Majolier Secrets: Caitlin's American Cousins

In her book, Susannah’s Nightingales, Caitlin’s sister, Nicolette Devas, has written about the “secret mistress and brood of children” of their grandfather, Edouard Majolier. The mistress, says Devas, was Mademoiselle Vincentelle, a French governess who lived in Thurloe Square, Kensington, together with the children that Edouard (Ted) is said to have fathered. Ted’s wife, Susannah, knew nothing about Mlle Vincentelle, writes Devas, until Ted left a sizeable bequest to her in his Will of 1908, leaving Susannah financially worse off.

But a reading of Ted’s Will reveals that no bequest was made to a Mlle Vincentelle, or any other woman outside the Majolier family. Ted certainly did have a mistress, but she lived in Thurloe Place, not Thurloe Square. She wasn’t a mademoiselle from France but a widow from Notting Hill, and she wasn’t a governess either, but an actress, who killed herself two years after Ted’s death.¹

Ted Majolier’s lover was Florence Nightingale Maclean. She is shown here in this fragment of a family tree. On the one side, Ted’s marriage to Susannah Cooper in 1885, and their six children. On the other, Ted’s relationship with Florence, and the two children they had together, both with the given name of Majolier.

* You can see Florence and Edouard's birth certificates at this link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Vxdkpm3snWDKtaz-f4sThVIWR_JORGiL

Florence Maclean was born Florence Nightingale Mowatt in 1856, the daughter of a Manchester commercial clerk. Some of her siblings were also clerks, though not without their rough edges. One of her clerking brothers went to prison for stealing a piano. Her eldest brother, a shipping agent, had two convictions for assault, including one on a neighbour as he and Florence were returning home from the theatre. We know little more about Florence, except that she was working as a barmaid in a hotel in Kingston upon Hull in 1881, and that she was later described as an actress on the birth certificates of her two children. ²

In 1883, Florence married a London tea merchant, Daniel Maclean, and then petitioned for a divorce five years later. She cited violent physical assaults by Maclean throughout the marriage, including hitting, shaking, spitting and several attempts at strangulation. Florence also petitioned on the grounds of Maclean’s adultery with prostitutes. The marriage was unstable on other grounds, too. In its five years, they lived at nine different addresses, and Maclean was sometimes away in Ceylon, where he died just after the petition was made.

Two years later, in 1890, Florence must have thought her troubles were over. By now she had met the dashing Edouard Majolier, a successful, but already married, corn merchant in the City but also, writes Devas, an homme du monde of the period, a dandy, who liked the company of actresses and the comfort of brandy. They had a baby, Florence Gladys Majolier Maclean, born in January 1891.³

In the census that year, Florence and baby Florence were at 9, Thurloe Place, Kensington, whilst Ted was just a fifteen-minute walk away, living with Susannah and their young family in 20, Bramham Gardens. Florence is described as “Living on own Means.” She even had a live-in servant and a nurse to help her. It was a well-heeled street; her neighbours included a solicitor, a doctor, two army officers and several people of independent means.

By the time of the birth of her second child, Edouard Majolier Maclean, in January 1895, Florence had moved to 10, Kenway Road, Earls Court, which was even closer to Bramham Gardens, just a five minute walk for Ted. But it was a downward move for Florence, living above the workshop of a portmanteau maker in a street that would have been considered, at the time, as an undistinguished address. Her accommodation was also limited – probably just one room, at best two – making it very unlikely that she had a live-in servant and nurse.⁴

Not surprisingly, baby Edouard was born, not in Kenway Road, but at 190 King’s Road. This was the home and shop of a watchmaker, Arthur Duerre, and his wife, Rosina Lane, a professional racing cyclist. More pertinently, it was also the postal address given by actors and other performers when they advertised their services in the columns of The Stage. The Duerres also rented out a furnished drawing room in their house, where an aspiring actress might receive friends and lovers, and even give birth. ⁵

By 1901, Florence had moved much further away, across the river to Putney. The six-year-old Edouard was with her, but not his sister, Florence Gladys. Now aged 10, she had been sent away to a private school in Tottenham, perhaps another indication that Ted Majolier was still supporting the family. She was probably at the school on her thirteenth birthday, January 19 1904. Ted was at the family home in France that day but in the evening he took the sleeper from Nîmes and arrived back in London two days later. The following day, January 22, was Edouard’s ninth birthday. Coincidence? Or a father intent on being at his son’s birthday party? ⁶

Florence was soon on the move again, this time in 1907 to a house in Werter Road, Putney, that she is said to have owned, perhaps bought for her by Ted. It’s not known whether they were still lovers or even just friends. It was certainly a difficult year for Ted, and for his wife Susannah, not least because their eldest daughter, Mary Yvonne, eloped with her ne’er-do-well lover, an aspiring poet, and married him in secret. They had four children, the youngest of whom, Caitlin, also ran away to marry a poet, Dylan Thomas. ⁷

Mary’s elopement was a social scandal, a killing disgrace, said one of the family. Ted’s health took a turn for the worse, including a stroke from which he never fully recovered. He died in France some eight months later, in April 1908. There is no mention of Florence in his Will, or of their two children. She continued to live at the house in Werther Road until October 1909, when she moved to Twickenham to live in lodgings with Florence Gladys and Edouard. But their mother still had the keys to the Werther Road house, seemingly unable to sell it: “She was unable to get the house off her hands but all the furniture was packed for removal.” ⁸

On the morning of Monday February 21 1910, Florence said goodbye to her daughter and travelled to Werter Road. The following evening, Edouard was concerned that his mother had not returned. He went twice to the house but each time it was in darkness with the blinds drawn. He returned on Wednesday morning and climbed inside by slipping the latch on a window:

Everything appeared in order, but, on reaching his mother’s bedroom, he observed a terrible small of gas. The room appeared to be as usual, but his mother was in bed dead. The asbestos stove in the fireplace opposite the bed was turned full on, and his mother had stuffed up the chimney with newspaper. ⁹

At the inquest into her death, the jury was told that Florence had left a suicide note that mentioned money problems, and her fears that she was being persecuted. Florence Gladys confirmed that her mother had been worried about money, and paid frequent visits to a solicitor in the city. The Coroner noted that litigation was pending in the matter.

There were several “interested parties”, as the Coroner called them, people who Florence had named in her letters. They were represented by two lawyers, including Frederick Freke Palmer, one of London’s most distinguished and sought-after solicitors, who said he was acting for a gentleman who was amongst those named. The Coroner then ruled that he would not divulge these names. But extracts from Florence’s suicide note to her children were read out, including the following:

They are trying to make me out as a terrible, drunken or bad woman…There was a trap laid for me and it is only my death that will bring the crime to light…Nothing but the sacrifice of my life will free you from persecution, cruel and awful, by the agents of a most cruel and wicked woman. Do not grieve, my darlings. Just to think that at last I have found peace, and there will be those, I trust, who will be good and kind to you. Goodbye, my darlings...I am sorry to leave my papers in such confusion. I have been tortured to death. ¹⁰

The jury returned a verdict of suicide while of unsound mind, believing that Florence had been having delusions about persecution. But who were these interested parties whose names were not divulged at the inquest? Were they members of Ted Majolier’s family? Could it be possible that Ted had made arrangements outside of his Will to support Florence and their two children, and that Ted’s family had spent the two years since his death trying to overturn these arrangements?

And if you’re wondering whether the “cruel and wicked woman” might have been Susannah Majolier, read chapters six and seven of Susannah’s Nightingales, and decide for yourself. Nicolette Devas, her grand-daughter, pulls no punches, calling her a bully and a dragon, bossy, difficult and aggressive, a bad loser, a woman with a violent temper whose rages frightened her children and even made Ted flee the house: “The Irish upper class woman under a civilised exterior contains…under stress a real savagery.”

Yes, it’s all speculation. We’ll never know the names the Coroner kept secret, but we do know what happened to Ted and Florence’s two children, Florence Gladys and Edouard. They continued to live in the lodging house in Belmont Road, Twickenham. Florence Gladys was working as a clerk and Edouard as a wireless telegraphy operator. Thereafter,

• Florence Gladys married Karl/Charles Francis Arlt in 1914, and they emigrated to America the following year. They had two sons, Edward Charles and Rodney John. Charles Francis Arlt died in a car accident in 1931. In 1946, Florence (known to her American family by the nickname “Mitzi") married Jacques Paul Deneauve, born in France, 1891. He died in 1959, and Florence Gladys on March 6 1962.

• Edouard followed his sister Florence to America soon afterwards, serving in the US Army from 1917-19, which included service in Europe at Meuse Argonne and St. Mihiel. He married Edna Barbanell. There were no children. He died on October 11, 1938. ¹¹

Florence Gladys’ marriage to Charles Arlt led in time to a flourishing American branch of the Majolier family tree. Here’s just the top end of it:

You can look at the rest of this American branch at

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Vxdkpm3snWDKtaz-f4sThVIWR_JORGiL

There’s also a lot more about Edouard and Susannah Majolier and their children at

https://sites.google.com/site/caitlinthomaslearningmore/caitlin-s-literary-family-the-majoliers

_______________________________________

David N. Thomas © 2019 Images © Judith Walker 2019

Acknowledgements

I am very grateful for the unstinting help, advice and encouragement of Judith Walker, the grt -grand-daughter of Florence Nightingale Maclean and Edouard Majolier. Thanks as well to Susan Lord, clerk to the Senior Coroner, Inner West London, and to staff at Wandsworth public libraries.

Books

N. Devas (1966) Two Flamoyant Fathers, Collins.

N. Devas(1978) Susannah’s Nightingales, Collins.

K. Jungnickel (2018) Bikes and Bloomers: Victorian Women Inventors and their Extraordinary Cycle Wear, Goldsmiths Press.

Notes

[1] You can read Ted’s Will here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Vxdkpm3snWDKtaz-f4sThVIWR_JORGiL . Mlle Vincentelle was a governess for the family at their home in France (see Devas p105).

[2] Florence was born November 1, 1856 to John Wallace Mowatt and Mary Ann Mowatt nee McFarlane at 6 Dale Street, Cheadle Bulkeley, Cheshire. Assault on neighbour: Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, April 7 1877. Photos of Florence in acting costumes are in the possession of Judith Walker.

[3] Ted addicted to actresses etc: Devas (1966), p22.

[4] Florence’s accommodation at 10 Kenway Road: from an analysis of the address in the 1891, 1901 and 1911 census returns. No. 10 comprised accommodation of four rooms and two rooms. The portmanteau maker, his wife and their four children occupied the four rooms (1891 and 1901). The two rooms were sometimes occupied by one household (1891, 1911) and sometimes by two households (1901).

[5] 190, Kings Road: Amelia Duerre aka Rosina Lane, lived with her husband, Arthur Duerre, a watchmaker and sprint cyclist of Prussian descent. They had four daughters. See numerous newspaper reports, and Jungnickel (2018), on Rosina, who earned a living from taking part in cycle racing events. No. 190 was a seven-roomed shop and house. The Duerres were there in 1891, 1901 and 1911. Being a post-box for actors and actresses must have been a useful side-line for the Duerres. It was also the post-box for cycling and pigeon racing clubs.

[6] In 1901, Florence is at 8, Richmond Mansions, Lower Richmond Road, Putney. She then moved to Werter Road, Putney in 1907. Florence Gladys is shown at the school at 800, High Road, Tottenham in 1901. Ted returns from France 1904 etc: an extract from Susannah Majolier’s diary in Devas (1978) p104.

[7] Florence’s ownership of the Werter Road house is noted in reports of the inquest into her death in February 1910. At the inquest, her daughter, Florence Gladys, said that her mother had had the house for two and a half years ie since 1907 (Daily Telegraph and Courier, February 28 1910) See also the Surrey Comet, March 2 1910 and the Evening Express, February 28 1910.

[8] A killing disgrace, stroke etc: see Devas (1978) pp104-106. Mary Yvonne eloped with an aspiring poet called Francis Macnamara. They had four children, of whom Caitlin was the last. Ted died two days before the birth on April 23 1908 of their first child, John Macnamara.

Statement by Edouard Maclean, her son, at the inquest, reported in the Daily Telegraph and Courier, February 28 1910. Newspaper reports invariably call him Edward.

[9] From Edouard’s statement to the inquest, reported in the Surrey Comet, March 2 1910.

[10] Various newspaper reports of the inquest . The records of the inquest have not survived.

[11] Edouard was always familiarly known as Ted, just like his father. In America, he went by the name of Edward Maclean. Edouard’s wife, Edna, gave his name as Edouard on her application for a military tombstone. It is also listed as Edouard on his death certificate, and in the cemetery where he is buried. (Information from Judy Walker)