To quote from Jesse
"Now THIS is interesting...
John Frederick Weiss was born September 24, 1914 in Cook, IL (Leo would have been working for Essanay at the time, I believe)
Leo Weiss' age is 32 (birthdate: November 10, 1881), born in Berlin, Germany
Ethel Caroline McCann's age is 22 (birthdate: circa 1892), born in London, England"
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NQ14-CHD
So Leo and John, later known as White, appear in the records as Weiss.
"WWI Draft Card (Sept. 12, 1918)
Leo Weiss (AKA Leo White) is age 36, born November 10, 1881
Lives at 6806 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif.
He was born in Germany
He is an actor at Universal Film Co.
His wife is listed as Ethel Veronica White (GAHHH!)"
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KZVN-KKP
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-26181-16483-54?cc=1968530
This must be the same as I have a postcard from Ethel - date uncertain - where she gives her address as 6806 Hollywood Blvd. So the listing of Ethel's middle name as Veronica must be an error. Leo's date of birth is given her as November 10, 1881 but other sources say 1882. Since he has his wife's middle name is wrong, the date of birth may be unreliable.
"1920 Census (Jan 7 1920)
Leo (38 - birth year 1881) and Ethel (37? - 1882; adding 10 years?) live with their sons in Los Angeles
Leo's parents were born E Prussia, Germany (Leo's birthplace simply says Germany)
Ethel's dad was born in Scotland, her mom in Ireland; Ethel was born in England
Both act in motion pictures"
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MHQF-ZLF
https://archive.org/stream/14thcensusofpopu106unit#page/n605/mode/1up
So in the 1920 census, the family name is given a Weiss, not White. Dates of immigration for Leo and Ethel are given as 1903 and 1910 respectively. Ethel's age is given as 37 in the transcription, but the original actually shows 27. Ethel gives her father's birthplace as Scotland, although he was actually born in Mauritius. Both her father James and his father John were in the army and some of their children were born overseas. James's elder sister was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire. So it is quite likely that Ethel, after hearing family stories of relatives born abroad, got mixed up about who was born where.
"In the meantime, John (Fred) (25) and Leo (28) in the 1940 Census (Apr 8)
Interesting, John/Fred is an actor in motion pcitures as well!
Leo is a shop foreman (Venetian blinds)"
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K97C-1HS
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-27791-13474-97?cc=2000219
Brothers John and Leo at 202 North La Peer Drive. This is the address Leo's address at the time of his marriage in 1947. Possibly Leo's job as a shop foreman was a stopgap, as by 1947 his occupation was singer.
To be continued...
Showing posts with label Leo Herbert White II (aka Peter). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leo Herbert White II (aka Peter). Show all posts
Monday, July 11, 2016
More about Ethel
I haven't been active for a while, but recently a lot more information has come to light about my great aunt Ethel White nee McCann for which I am indebted to Margaret (granddaughter of Ethel's sister Elizabeth) and Alan Miles.
To recap, Ethel married actor Leo White and had a theatrical career under the stage name Blanche White. Her film output was relatively modest http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0924527/?ref_=nmbio_bio_nm. So far, I had not seen any movies that included Ethel. So I was particularly delighted to be directed to this 1917 short "The Chief Cook" where Blanche appears as Maggie the 'slavery maid'.
Here is a synopsis
http://www.lordheath.com/index.php?p=1_963_The-Chief-Cook
And here is the movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdaQry_z_34
Margaret and Alan also directed me to an online forum where some else had been researching Blanche/Ethel http://www.voy.com/225534/4/9313.html . "Jesse" had found my blog and compared it to his or her own researches. Working through Jesse's links:
Marriage of Leo and Ethel's elder son Leo Herbert James White to May Emanuella Oddo, 23 November 1947. (As mentioned in previous entries, young Leo is always referred to as Peter or a diminutive in correspondence from Ethel to her sister Ada.) I had not been aware of this marriage and it opens up new avenues for research:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K8KK-8HD
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-29947-66158-80?cc=1804002
At the time, Leo was living at 202 North, La Peer Drive, Beverly Hills. Here it is on Google Streetview
202 No, La Peer Drive (although you do sometimes need to take with a pinch of salt just how accurate Google is at pinpointing individual houses.) But it gives an idea of the location. His occupation is shown as singer.
May is shown as divorced and this is her second marriage, but her father's name is shown as Charles Joseph Oddo, so presumably she reverted to her maiden name after divorcing. Her address is given as North Curson Avenue, Loss Angeles; the house number is indistinct. Her birthplace is Connecticut. So far, no trace of her first marriage,
Ethel's birth
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/2FMX-FPM
Woolwich 2Q 1892, matches what I already have.
Ethel in 1901 census
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X98P-1DF
This is Ethel, her parents, siblings and niece at 49 Marmadon Road, Plumstead (which is listed here as being in Middlesex). This property is still in existence. Search Google Maps and take a virtual tour with Street View. Postcode is SE18 1EA. It is the last house on the north side before Barth Mews and the wheelie bin outside is numbered 49. (In 1891, prior to Ethel's birth, the family was at 39 Marmadon Road, now demolished. You can see its position on this 1959 OS map)
Jesse thinks this could be Ethel arriving in America.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XP29-63L
Ethel McCann, age given as 21, arriving at Niagara Falls, New York in June 1910 via a border crossing from Canada. Birthplace London, England and "Race" Irish. I hadn't been having much luck finding when Ethel left the UK, not least because I didn't know where and when she married Leo, so not sure whether I should be looking for her as McCann or White. And if she travelled via Canada, that would further confound the issue. In June 1910 Ethel would actually have been 17. That does seem rather young to be making such an epic journey. Maybe she was adding a few years to her age to avoid awkward questions, but surely she would have needed a passport. All this does raise questions about how she came to leave her family and start a new life across the Atlantic while still in her teens. Possibly she went over with a travelling theatre company. And did she meet future husband Leo in the USA or England? According to IMDB "Leo White started in comedy on the boards of English music hall in the late 1890's. He accompanied theatrical producer Daniel Frohman (later a partner of Adolph Zukor in Famous Players Lasky) to Hollywood in 1910". Since Ethel and Leo arrived in the USA at about the same time, they may have already known each other and might even have travelled together.
As to the rather odd classification of her "race" (rather than nationality) as Irish, her mother Mary was born in Belfast. Father James was born in Mauritius while his parents were there on military service. James's father John was a gunner in the Royal Artillery, born in Seago, Lurgan, Co Armagh. So maybe by the logic of the time, that made Ethel Irish.
Ethel with sons Leo and John, 1930 census at Hedvig Apartments, 1819 North Kingsley Drive, Los Angeles.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XCV9-5LK
https://archive.org/stream/californiacensus00reel134rs#page/n254/mode/1up
This matches what I was told previously by E.J. Fleming.
To be continued...
To recap, Ethel married actor Leo White and had a theatrical career under the stage name Blanche White. Her film output was relatively modest http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0924527/?ref_=nmbio_bio_nm. So far, I had not seen any movies that included Ethel. So I was particularly delighted to be directed to this 1917 short "The Chief Cook" where Blanche appears as Maggie the 'slavery maid'.
Here is a synopsis
http://www.lordheath.com/index.php?p=1_963_The-Chief-Cook
And here is the movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdaQry_z_34
Margaret and Alan also directed me to an online forum where some else had been researching Blanche/Ethel http://www.voy.com/225534/4/9313.html . "Jesse" had found my blog and compared it to his or her own researches. Working through Jesse's links:
Marriage of Leo and Ethel's elder son Leo Herbert James White to May Emanuella Oddo, 23 November 1947. (As mentioned in previous entries, young Leo is always referred to as Peter or a diminutive in correspondence from Ethel to her sister Ada.) I had not been aware of this marriage and it opens up new avenues for research:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K8KK-8HD
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-29947-66158-80?cc=1804002
At the time, Leo was living at 202 North, La Peer Drive, Beverly Hills. Here it is on Google Streetview
202 No, La Peer Drive (although you do sometimes need to take with a pinch of salt just how accurate Google is at pinpointing individual houses.) But it gives an idea of the location. His occupation is shown as singer.
May is shown as divorced and this is her second marriage, but her father's name is shown as Charles Joseph Oddo, so presumably she reverted to her maiden name after divorcing. Her address is given as North Curson Avenue, Loss Angeles; the house number is indistinct. Her birthplace is Connecticut. So far, no trace of her first marriage,
Ethel's birth
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/2FMX-FPM
Woolwich 2Q 1892, matches what I already have.
Ethel in 1901 census
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X98P-1DF
This is Ethel, her parents, siblings and niece at 49 Marmadon Road, Plumstead (which is listed here as being in Middlesex). This property is still in existence. Search Google Maps and take a virtual tour with Street View. Postcode is SE18 1EA. It is the last house on the north side before Barth Mews and the wheelie bin outside is numbered 49. (In 1891, prior to Ethel's birth, the family was at 39 Marmadon Road, now demolished. You can see its position on this 1959 OS map)
Jesse thinks this could be Ethel arriving in America.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XP29-63L
Ethel McCann, age given as 21, arriving at Niagara Falls, New York in June 1910 via a border crossing from Canada. Birthplace London, England and "Race" Irish. I hadn't been having much luck finding when Ethel left the UK, not least because I didn't know where and when she married Leo, so not sure whether I should be looking for her as McCann or White. And if she travelled via Canada, that would further confound the issue. In June 1910 Ethel would actually have been 17. That does seem rather young to be making such an epic journey. Maybe she was adding a few years to her age to avoid awkward questions, but surely she would have needed a passport. All this does raise questions about how she came to leave her family and start a new life across the Atlantic while still in her teens. Possibly she went over with a travelling theatre company. And did she meet future husband Leo in the USA or England? According to IMDB "Leo White started in comedy on the boards of English music hall in the late 1890's. He accompanied theatrical producer Daniel Frohman (later a partner of Adolph Zukor in Famous Players Lasky) to Hollywood in 1910". Since Ethel and Leo arrived in the USA at about the same time, they may have already known each other and might even have travelled together.
As to the rather odd classification of her "race" (rather than nationality) as Irish, her mother Mary was born in Belfast. Father James was born in Mauritius while his parents were there on military service. James's father John was a gunner in the Royal Artillery, born in Seago, Lurgan, Co Armagh. So maybe by the logic of the time, that made Ethel Irish.
Ethel with sons Leo and John, 1930 census at Hedvig Apartments, 1819 North Kingsley Drive, Los Angeles.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XCV9-5LK
https://archive.org/stream/californiacensus00reel134rs#page/n254/mode/1up
This matches what I was told previously by E.J. Fleming.
To be continued...
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Peter and a friend
Ethel's son Peter (Leo H) (in the background). He is in showbiz too as she describes him singing on the radio.
Peter at military school in Santa Monica
Ethel's son Peter (Leo junior)
The caption reads "5ft 10 1/2. - 16. & 4 mths"
Text on the back reads
"Petesie isn't as stern looking as this - he was joking - I said about face or something and he struck this pose - Besides it was early in the A.M. & he was on Sunday duty as officer of the day - not so nice & the Santa Monica Beach is only 3 miles from the school - He is in line for captaincy is now lieutenant - school in rear"
Based on Google searches for military schools in the Santa Monica area, I am guessing he attended Ramsey Military School.
He was born c. 1912 so this photo must date from around 1928.
*Revised entry July 2016*
The caption reads "5ft 10 1/2. - 16. & 4 mths"
Text on the back reads
"Petesie isn't as stern looking as this - he was joking - I said about face or something and he struck this pose - Besides it was early in the A.M. & he was on Sunday duty as officer of the day - not so nice & the Santa Monica Beach is only 3 miles from the school - He is in line for captaincy is now lieutenant - school in rear"
Based on Google searches for military schools in the Santa Monica area, I am guessing he attended Ramsey Military School.
He was born c. 1912 so this photo must date from around 1928.
*Revised entry July 2016*
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Ethel, Bob and Peter - Easter Sunday
Ethel McCann emigrated to the USA for a career in the movies. Ethel's first husband was Leo White (originally Leo Weiss). She went under the stage name of Blanche White. These pictures show Ethel, her son Peter and Bob/Bobo, who I presume is her second husband. (Her other son John does not feature here, presumably as he was on army service at the time.) I have no pictures of Leo in my archive, but have found a few of him on the web. John and Peter show a family resemblance to Leo, so I presume they are his sons. If we assume Ethel was in her mid to late forties, then these pictures were taken in the late 1930s or early 1940s. Arnaz Drive is partially visible in some pictures. That would place them in what is now Beverly Hills 90211. Captions to other photos give some other street names. With luck and some help from Google maps, I hope to get a fix on where exactly they lived. Whilst Ethel and Bob may not have been "A" list stars, they certainly seem to have been earning a good living from what they did; they are very well dressed and living in a quite affluent area. She mentions Bob was letting his hari grow for a picture he was working on, which indicates that he is a movie actor.
[Update. 1930 census data for Ethel's family reveals that Peter was actually Leo H. I have therefore indexed him as "Leo H White II" in this and subsequent posts.]
[Further update. Bob/Bobo was George Lewis Cooke White. See More About Ethel 3 for further details. Ethel makes the comment 'Old Captain Cooke must have been like his grandson. It is a bit of a stretch to imagine that Bob/George is the grandson of British explorer Captain Cook (usually spelt without a final ‘e’ and died in 1779), but I think the use of ‘Cooke’ here is significant as it was one of George’s middle names and his mother’s maiden name. It provides further evidence that Bob/Bobo is George White.]
Ethel mentions "Bostal Heath" - this is a wooded area in Abbey Wood, not too far from Woolwich, where the McCanns had lived in England. She also describes Bob as looking like a hopper in Kent. Back then (and I can even remember it in the 1960s) some less affluent Londoners would take working holidays hop picking in Kent. Jack (presumably brother John Frederick) is addressing Peter as an "exemptee" - maybe that is a reference to him being exempt from army service.
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