Roy Redgrave

Roy Redgrave
Roy Redgrave and Miss Minnie Tittell Brune appearing in Leah Kleschna circa 1907.
Born	George Ellsworthy Redgrave 26 April 1873 Kennington, London, England
Died	25 May 1922(1922-05-25) (aged 49) Sydney, Australia
Nationality	British
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1900–20
Spouse(s)	Ellen Maud Pratt (div.) Margaret Scudamore
Children	John, Robin, Nellie, Victor Parrett, Michael
Website	http://www.redgrave.com/biorr.htm

George Ellsworthy "Roy" Redgrave (26 April 1873 – 25 May 1922) was an English stage and silent film actor. Redgrave is considered to be the first member of the Redgrave acting dynasty.

Born George Ellsworthy Redgrave in 122 Kennington Road, Kennington, a district of Lambeth in South London in 1873, he was the eldest son of George Augustus Redgrave (1851–81), a maker of the board game Bagatelle, and Zoe Beatrice Elsworthy (née Pym, later Howard; 1856–1936). By 1897, he was professionally known as Roy Redgrave apparently in the belief that he was descended from Rob Roy. The Redgrave family originated in the Northamptonshire village of Crick. Redgrave also assumed the middle name "Elsworthy" from his mother, and his sister took the stage name Dolly Elsworthy. Redgrave was the eldest of five siblings including, Zoe Adelina "Dolly" Elsworthy (b. 1876), Cornelius (b. 1878), Christopher (b. 1879) and Harriet (b. 1880).

His first wife was actress Ellen Maud Pratt, the daughter of prosperous Devon farmer, John Dew Pratt of Buckland Monachorum. Her stage name was Judith Kyrle. They were married in Littleham-cum-Exmouth, Devon on 1 September 1894. Their careers reached a high point at their joint debut at the Britannia Theatre, Hoxton in April 1900 with Roy billed as "The Dramatic Cock o' the North". They had three children, John Kyrle born in 1895, Robin Roy (father of Major-General Sir Roy Redgrave) born in 1897 and Nellie Maud born in 1898.

About this time Redgrave fell in love with a young actress named Esther Mary Cooke (known on the stage as Ettie Carlisle), daughter of Victor Cooke, huntsman and riding master. Ellen discovered the affair and Ettie fled Britain for South Africa. Redgrave followed her to South Africa. Ettie married Clayton Parrett by special licence between 28 October and 10 November 1903, on a Sunday at St. George's Cathedral in Cape Town. Redgrave arrived two days later on the Tuesday. Ettie then left Clayton Parrett and went with Redgrave to Australia where she then bore him a son, Victor Redgrave Parrett, born 25 July 1906 in Australia.