Person:Joyce Moore (6)

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  Genealogy well done. Exemplary WeRelate page with excellent use of original sources.

Joyce Mary Moore was the only daughter and eldest of three children of Richmond Moore and Elizabeth Cameron Moore (née Abernethy). She was born on 7 April, 1903 at St. John’s Lodge, Wellington College, Crowthorne in Berkshire, England. Her father was an assistant master at the college (1885-1918).
Between 1924 and 1925, Miss Joyce Moore studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where she was enrolled in the French language acting class of Mme Alice Gachet. ^{S4 S5}

« Joyce Moore was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1924–1925, and carried of Irene Vanbrugh’s prize for French Leaveout. Understudied Angela Baddeley in “The Wild Duck”; Toured the provinces in “Peter Pan”, “The Farmer’s Wife”, and “Yellow Sands”; had an important part in the latter “Marigold” at the Kingsway Theatre, London, and deputised for her for a time; understudied Angela Baddeley in “Thunder on the Left”; played the part of Liza Lu in “Tess of the D’Urbervilles”; has appeared in a large number of other stage Plays, including “The Edge of Life”, “Liberty Hall”, “Alice in Wonderland”, the Stage Society production of “Chéri”, “Spring’s Awakening”, etc., also children’s and broadcast plays. She made her film debut in 1930 as Violet in “The Speckled Band”, produced by British Dominion Studios. »^S3

In 1932 (October 20) she married Lt-Cdr. Geoffrey Hugh Cary Askew, R.N., at the parish church of St. George in Hanover Square, London. He was the only son and eldest of three children of Claude Arthur Cary Askew and Alice Jane de Courcy Askew (née Leake). Alice and Claude Askew were the well known co-authors of over ninety books - before their tragic deaths in October 1917, when the ship they were travelling on together suffered a torpedo attack from a German submarine and sank in the Ionian Sea. On the 1st September, 1932 Geoffrey had retired from the Royal Navy. And thereafter he dedicated himself to writing and was the author of many short stories - some of which were published in a variety of magazines - particularly those specializing in mystery stories.

By the time of the birth of their first child and eldest daughter on 5 September 1934, they were living at No. 43 Priory Road, Hampstead, where Sally and then, almost two and half years later, her younger sister Felicity were both born. Felicity on 15 February 1937.

When the Second World War broke out, Geoffrey returned to service with the Royal Navy (Fleet Air Arm). At first from September 1939 to August 1942 at HMS St Vincent boys' training establishment at Gosport in Hampshire. And Joyce was left to continue raising their two young daughters by herself. And - as far as I know - doing little or no theatre work. Some time early in 1944, her husband was released from his duties as an Air Staff Officer, at HMS Landrail – a Royal Navy Air Station in Machrihanish, Argyllshire, where he had been since September 1942. I believe he had contracted tuberculosis there. And shortly afterwards would have then retired for a second time from the Navy. By around 1947 the whole family, including their now three children and Joyce’s widowed father, had moved to reside at Hill House, Spencer's Wood, near Reading in Berkshire. Under her stage name, Joyce Moore did some work for the BBC - particularly for its radio service: 'Children's Hour'. She also volunteered with the local Women's Institute - especially with some of the village's theatrical productions.

She took sick about a year after the death of her husband in October, 1962; and began a steady decline until her own death a little over five years later in January, 1968. She died at St. Anne’s Nursing Home, Wokingham; and was buried beside her husband at the Shinfield Cemetery in Spencers Wood.

'Lt Cdr Geoffrey Hugh Carey Askew R.N. and Joyce Mary née Moore'
—edited copy of an original photograph taken at their wedding on 20 Oct 1932 at St George Hanover Square, London
~ photographer unknown; but original copy stamped on the back: "Portman Press Bureau, 17 Thayer Street, Manchester Sq. W.1. Folio 13787"

'Miss Joyce Moore,actress'
—edited copy of an undated studio portrait photograph (14.2cm by 19cm), probably c. mid-1920s, from the studio of Claude Harris (1883-1961) at 122-124 Regent Street, W.1.

'Miss Joyce Moore,actress'
—edited copy of an undated studio portrait photograph, probably c. 1925, and signed by Raphael. The original (14.5cm by 20cm) is enclosed within a folder, bearing the signature Raphael and the address: 1 Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, S.W.1.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 'Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth' - Given at the General Register Office.

   Registration District: Easthampstead / 1901 Birth in the Sub-district of Sandhurst in the County of Berks.
   « No: 335 | When and where born: Seventh April 1903 St John's Lodge Crowthorne R.D. | Name, if any: Joyce Mary | Sex: Girl | Name and surname of father: Richmond Moore | Name, surname and maiden surname of mother: Elizabeth Cameron Moore formerly Abernethy | Occupation of father: Assistant Master at Wellington College | Signature, description and residence of informant: Richmond Moore Father St John's Lodge Crowthorne | When registered: Fourteenth May 1903 | Signature of registrar: Herbert Watts Registrar »
   Accessed on: a 'Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth' - Given at the General Register Office (GRO) under the Seal of the said Office, the 31st day of August 2004.

2. ↑ 1911 Census, in Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA.

   « Wellington College Public School, Crowthorne, Berkshire > Richmond Moore (52), Elizabeth Cameron Moore (47), his ‘wife’ & Joyce Mary Moore, daughter (7), Richmond Alexander Peter Moore, son (5), Robert William Alfred Moore, son (3); …. »

3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 Joyce Moore, in Publicity biography, written in both German and English, with a photo by Navana Ltd. W.C.2.

   Below photograph "phot: Navana Ltd." :-
   « JOYCE MOORE / 39, Middle Way, London, N.W.11 / T: Speedwell 6545 / X: —11: 13—14 »
   In German:
   « Joyce Moore bereitete sich 1924 bis 1925 an der Royal Academy of Dramatic Art auf ihren Künstlerberuf vor. Sie machte dann eine Tournee durch die Provinzen mit „Peter Pan“, „The Farmer's Wife“ und „Yellow Sands“. In dem Ietztgenannten Stück spielte sie eine tragende Rolle auch in New York, wo sie einen großen Erfolg für sich buchen konnte. Wiederholt studierte Joyce Moore Rollen, die Angela Baddeley spielte, so für „The Wild Duck“, „Marigold“ und „Thunder on the Left“. In „Marigold“, am Kingsway-Theater in London, sprang sie wirklich für Angela Baddeley ein und errang einen großen Erfolg. Weiter war sie erfolgreich in „Tess of the D'Urbervilles“, „The Edge of Life“, „Liberty Hall“, „Alice in Wonderland“, „Chéri“, „Spring's Awakening“ und vielen anderen. Im Jahre 1930 debütierte Joyce Moore beim Film, und zwar als Violet in „The Speckled Band“ (British Dominion Studios). »
   In English:
   « Joyce Moore was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1924–1925, and carried of Irene Vanbrugh’s prize for French Leaveout. Understudied Angela Baddeley in “The Wild Duck”; Toured the provinces in “Peter Pan”, “The Farmer’s Wife”, and “Yellow Sands”; had an important part in the latter “Marigold” at the Kingsway Theatre, London, and deputised for her for a time; understudied Angela Baddeley in “Thunder on the Left”; played the part of Liza Lu in “Tess of the D’Urbervilles”; has appeared in a large number of other stage Plays, including “The Edge of Life”, “Liberty Hall”, “Alice in Wonderland”, the Stage Society production of “Chéri”, “Spring’s Awakening”, etc., also children’s and broadcast plays. She made her film debut in 1930 as Violet in “The Speckled Band”, produced by British Dominion Studios. »
   >
   Note: I have no idea what is really meant by the phrase (in the English version only): "and carried of Irene Vanbrugh’s prize for French Leaveout." No amount of Googling has come up with an answer so far! Certainly nothing on either the RADA website or any online biography of Irene Vanbrugh reveals anything about this supposed prize in her name. What exactly is "French Leaveout"? Any help on this would be most appreciated! —R.C.A. (robinca)

4.   Alice Gachet, in Remember with Advantages - Chasing 'The Fugitive' and Other Stories from an Actor's Life, by Barry Morse, with Anthony Wynne and Rbert E. Wood, Forward by Martin Landau. 2006, - McFarland and Company Inc, Publishers, Jefferson, North Carolina, p.35 - in its Chapter 3, titled "Curiously Touching".

   « ... In particular, I was attached to the classes given by Alice Gachet, a French lady who had been with the Comédie-Française in Paris. It was she who had trained the great actor Charles Laughton, who had first drawn my attention to the Royal Academy. He, when he had been at the Academy, had been in her French class and had blossomed to such an extent that at the height of his fame—not long after he won the Oscar—he went to France and played in French with the company at the Comédie-Française, and slew them! So I thought, "I must get into Alice Gachet's class and work in French." But of course, I didn't know any French! So I started to go, in whatever time I could steal—I always seemed to have had a kind of 23-hour-a-day schedule—to evening classes in order to learn enough French to get me through the rehearsals with Madame Gachet the following day. These evening classes were given by the LCC—the London County Council—and were elementary lessons in French meant for the so-called deserving students. I represented myself as deserving, and I can still remember some of the lines from a character I played called Albert in a French play the title of which loosely translates into Love's Lunacies. I recall precisely the entire final speech from that play, which I learned way back in 1935 as a student. I felt that was all very beneficial. It certainly was when I got to Canada many years later and started to actually work in French. .... »
   Accessed 07/04/2021 at: books.google.ca

5.   Alice Gachet - obituary, in The Stage - Thursday, November 3, 1960, p.17.

   Obituary: ALICE GACHET
   « ALICE MARY [sic]* GACHET DE LA FOURN1ERE, the actress and producer, died on October 27. She taught French acting at RADA, among her private pupils being John Gielgud.
   Brian Oulton writes:**
   One evening last week, “suddenly and peacefully,” Alice Gachet died of heart failure. It was a perfect exit, for she was as alert, as wise, and as joyous as ever when she made it. She was always too youthful to grow old, too buoyant to know decline, and too brave to be defeated by illness. She was the warmest and wittiest of companions, and the truest and most admirable of friends.
   But there was one thing that this unselfish woman never realised the grief that would spread through the English theatre at the news of her death. For she was unique as a personality and as a teacher. She appeared in West End plays, such as “Men in Shadow” and “Old Acquaintance.” She directed French plays at the Arts and English ones at the “Q.” But it was as the French producer at the RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) that she won her lasting fame. She was the greatest teacher of French acting to English students that it is possible to imagine.
   Some of our most famous players were her pupils, and all would acknowledge their debt to her. When Charles Laughton appeared at the Comédie Francaise, he did not hesitate to give her the credit for his triumph. She was a great ambassador for her country. It is safe to say that whenever the countless English players who knew and loved her speak of the French Theatre, Gachet will be in all their minds. »
   Accessed 07/04/2021 at > britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/
   * Alice Gachet had two middle names: Maud (after her mother) and Marguerite. See: Alice Gachet
   ** Brian Oulton (1908-1992) was an English "character actor", who made his acting debut in 1939. > Brian Oulton on Wikipedia

6. ↑ Joyce Moore, in Ancestry.com: UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960 [database on-line].

   « Name: Joyce Moore / Gender: Female / Age: 24 / Birth Date: abt 1903 /
   Departure Date: 23 Aug 1927 / Port of Departure: Southampton, England /
   Destination Port: New York, USA / Ship Name: Republic / Shipping Line: United States Lines / Master: Captain A B Randall »
   Accessed on 07/07/2019 at: search.ancestry.co.uk
   Original data:
   Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Outwards Passenger Lists. BT27. Records of the Commercial, Companies, Labour, Railways and Statistics Departments. Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England.

7. ↑ Joyce Moore, in Wikipedia: Yellow Sands (play).

   « Yellow Sands is a play which opened at the Haymarket Theatre, London on 3 November 1926, where it ran for 610 performances, and at the Fulton Theatre, New York City on 10 September 1927, where it ran for 25 performances, closing in October 1927.
   Yellow Sands was written by Eden Phillpotts and his daughter Adelaide Phillpotts, produced by Sir Barry Jackson and directed by H. K. Ayliff.
   The production marked the London debut of Sir Ralph Richardson.
   It was adapted for a film, Yellow Sands, in 1938.
   Opening Night Cast (New York):
   Reginald Bach, Florence Barnes, Eileen Beldon, Madge Burbage, Arthur Claremont, Wilson Colman, Jack Livesey, Lester Matthews, Joyce Moore, Nellie Sheffield, Winnie Tempest. »
   Accessed on 07/07/2019 at: wikipedia.org
   This article includes a link to an image of the original New York playbill > playbill.com. Here Joyce Moore is shown as playing the part of Lydia Blake. And no sign of Ralph Richardson in the New York cast.

8. ↑ Joyce Moore, in Ancestry.com: Ancestry.com. UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960 [database on-line].

   « Name: Joyce Moore / Birth Date: abt 1903 / Age: 24 /
   Port of Departure: New York, New York, United States /
   Arrival Date: 12 Oct 1927 / Port of Arrival: Plymouth, England / Ship Name: President Harding / Shipping Line: United States Line »
   Accessed on 07/07/2019 at: ancestry.co.uk
   Source Citation:
   The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Inwards Passenger Lists.; Class: BT26; Piece: 852
   Original data: Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Inwards Passenger Lists. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA). Series BT26, 1,472 pieces.

9. ↑ 'Certified Copy of an Entry of Death' - Given at the General Register Office.

   Registration District: Wokingham / 1962 Death in the Sub-district of Wokingham in the County of Berkshire.
   « No: 475 | When and where died: Twelfth January 1968 St. Annes Nursing Home Wokingham | Name and surname: Joyce ASKEW | Sex female | Age: 64 years | Occupation: of Hill House Spencers Wood Reading Widow of Geoffrey Hugh Carey ASKEW Lt. Commander Royal Navy (Retired) | Cause of death: 1a Presenile dementia b. Cerebral athero Sclerosis Certified by D.M. Fraser M.B. | Signature, description and residence of informant: Julia O'Regan Causing the body to be buried St. Annes Nursing Home Wokingham | When registered: Fifteenth January 1968 | Signature of registrar: K. Pointow Registrar »
   Accessed on: a 'Certified Copy of An Entry of Death' - Given at the General Register Office (GRO) under the Seal of the said Office, the 24th day of July 2006.