lovely image on the card. Mike, also a family descendant, contacted me and we have been in touch occasionally to update the details. I’m assuming you’re not in touch with him? If it helps, I can contact him with your information and see what happens.
All good wishes
Margaret
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Hi Margaret, thank you for getting in touch and yes please do pass my details onto Mike. I was very much estranged from father and grandfather from an early age and knew nothing of the Warsaws. I am a musician myself and could never work out where it came from lol.
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Hello Jon
I’ve sent you an email about contacting Mike. Hope it all works out.
Margaret
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Hi Jon
It’s exciting to hear about your link to the Warsaws – we’re cousins, as my grandmother was Doris Warsaw, youngest of the 12 children of Alexander, the tailor who came to the UK from Poland in the mid 1800s.
Since the first post in 2016, I’ve discovered and met many of the descendants of the Warsaws, and we’d love to meet you too, Jon.
Margaret, yes please, do put us in touch as we have many, many photos we can share!
Best wishes
Mike
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Hello Mike
Thanks for your message. I’ve emailed Jon so I hope you can be in touch soon. It’s exciting that putting a postcard on the blog has resulted in finding another member of your family. Hope it all goes well.
Margaret
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Going away early tomorrow for Christmas. Will do it when I get back.
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Thanks for posting this. Annie Casey was married to my relative Charles Chard, also a comedian. They had a daughter called Violet who was also on the stage as ‘Dainty Doris’. She went on to marry Albert Whelan, a famous producer,
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Hi
Thanks for your great site. Annie Casey was married to my ancestor Charles Chard who was also a music hall comedian/producer. I’m trying to research their family tree and wondered if you know when/where she or her brother will were born. Also you mention their mothers obituary, was she in the music halls as well then and what was her name?
Many thanks, Steve
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Hello Steve. Thanks for your message. As you can probably gather from my posts I’m not a music hall expert! I’ll see what I can find out for you and let you know. I enjoy the finding out. Margaret
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Hello Steve. I couldn’t find out much about Annie and Will Casey. Their mother’s obituary was in the music hall trade paper The Era of February 13th 1909. The obituary reads ‘February 10th 1909 at 36 King St, Barnsley. Annie Casey, dearly beloved mother of Will and Annie Casey. Deeply lamented by her sorrowing son and daughter.’ Will and Annie must have placed this death notice in the Era but no mention that their mother had a music hall connection. I hope the address will help in some way. Good luck with the research. Margaret
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Hi Margaret, thank you so much for taking the time to look into this for me. I’ve struggle to find out anything about Annie Casey so this gives me some very valuable leads. As someone with a few ancestors who were on the stage your website has been great to get a feel for what must have been fascinating times.
Thanks again, Steve
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