Dame Ellen Terry and the Titheradge Connection

Smallhythe Place Home of Ellen Terry

 Smallhythe Place

Last month we visited the National Trust gardens of Sissinghurst Castle in Kent, former home of Vita Sackville-West. The gardens were beautiful and in full bloom. We finished our trip by early-afternoon so decided to fill the time with a visit to the nearby National Trust Property of Smallhythe Place. Smallhythe Place near Tenterden, in Kent, is a half-timbered house built in the late 15th or early 16th century.  It is a picturesque cottage surrounded by gardens. Its claim to fame is that it was the home of the famous Victorian actress Dame Ellen Terry. She lived there from 1899 until her death in 1928. On her death her daughter, Edith Craig, converted the house into a museum to commemorate her mother’s remarkable acting career. Today the house is owned by the National Trust, it is full of items connected to Ellen Terry and the theatre world of the late nineteenth / early twentieth century.

Ellen Terry

Ellen Terry was born in 1847 into a family of actors and she appeared on stage from an early age. She was an acclaimed actress who was one of the most popular performers on the stage. She made her name in both England and America. She became famous for her roles in Shakespearean plays, particularly in 1875 when she played Portia in The Merchant of Venice, a role she recreated many times throughout her career. Between 1878 and 1902 she was the leading lady for Sir Henry Irving. She continued to act on stage, and in some early films, until ill health led her to retire in 1925. In 1925 she was honoured for her work and given the rank of Dame.  Dame Ellen Terry died in 1928. She married three times, with none of the marriages lasting very long; she also had various other relationships.

One of the most stunning exhibits at her home in Smallhythe was her dress for the role of Lady Macbeth, it is a green silk dress decorated with iridescent beetle wings. The 1889 oil painting of Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth by John Singer Sargent wearing this dress is a well-known painting, which can be viewed here.

There are several connections with Ellen Terry and the Titheradge family.

Madge Titheradge and Ellen Terry

On show in the Smallhythe Place, opposite the ticket desk, is a ring that was given by Ellen Terry to actress Madge Titheradge. It is a gold ring studded with a number of diamonds. After Madge’s death the ring passed to Madge’s niece, Primrose Joanna Harris nee Cochrane, then was donated to the National Trust by her great niece. The ring can be viewed here.

Also, in the Smallhythe Collection is a Chinese blue silk satin robe embroidered with flowers and butterflies. It was given to Madge Titheradge by Ellen Terry when she married Charles Quartermaine in 1910. Ellen was particularly fond of the Asian style of dress and loved to wear silk kimonos. This was also presented to the National Trust by Madge’s great niece. The robe can be viewed here.

At Madge Titheradge’s wedding to Charles Quartermaine one of the Bridesmaids was Beatrice Terry, Ellen Terry’s niece. Beatrice was the daughter of Charles Terry, Ellen’s brother. Among the guests at the wedding was Mrs Charles Terry, Ellen’s sister-in- law. In the accounts of the wedding in the Australian papers Ellen Terry and her brother Fred and sister Marion are also listed amongst the guests.

Ellen Terry and George Sutton Titheradge 

George Sutton Titheradge was Madge’s father and a famous actor. In 1877 he was near the start of his career and moved from the provincial theatres to London. His first role in London was in a play at Her Majesty’s Theatre called “The House of Darnley”.  He played the part of the Ellen Terry’s Lover. The play ran from October 1877 until January 1878. In February 1878 Ellen and George starred in another play, called "Victims", but this only ran for a short time.

It was 37 years later, in 1914, when Ellen Terry and George Titheradge acted together again. Ellen Terry was on a tour of Australia and George was President of The Actors Association. George was part of the group that welcomed her to Sydney, Australia in May 1914. In July there was benefit performance for Ellen Terry, with numerous performers. The show included the trial scene from "The Merchant of Venice". Ellen Terry played the role of Portia and George Titheradge played the role of Shylock.  This was one of George's last performances on stage and he died 18 months later in January 1916.