Adeline Burgon

Adeline Burgon (b. 1890), English actress and singer, as she appeared as Tommy in the pantomime Dick Whittington, produced at the Grand Theatre, Leeds, on 23 December 1910, with Lillian Lea in the title role and Madge Crichton as Alice.
(photo: Garratt, Leeds, 1910)

Adeline Burgon, born Edith Lina Burgon, was the daughter of William Henry ‘Harry’ Burgon (1858-1898), a well-known concert baritone and sometime member of the Carl Rosa Opera Company, and is wife Zoe Josephine Philomene (née Chatenet, born in Paris about 1862), who were married in London in 1887. The couple also had a son, Adrian (Adrien) Burgon (1888-1970), who began his stage career as a choir boy.

Adeline Burgon’s career flourished from about 1906 to 1916, mostly on tour in the United Kingdom. In 1906 she was in C.P. Levilly’s Company in La Poupee, with Stella Gastelle, before touring in The Gay Parisienne (1907), in Charles Macdona’s Company in The Girl from Kay’s (1908), and in The Merry Widow in 1909 with Octavia Barry and Leonard Mackay. At Christmas 1910 she appeared as Tommy in the pantomime, Dick Whittington at the Grand Theatre, Leeds, after which no more is heard of her until 1913 when she appeared in Horace Goldin’s Theatrical Company at the Palace Theatre, New York. Her final performances seem to have been on tour during 1916 in the United Kingdon in The Girl in the Taxi.

Gabrielle Ray to be married, 1912

Gabrielle Ray (née Elizabeth Clifford Cook, 1883-1973), English musical comedy dancer and actress
(photo: Bassano, London, probably 1909)

‘POPULAR DANCER.
‘MISS GABRIELLE RAY TO MARRY.
‘Miss Gabrielle Ray, whose dainty dancing and fascinating manner have made her one of the most popular of musical comedy actresses, has become engaged to Mr Eric Loder, a young member of [one] of the most distinguished families in England (says ”Lloyd’s News” of January 14 [1912]).
‘He is wealthy, aged 23, younger son of the late Mr Alfred Loder, grandson of the late Sir Robert Loder, first baronet, and younger brother of Mr Basil Loder, who four years ago resigned his commission of the Scots Guards, and married Miss Barbara Deane, one of the most charming singers in Mr Seymour Hicks’s ”Gay Gordons” company.
‘No date has yet been fixed for the marriage. Both are now spending a holiday in Paris, and Mr Loder has been to see several plays with Miss Ray.
‘Miss Gabrielle Ray, who was described in the ”Temps” the other day as the prettiest actress on the English stage, and the most beautiful woman in England, is 26. She first appeared on the boards as a child of 10 at the old Princess’s Theatre. Subsequently she played other child parts, including Cupid in ”Little Red Riding Hood” at Richmond. Her chance came [in a touring production of ] ”The Belle of New York,” which [first] took London by storm in [1898] at the Shaftesbury Theatre when that house had come to be regarded as an unlucky one.
‘She played Mamie Clancy, and doubtless much of her insouciant but captivating ways which are now characteristic of her developed as she played in ”The Belle” on tour during two years. She was Miss Gertie Millar’s understudy in ”The Toreador” during its long run at the Gaiety, and after going to ”The Girl from Kay’s,” returned to the Gaiety in ”The Orchid.” ‘After that she was a leading feature of most of Mr Geo. Edwardes’s subsequent successes, notably, in the scene from Maxim’s in [the first London production of] ”The Merry Widow.” In the last Gaiety production, ”Peggy,” she was one of the trio of beauties. [The others were Phyllis Dare and Olive May]
‘She is now the picture postcard favorite and has already surpassed the vogue formerly enjoyed by Marie Studholme and Edna May. One photograph company has taken her in no less than a thousand poses, and over 10,000 copies have been sold of her dressed as Millais’s ”Bubbles,” a picture to which her child’s face was singularly adapted.’
(West Gippsland Gazette, Warragul, Victoria, Australia, Tuesday, 30 April 1912, p. 3d)

Gabrielle Ray, ‘whose dainty dancing and fascinating manner have made her one of the most popular of musical comedy actresses,’ 1912

Gabrielle Ray (née Elizabeth Clifford Cook, 1883-1973), English musical comedy dancer and actress
(photo: Bassano, London, probably 1909)

‘POPULAR DANCER.
‘MISS GABRIELLE RAY TO MARRY.
‘Miss Gabrielle Ray, whose dainty dancing and fascinating manner have made her one of the most popular of musical comedy actresses, has become engaged to Mr Eric Loder, a young member of [one] of the most distinguished families in England (says ”Lloyd’s News” of January 14 [1912]).
‘He is wealthy, aged 23, younger son of the late Mr Alfred Loder, grandson of the late Sir Robert Loder, first baronet, and younger brother of Mr Basil Loder, who four years ago resigned his commission of the Scots Guards, and married Miss Barbara Deane, one of the most charming singers in Mr Seymour Hicks’s ”Gay Gordons” company.
‘No date has yet been fixed for the marriage. Both are now spending a holiday in Paris, and Mr Loder has been to see several plays with Miss Ray.
‘Miss Gabrielle Ray, who was described in the ”Temps” the other day as the prettiest actress on the English stage, and the most beautiful woman in England, is 26. She first appeared on the boards as a child of 10 at the old Princess’s Theatre. Subsequently she played other child parts, including Cupid in ”Little Red Riding Hood” at Richmond. Her chance came [in a touring production of ] ”The Belle of New York,” which [first] took London by storm in [1898] at the Shaftesbury Theatre when that house had come to be regarded as an unlucky one.
‘She played Mamie Clancy, and doubtless much of her insouciant but captivating ways which are now characteristic of her developed as she played in ”The Belle” on tour during two years. She was Miss Gertie Millar‘s understudy in ”The Toreador” during its long run at the Gaiety, and after going to ”The Girl from Kay’s,” returned to the Gaiety in ”The Orchid.” ‘After that she was a leading feature of most of Mr Geo. Edwardes‘s subsequent successes, notably, in the scene from Maxim’s in [the first London production of] ”The Merry Widow.” In the last Gaiety production, ”Peggy,” she was one of the trio of beauties. [The others were Phyllis Dare and Olive May]
‘She is now the picture postcard favorite and has already surpassed the vogue formerly enjoyed by Marie Studholme and Edna May. One photograph company has taken her in no less than a thousand poses, and over 10,000 copies have been sold of her dressed as Millais’s ”Bubbles,” a picture to which her child’s face was singularly adapted.’
(West Gippsland Gazette, Warragul, Victoria, Australia, Tuesday, 30 April 1912, p. 3d)

Gabrielle Ray (née Elizabeth Clifford Cook, 1883-1973), English musical comedy dancer and actress
(photo: Bassano, London, probably 1909)

‘POPULAR DANCER.
‘MISS GABRIELLE RAY TO MARRY.
‘Miss Gabrielle Ray, whose dainty dancing and fascinating manner have made her one of the most popular of musical comedy actresses, has become engaged to Mr Eric Loder, a young member of [one] of the most distinguished families in England (says “Lloyd’s News” of January 14 [1912]).
‘He is wealthy, aged 23, younger son of the late Mr Alfred Loder, grandson of the late Sir Robert Loder, first baronet, and younger brother of Mr Basil Loder, who four years ago resigned his commission of the Scots Guards, and married Miss Barbara Deane, one of the most charming singers in Mr Seymour Hicks’s “Gay Gordons” company.
‘No date has yet been fixed for the marriage. Both are now spending a holiday in Paris, and Mr Loder has been to see several plays with Miss Ray.
‘Miss Gabrielle Ray, who was described in the “Temps” the other day as the prettiest actress on the English stage, and the most beautiful woman in England, is 26. She first appeared on the boards as a child of 10 at the old Princess’s Theatre. Subsequently she played other child parts, including Cupid in “Little Red Riding Hood” at Richmond. Her chance came [in a touring production of ] “The Belle of New York,” which [first] took London by storm in [1898] at the Shaftesbury Theatre when that house had come to be regarded as an unlucky one.
‘She played Mamie Clancy, and doubtless much of her insouciant but captivating ways which are now characteristic of her developed as she played in “The Belle” on tour during two years. She was Miss Gertie Millar’s understudy in “The Toreador” during its long run at the Gaiety, and after going to “The Girl from Kay’s,” returned to the Gaiety in “The Orchid.” ‘After that she was a leading feature of most of Mr Geo. Edwardes’s subsequent successes, notably, in the scene from Maxim’s in [the first London production of] “The Merry Widow.” In the last Gaiety production, “Peggy,” she was one of the trio of beauties. [The others were Phyllis Dare and Olive May]
‘She is now the picture postcard favorite and has already surpassed the vogue formerly enjoyed by Marie Studholme and Edna May. One photograph company has taken her in no less than a thousand poses, and over 10,000 copies have been sold of her dressed as Millais’s “Bubbles,” a picture to which her child’s face was singularly adapted.’
(West Gippsland Gazette, Warragul, Victoria, Australia, Tuesday, 30 April 1912, p. 3d)