Leah Strickland - missing in 1891 and 1901

[Rick]

Leah Strickland was an actress, supposedly born in Margate around 1879. She was a witness to my great grandparents' marriage in 1903 and they were also on the stage. Although I don't know of any other link between her and my family, my great grandmother's origins are somewhat mysterious and I'm following up a lead to another Strickland family in Yorkshire.

I don't believe Leah's parents were married and her father's age is inconsistent and his place of birth starts out as Greenwich, but then becomes Orkney. I don't know what became of her mother. Strickland could also easily be a stage name.

Here's Leah in 1881...http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/7572/LNDRG11_548_552-1168/20455051?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.u k%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3duki1881%26so%3d2%26pcat%3dROO T_CATEGORY%26gss%3dangs-g%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26 gsfn%3dleah%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dstrickland%26gsl n_x%3d1%26mswpn__ftp_x%3d1%26gskw_x%3d1%26_8300400 2_x%3d1%26cpxt%3d1%26cp%3d11%26catbucket%3dr%26MSA V%3d2%26uidh%3dxc3&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

And in 1911, following her marriage to William Henry Abbiss in 1907...http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/2352/rg14_20266_0289_03/5981318?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk %2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1911england%26so%3d2%26pcat%3 dROOT_CATEGORY%26gss%3dangs-g%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn%3dlea h%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dabbiss%26gsln_x%3d1%26mswp n__ftp_x%3d1%26gskw_x%3d1%26_83004002_x%3d1%26cpxt %3d1%26cp%3d11%26catbucket%3dr%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3 dxc3&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

In 1891, her father is in Hull with a new wife (the theatrical agent Violet Jeanette Gordon) and son Frank, but no Leah...http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/6598/WRYRG12_3591_3593-0449/3933966?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk %2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3duki1891%26so%3d2%26pcat%3d35% 26gss%3dangs-c%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn%3dfra ncis%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dstrickland%26gsln_x%3d1 %26mswpn__ftp_x%3d1%26gskw_x%3d1%26_83004002_x%3d1 %26cpxt%3d1%26cp%3d11%26catbucket%3dr%26MSAV%3d2%2 6uidh%3dxc3&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

Ethel is in service in Essex and the older girls are comediennes in Clerkenwell, strangely recorded as the daughters of Charles and Mary Ann Lakin.

Can anyone find Leah in 1891 or 1901 ?

[Mary from Italy]

Drawn a blank with the censuses so far.

On 20/10/1900 she was acting in "A Whitechapel Girl" at the Theatre Royal, Norwich, as a member of Mr W Dunham's company, according to "The Era".

[Rick]

Drawn a blank with the censuses so far.

On 20/10/1900 she was acting in "A Whitechapel Girl" at the Theatre Royal, Norwich, as a member of Mr W Dunham's company, according to "The Era".

Thanks Mary. She and her family toured around many of the English theatres so she could literally be anywhere on census night. I've been following their movements in the newspapers on FMP. I'll have a quick google for that play and company to see if it was still going in 1901.

[Rick]

Looks like it is W Durham and the play moved to Dudley in November. There's also a mention in the Era in December, but the index doesn't seem to take you to the right page.

[kiterunner]

I've been hunting, but no luck.

[Rick]

I've been hunting, but no luck.

All efforts much appreciated !! Seems odd that she's not with a parent in 1891 aged 12, although if she was already on the stage....

I feel sorry for Ethel - probably the talentless one :d