Lil Hawthorne (4 July 1877 â€" 22 March 1926) was an American-born
British stage beauty, music hall performer and pantomime Principal
Boy. In 1910, Hawthorne was involved in bringing Dr. Crippen to
justice for the murder of his wife, Cora Henrietta Crippen, whom she
had regarded as a good friend prior to her death.Born in Nashville,
Illinois, as Lillian Hawthorne, she was one of four daughters of New
Orleans estate agent Tazwell Wolfe (known as Hawthorne) and his wife
Adrianna or Ada née Rogers, a farmer's daughter from Pontotoc,
Mississippi. In 1889 aged 12 Lilian Hawthorne was cast in the role of
a small boy in the comic opera Paola after which she and her younger
sister Adelaide joined the theatrical company The Bostonians for whom
they appeared in The Knickerbockers, Robin Hood, and The Ogallalas. In
1892 they played Leila and Fleta in Iolanthe with Henry Dixey's
company at Palmer's Theatre. She started her variety career in America
at the age of 14 as part of the song and dance trio "The Hawthorne
Sisters" with her sisters Eleanor and Adelaide (1892â€"1898). She
performed with her sisters in Boston and New York before transferring
to England, making her first appearance in London at the Palace
Theatre in 1896, singing Leslie Stuart's popular song, "Willow Pattern
Plate".After her sisters' marriage and retirement, Hawthorne remained
in the United Kingdom where she soon became popular in music halls all
over the country. She made the first of many appearances in pantomime
at the Empire Palace Theatre, Edinburgh in 1898. Hawthorne's
repertoire of songs included 'Lucy Loo', 'Tessie, You are the Only,
Only, Only' and 'Mamie May,' all of which she recorded, as well as
'Kitty Mahone' and 'Don't Cry Little Girl, Don't Cry'.In 1899 she
married John Edward Nash (1863â€"1934), who became her manager. Also
in 1899 she recorded the song "Sweet Rosie O'Grady" (written by Maude
Nugent) for Berliner Gramophone and "I'll Be Your Sweetheart". In 1900
she starred in Walter Gibbon's Anglo-American Bio-Tableaux film Kitty
Mahone. She was the Principal Boy in the pantomimes Puss in Boots
(1903â€"1904) and Sleeping Beauty (1904â€"1905), both at the Prince's
Theatre in Bristol. On 6 December 1909 Hawthorne topped the bill at
the opening night of the Hippodrome Theatre in Bishop Auckland.
British stage beauty, music hall performer and pantomime Principal
Boy. In 1910, Hawthorne was involved in bringing Dr. Crippen to
justice for the murder of his wife, Cora Henrietta Crippen, whom she
had regarded as a good friend prior to her death.Born in Nashville,
Illinois, as Lillian Hawthorne, she was one of four daughters of New
Orleans estate agent Tazwell Wolfe (known as Hawthorne) and his wife
Adrianna or Ada née Rogers, a farmer's daughter from Pontotoc,
Mississippi. In 1889 aged 12 Lilian Hawthorne was cast in the role of
a small boy in the comic opera Paola after which she and her younger
sister Adelaide joined the theatrical company The Bostonians for whom
they appeared in The Knickerbockers, Robin Hood, and The Ogallalas. In
1892 they played Leila and Fleta in Iolanthe with Henry Dixey's
company at Palmer's Theatre. She started her variety career in America
at the age of 14 as part of the song and dance trio "The Hawthorne
Sisters" with her sisters Eleanor and Adelaide (1892â€"1898). She
performed with her sisters in Boston and New York before transferring
to England, making her first appearance in London at the Palace
Theatre in 1896, singing Leslie Stuart's popular song, "Willow Pattern
Plate".After her sisters' marriage and retirement, Hawthorne remained
in the United Kingdom where she soon became popular in music halls all
over the country. She made the first of many appearances in pantomime
at the Empire Palace Theatre, Edinburgh in 1898. Hawthorne's
repertoire of songs included 'Lucy Loo', 'Tessie, You are the Only,
Only, Only' and 'Mamie May,' all of which she recorded, as well as
'Kitty Mahone' and 'Don't Cry Little Girl, Don't Cry'.In 1899 she
married John Edward Nash (1863â€"1934), who became her manager. Also
in 1899 she recorded the song "Sweet Rosie O'Grady" (written by Maude
Nugent) for Berliner Gramophone and "I'll Be Your Sweetheart". In 1900
she starred in Walter Gibbon's Anglo-American Bio-Tableaux film Kitty
Mahone. She was the Principal Boy in the pantomimes Puss in Boots
(1903â€"1904) and Sleeping Beauty (1904â€"1905), both at the Prince's
Theatre in Bristol. On 6 December 1909 Hawthorne topped the bill at
the opening night of the Hippodrome Theatre in Bishop Auckland.
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