"My aunt Joan was fascinated by the life of her mother-in-law, Violet Thompson, who was an actor. Violet was born c1907, possibly in Liverpool. Family lore had it that her parents were touring in a play abroad, and returned with a bundle of joy.
"Violet was thought to be the only child of Harold Courtney Robinson and Florence ‘Florrie’ Maud Hall. She acted under the name of Violet Courtney, and toured the country in repertory theatre. Violet married William Theodore Thompson in 1932 while performing at Sunderland’s Theatre Royal – the theatre’s manager gave her away.
"Violet and William settled in Ripon, Yorkshire, and had two sons, including Philip, who married my aunt in 1957. I was a tiny bridesmaid at the wedding.
"There were no clues as to Violet’s birthplace or date; Joan had watched her burn her passport and other documents. Violet never returned to acting, and passed away in 1975.
"Joan asked me to find out more about Violet’s background, but despite concerted efforts I couldn’t trace a birth or baptism record.
"The story concentrated on actors, so I searched various theatrical archives, all to no avail. I then tried Violet’s parents instead. All we knew of Florrie was that she was born in London, which was a non-starter. However, her father, who used the stage name Courtney Robinson, was a dream.
"He was born in Greenfield, Saddleworth, in 1876 to a family who ran mills. Courtney pursued a different course in life, and worked as an actor and director for 40 years. Letters that he wrote to The Stage fleshed out his story.
"He popped up on the 1901 census records, living in lodgings while acting in Mexborough, near Doncaster. In the 1911 census he was boarding at Hulme in Manchester with Florrie and Violet.
"My breakthrough came when I found Harold Courtney Robinson’s death record on Ancestry. He died in 1934 while lodging in Crowle, Lincolnshire. Another user's family tree appeared among the hints with two entries, one for Harold and another for his son James Edgar Robinson.
"Joan and I were stunned: Violet wasn’t an only child! I contacted Jackie, the tree’s owner, in New Zealand. She confirmed that she was the granddaughter of James Edgar Robinson, known as just James or Edgar to his relations.
"Details of James’ hard childhood began to emerge. He was born in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, in 1902 to Courtney and his first wife Margaret Gormley, who sadly died a month later.
"Courtney must have carried on acting after Margaret’s death and met Florrie, Violet’s mother. At some point, James was left with custodians in Bromley, Kent. An old newspaper article from 1911 revealed a heart-rending story.
"Courtney’s payments for James’ upkeep ran out, so his custodians attached a label to him and gave him a one-way train ticket to Chesterfield in Derbyshire where Courtney was supposed to be working. The boy made the 14-hour journey alone.
"James then went to the theatre and said, 'I want my Dada!' The manager looked after James until a relative came and took him to Seacombe, on the Wirral, where Courtney was acting.
"James was left with a woman in Seacombe, but again Courtney failed to make his payments. The woman handed James to a police officer, who placed him in Birkenhead Workhouse and arrested Courtney for neglecting to maintain his son.
"Wallasey Magistrates’ Court ordered Courtney to pay a £4 fine or spend a month in prison. In his defence, he stated that he had been ill and out of work.
"James spent only a day in the workhouse before being released to a scattered home, where small groups of children lived under a foster mother. In 1911, he was a pupil at an industrial school in Torquay. He grew up to become a cabinet-maker, and had 11 children with his wife Sylvia.
"Before we judge Courtney, it’s important to remember that he had lost his wife. He couldn’t have taken a baby on tour, and back then placing an infant with another family was not unusual.
"There is still a lot of research to do, but it has been fascinating to find out about Violet’s family. Their lives seem just as dramatic as the plays that they starred in."
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