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Lily Dunn (Flexmore) was sister to my great, great Grandfather and I have a collection of photographs in our family archive showing her in many of her stage positions. These include one in which a small slip would have resulted in a broken neck and death. Flexmore was a stage name only, so no connection with any other Flexmores.
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Welcome to the boards, Catherine.
This thread dates from 2012, and Jill is not likely to be looking for replies here now.
You can try sending her a private message, by clicking on her name in green at the top of one of her posts.
If she has kept GR informed of any change in her email address, GR will be able to notify her of your message.
If she is able and willing (and there are many reasons why she may not be, after so long) she can read and reply to it.
No guarantees!
Her reply would come to you via an email from GR.
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Ellen Mary Anne Dunn, (or Eleanor, from 1881 Census Record) was born on February 25th 1879 to Eleanor Dunnel and John Dunn at 56 Peerless Street, London (and later of Whitecross Street, Clerkenwell, London, England).
Ellen was named after her maternal grandmother, who was Ellen Piper, and her paternal grandmother who was Mary Ann Martin.
Ellen was an extraordinary woman by any standards. She was a highly trained gymnast, contortionist, acrobatic dancer and singer. At age 17, she was involved in the fledgeling British Ladies Football Club in 1895, playing a match at Crouch End, London, between North and South London Teams. In 1896 Ellen played in what was possibly the very first international Ladies Football match which took place in Dublin, Ireland at Jones Road, now Croke Park, in a trio of teams representing England, Scotland and Ireland.
From this point on, Ellen, using the stage-name Lily Flexmore, embarked on what would be a long and successful career on the national and international stage. She travelled to South Africa in 1897, at 18 years of age, with a group of other performers, to perform at the Empire Theatre, Johannesburg, SA.
Between 1898 and 1925, Ellen appeared all over the UK and Ireland. She also travelled extensively in Europe. In 1907, she travelled to the USA, appearing in Chicago before beginning a month-long engagement at the New York Theatre. She toured America and Canada on the Orpheum Theatre Circuit, which was a network of 45 theatres across 36 American and Canadian cities including Chicago, New York, Indiana, Tennessee, Kansas, Memphis, Des Moines and St.Louis. Ellen also appeared in Winnipeg, Canada, where she received glowing reviews.
Ellen followed her success in the USA with dates in Europe, including the Wintergarten Theatre in Berlin, Germany.
In 1909, Ellen again travelled to Europe, appearing in June at the Hansa Theatre, Hamburg, Germany. She was at the Theatre Marigny in Paris for the month of August of that year. In September, Ellen appeared at the Apollo Theatre, Berlin. In 1910, Ellen appeared at the Kolosseum Theatre in Vienna. She followed this in November of that year with performances at the Union Theatre in Strassburg.
Ellen was still performing her signature 'Toe-In-Mouth' dance in the UK in 1925 at the age of 46. At this point, there are no further mention of Lily Flexmore in the media. I am continuing my search nevertheless, hoping to get a break in the proverbial "brick wall!"
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Liam
Welcome to the boards. You have added to an oldish thread and it might not be spotted.
Jill, Louise and Catherine are all still members. If you click on their names you can send them a pm. If they have kept their same email address Genes will notify them.
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