An actress in the family

[sherrbert]

Hi All,
My grt grandfather's sister was Mary Ann Lilley, born 1890 Bethnal Green to Thomas & Mary Ann. Family legend has it that she was an actress, who died of stage fright at a young age and appeared in a production of 'Maria and the red barn'. Would love to find there's some truth in this, so any ideas at all are welcome.
Thanks Sherrbert

[CaroleW]

Hi

Was she married or single when she allegedly died of stage fright?

Have you checked freebmd for a marriage or death for her under Lilley?   www.freebmd.org.uk

Where is she on the 1911 census?

[sherrbert]

Hi,
I've been building my family tree for 10 years now and have come at this from every angle but sadly Mary Ann is still an enigma. Her mother and 3 younger siblings were living in Plaistow 1911 but as for Mary's wereabouts or possible marriage, I have nothing concrete.

[jennifer c]

Do you have the family in 1891/1901 census?

Jennifer

[KGarrad]

Is this the family in 1891?

Class: RG12; Piece: 263; Folio: 50; Page: 20
13 Camden Street, Bethnal Green, London

Lilley, Thomas  Head  M  28  General Dealer  b Hackney
Lilley, Mary A  Wife  F  25  b Islington
Lilley, Mary A  Daughter  F  10 months  b Hackney
Lilley, William  Brother  M  26  Under Sack Maker  b Hackney

[lizdb]

If so, she is still alive in 1901

16 Chapman Street Plaistow

Thomas Lilley 43 generaldealer bn Shoreditch
Mary Ann 39 bn Islington
Mary A 10
Thomas R 9
Ellen L 8
William R 5
Ada 3.          Children all bn Bethnal Green
William 33 brother lathe line maker bn Shoreditch

We cant do 1911 look ups, but if Mary the mother says how many children she has had and how many have died you may be able to work out if young Mary is still around or not

[sherrbert]

Hi,
Yes I have all the censuses you have mentioned and will check the 1911 for children living. The remaining family were then living at 10 Beale St/Rd Plaistow.
Thanks alot 

[GrahamSimons]

Worth having a look at The Stage archive online. I've found it helpful. You can search without paying, to check whether there will be any results. If you have success then it's only £5 or so for a short-term subscription to see the scanned pages.

[AJ100]

Interesting that Mary Ann was appearing in 'Maria and the Red Barn.' This was a popular murder of 1827 Suffolk where Maria Marten was murdered by her lover William Corden and her body bried in the barn, so called because of its partly red-tiled roof.
There were even Staffordshire flatbacks - mantlepiece ornaments - of the barn, so popular was the event.
Corden was eventually caught and hanged.

AJ