Raoul Reginald DeVeulle (1882 - 1956) has a deserved footnote in history as a protagonist in one of the first 'dope scandals' of the 20th century. His short career on the stage was as more than a dilettante, he lasted 12 months of twice daily performance of 'The Queen of the Moulin Rouge' the second 6 of which were in Chicago in 1909.
We know also that he was apt to make an impression on those who met him. At least one of whom has left us a written record. There is an unflattering portrait by Roy Horniman in 'The Magnificent Bellamy' in which Reggie becomes - or is reflected as - a craven shallow and unmanly creature.
Reggie also spent time with the American writer Elizabeth Banks who, for a period, was a London neighbour of no less a literary giant than George Bernard Shaw. Shaw was of course a prodigious writer of letters. His collected correspondence fills several volumes. His genius is still celebrated by a number of Shavian societies. I cannot imagine 2 characters who were less likely to cross paths than George and Reggie.
But if George Bernard Shaw did not actually meet Reggie DeVeulle he had at least heard enough about him to use him as part of an extremely unflattering comparison.
In September 1921 Shaw wrote to the British writer and playwright St John Ervine. In correspondence about Shaws recently published play 'Back to Methuselah' Shaw described how he tried to imagine a life as long as that of Methuselah:
"...by carrying a little further the difference that exists at present between the child and the adult, or between Reggie de Veulle (or whatever his silly name is) and Einstein"
It is fanciful to imagine that they did meet. It is much more probable that Shaw had set on Reggie as the epitome of idiocy from the court reports. However, the trial had been more than 2 years previously. Why would he jump to mind? Did perhaps Reggie inspire George Bernard Shaw to imbue one of his less respectable characters with his traits? Or perhaps Ervine?
After further research I am disabused of the idea that a character like Reggie would have been of any interest to Shaw. In his set of articles published as 'Impressions of my Elders' by St John Ervine (1922) the writer categorises Shaw as a playwright interested in doctrine for whom a cast of characters was unnecessary "I doubt whether there are more than 12 distinct persons in the whole of Mr. Shaw's work". So perhaps, for this purpose at least, the old copy of the complete plays of Shaw can remain on my bookshelf.
Thursday 25 October 2012
Wednesday 24 October 2012
"a very bad girl and very restless"
Ada McGlashan was one half of the Sino-Scottish couple convicted of providing the drugs that killed the actress Billie Carleton. The trial in 1919 was sensational and she was given the relatively heavy sentence of 5 months hard labour.
Recently I have uncovered evidence of Ada's life in Scotland. She was born in the Paisley poorhouse in February 1884. The town of Paisley was, in Victorian times, relatively prosperous. There was ample but poorly paid work to be had in the cloth factories and in the production of sugar amongst the many other enterprises in the towns around Glasgow 'the second city of the empire'.
However, Sarah, Ada's mother, had been deserted by her husband 2 years previously. She had borne 2 children by him, Margaret and Isaac and in 1883 found herself pregnant again by a man called 'Samuel Clay' who played no further part in her life.
The town of Paisley made provision for the poor and the records show that Sarah and her 2 children were admitted to the poorhouse because she had no income.
Sarah left the poorhouse the following year but by 1887 she had abandoned all 3 of her children to 'the Parish'. Isaac eventually went to live with an uncle but Maggie and Ada (then known as Sarah and only 3 1/2 years old) were 'boarded out' at 3 shillings a week.
Many years later Ada applied for poor relief after the birth of her own daughter. A Mrs Turnbull, with whom Sarah had once boarded was interviewed by the parish officer. She remembered Ada well and described her as "A very bad girl and very restless".
The parish were good at keeping tabs on their claimants and especially good at recording their residence and workplaces. This gives a fascinating insight into Ada's life at the turn of the century.
The responsibility of the parish to house and school Ada ended when she was 13 years old. By this age she was expected to find a job.
Her marriage record shows that she had been a boot saleswoman,The poor law records show that Ada variously worked in a dairy and many other jobs considered suitable for a girl from her background.
Sarah applied for poor relief again after the birth of her child. She gave the little girl the surname of her future husband - Debrovitz but her middle name 'Urquhart' seems to have come from the name of someone she lived with at the time of the birth. He, or she, was mentioned in passing in the poor low records.
Recently I have uncovered evidence of Ada's life in Scotland. She was born in the Paisley poorhouse in February 1884. The town of Paisley was, in Victorian times, relatively prosperous. There was ample but poorly paid work to be had in the cloth factories and in the production of sugar amongst the many other enterprises in the towns around Glasgow 'the second city of the empire'.
However, Sarah, Ada's mother, had been deserted by her husband 2 years previously. She had borne 2 children by him, Margaret and Isaac and in 1883 found herself pregnant again by a man called 'Samuel Clay' who played no further part in her life.
The town of Paisley made provision for the poor and the records show that Sarah and her 2 children were admitted to the poorhouse because she had no income.
Sarah left the poorhouse the following year but by 1887 she had abandoned all 3 of her children to 'the Parish'. Isaac eventually went to live with an uncle but Maggie and Ada (then known as Sarah and only 3 1/2 years old) were 'boarded out' at 3 shillings a week.
Many years later Ada applied for poor relief after the birth of her own daughter. A Mrs Turnbull, with whom Sarah had once boarded was interviewed by the parish officer. She remembered Ada well and described her as "A very bad girl and very restless".
The parish were good at keeping tabs on their claimants and especially good at recording their residence and workplaces. This gives a fascinating insight into Ada's life at the turn of the century.
The responsibility of the parish to house and school Ada ended when she was 13 years old. By this age she was expected to find a job.
Her marriage record shows that she had been a boot saleswoman,The poor law records show that Ada variously worked in a dairy and many other jobs considered suitable for a girl from her background.
Sarah applied for poor relief again after the birth of her child. She gave the little girl the surname of her future husband - Debrovitz but her middle name 'Urquhart' seems to have come from the name of someone she lived with at the time of the birth. He, or she, was mentioned in passing in the poor low records.
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