Fiction
Marianne Colloms and Dick Weindling in "History of Kilburn and West Hampstead", 27 May 2021
Fiction
Dick Weindling quoted by Tom Foot in "Camden New Journal", 27 May 2021
Fiction
Dick Weindling quoted by Tom Foot in "Camden New Journal", 27 May 2021
Fact
A simple search in the British Newspaper Archive (screenshot above) immediately revealed a reference to Lillie Langtry in connection with Alexandra Road, published by the Hampstead News in May 1950 and which predates the Evening Standard (1965) The Times and The Daily Telegraph (1971) articles referred to above. More details below.
Transcript
"Before leaving Alexandra Road, I came across the
interesting fact that at one time the street could boast that it housed no less
a personage than Lillie Langtry, the famous English actress who, it may be
remembered, made her debut in London in 1881 as Kate Hardcastle in "She
Stoops to Conquer". Famed also for her beauty, she reigned supreme until
her death in 1929. She twice toured the U.S.A. and "Lady Windermere's
Fan" was specially written for her by Oscar Wilde. She lived at Leighton
House, which has a covered canopy leading from the gate above the marble stairs
to the front door. Another, and perhaps more intimate personality in Hampstead
who lived in this road was Mr Frederick Scarsbrook, co-founder of the "Hampstead News" who died in 1948 at the age of 93
years. A previous occupier of his house, incidentally, was Miss L.
Streetly-Smith, at one time editor of this newspaper."
Possible Implications
Considering Mr Frederick Scarsbrook, co-founder of the "Hampstead News", lived at 81 Alexandra Road (between 1933 and 1948) AND that before him, Miss L. Streetly-Smith - the chief editor of the same newspaper - lived in the same house, other inferences are possible …
Miss Streetly-Smith passed away in 1933, but the evidence (below) indicates that she was already living there in November 1914 …
Could it be possible that Miss Streetly-Smith may have become aware of the legend from
the moment she came to live in Alexandra Road? We know she was living in nearby Belsize Road in 1901 ...
The house where she lived in Alexandra Road (81) happened to be on the same side of the street and a short walk from Leighton House (103), an otherwise eye-catching building ...
Add to it the fact journalists tend to be rather curious by nature. Curiosity being after all, the raison d'être of their métier …
This is, of course, a research hypothesis (ongoing) but the undeniable fact is that the legend of Lillie Langtry and Leighton House, was already known to the press by 1950 and, possibly, as far back as 1914 or earlier, which means that there could have been residents in Alexandra Road that at the time remembered Lillie - and the Prince's days - or nights, as the case may be.
In Sum:
The assumption that it was all invented "in the 1960s (1965 to be precise) by a Greek actress (tour director, in fact) - trying to save her home from demolition" (really?) as it was alleged by the two local historians, supported by a laureate genealogist, and disseminated by the local and mainstream press - not to mention the 'Pedia - is simply at odds with the facts …
Other references:
Source: The British Newspaper Archive
Addenda:
* Mr Dick Weindling quoted by Tom Foot in the "Camden New Journal, 27 May
There could be a plausible explanation or two, for the scarcity of earlier records. Again, I draw the readers' attention to my post:
