Document ID ET-D504

Archive Location ET PROGS ET-D418a-551;561a-589, 1916 (BL) Loan 125/23A/5
Document description programme
Date 27 June 1916
Document form D - Programme
Document attributes Annotated
Corporate Body The St Pancras School for Mothers
Production Date(s) Tuesday June 27th 1916
Venue Savoy Theatre
Venue address Strand
Time of performance 2.30pm
Stage Manager Tom Reynolds
General notes Matinee charity entertainment. Programme was a gift from Mrs H. B. Irving to Ellen Terry.
Language English

Works Cited

Title The Van Dyck
Original author Cosmo Gordon Lennox
Title Duologue
Original author Edward Knoblaugh
Title [Much Ado About Nothing]
Original author [William Shakespeare]
Title The Constant Lover
Original author Mrs St John Hankin
7 scanned images
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Mr. H. R. Irving. Matinee, June 27th, 1916 in aid of The St. Pancras School for Mothers. [annotated]: From Mrs H. B. Irving to E.T. Dearest Miss Terry. With love and gratitude from the 520 babies whom she has helped so sweetly. ?? Dorothea.

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Savoy Theatre Matinee on Tuesday, June 27th, at 2.30 p.m. Under the Direct Patronage of H.R.H. Princess Henry of Battenberg. In Aid of the St. Pancras School for Mothers. During every hour of 1915 we were losing ten soldiers and eleven babies. The soldiers' deaths we could not prevent, but a large number of the infant lives could have been saved. Because of ignorance which is curable, because of improper conditions which are remedial, we lose these babies who ought to grow up strong and healthy citizens, ready to work for their country, and we allow their brothers and sisters who survive to grow up as weaklings, handicapped in mind and body, and unfitted to take their place as useful citizens. Experts tell us that half of these deaths might be prevented, and that the simple hygienic measures which prevent death in babyhood are also the measures which lay the foundations in strong and healthy minds and in sound bodies, for those who survive to be our future men and women. What the St. Pancras school is doing to save the babies. The house and garden stands in the centre of a densely-populated neighbourhood. All day long it is crowded like a hive with mothers and babies – the busy bees coming in to find the homey of health and strength. We have three doctors, consultations for mothers and babies, an ante-natal clinic for expectant mothers, a dental clinic for mothers and children up to 5 years old, classes and lectures on home nursing, infant care, first-aid and housewifery, an expectant-mothers "at home" on Monday afternoon, sewing, cutting-out, knitting, mending and cookery classes. There is an addition a Belgian babies' clinic and an observation nursery which is open all day for children who are not thriving or whose mothers are temporarily unable to look after them from illness. Here the mothers come and learn how to feed their babies properly and watch their children's improvement, owing to teaching of regularity, cleanliness and order, on which so much proper nursery hygiene depends. President: Her Grace The Duchess of Marlborough, Chairman: Lady Meyer, Hon. Treasurers: H. B. Irving, Esq. E. Dunmore. Esq. Hon. Sec.: Mrs. Alys Russell. Organising Hon. Sec. for Matinee: Mrs. H. B. Irving, Savoy Theatre, Strand. Patrons: Her Grace The Duchess of Rutland, Her Grace Adeline Duchess of Bedford, The Lady Northcliffe, Lady Hall, Mrs. Asquith, The Duke of Rutland, The Rt. Rev. The Lord Bishop of London, Sir Thomas Barlow, K.C.V.O., M.D.

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A fine afternoon in the "Welcome" Garden. Find Miss Ellen Terry among the babies. Copy of a letter from a St. Pancras mother. October 10th, 1915. "I am going to Miss Clementson's cooking classes every Thursday and learning many useful things. We are going to learn food values, etc. Miss Clementson is a very nice lady, and doesn't mind telling us anything to help us. She is also the teacher at the needlework class on Monday, and has shown me how to make a shirt for one of my boys (the hungry one). I am very proud of it, as it is the best I have ever done. I also attend Miss Bennett's classes, and have learned many interesting and useful things I had never heard before. I begin to feel like an old member. I have met two or three mothers that know me a trifle, so am more at home now, and am truly thankful for that issue of Answers that was the means of knowing you and the St. Pancras School, whose ladies are so kind and whose teaching are so helpful. I wish I had joined long ago. My husband is still in France. He will be surprised to know all the good things I am learning when he comes home. Mothers learning how to measure and make up baby's feeds in the nursery. "Where did you come from, baby dear?" "Out of the everywhere into the here." "How did you come to us, you dear?" "God thought about you and so I came here."

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Programme. 1. The Carlton-Mason Septette March – "Pomp and Circumstances" – Elgar. 2. Mr. H. B. Irving "The Van Dyck". A Comedy-Farce in One Act by Cosmo Gordon Lennox. Arthur Blair Woldingham – Mr. H. B. Irving, John Peters – Mr. Tom Reynolds, Dr. Porter – Mr. James Lindsay. Scene – A Sitting-Room in a Flat. 3. Mr. Fred Wright – Selections from his Repertoire. 4. Miss Jean Stirling Mackinlay – In Old Song and Ballads. Accompanied by Mr. Kenneth Mackinlay. 5. Mr. Fred Emney – "An Old Lady". 6. Miss Irene Vanbrugh – Recitation with Music. "The Barrell Organ" By Alfred Noyes. Music by Herbert E. Haines. 7. Miss Glady's Cooper and Mr. Charles Hawtrey A Duologue. By Edward Knoblauch. She – Miss Gladys Copper, He – Mr. Charles Hawtrey. Scene – A Government Office. Interval. 8. The Carlton-Mason Septette, Selection – "Faust" – Gounod. 9. Mrs. H. B. Irving will speak. 10. Mr. Ben Davies Songs – (a) "To Mary" – Maude V. White, (b) "In Sympathy" – Leoni. 11. Mr. George Robey – Selections from his Repertoire, 12. Miss Isolde Menges, Violin Solos – (a) "Nocturne in E flat" – Chopin Wilhelmji (b) "Praeludium and Allegro" – Pugnani-Kreisler. 13. Sir George Alexander will speak. 14. Miss Ellen Terry. [annotation] Both in tiny Scene "Much Ado" 15. Mr. Dennis Eadie and Miss Mary Glynne "The Constant Lover". By Mrs. St. John Hankin. Cecil Harburton – Mr. Dennis Eadie, Evelyn Rivers – Miss Mary Glynne. 16. Mr. Henry Ainley – Recitations. God Save The King. Stage Manager – Mr. Tom Reynolds, Assistant Stage Manager – Mr. N. R. Montague.

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Children are the spring flowers of humanity. They need the rain of our benevolence and the sunshine of our love. Hall Caine 8/June/916. "Mrs. Durbeyfield was balanced on one foot beside the tub, the other being engaged in the aforesaid business of rocking her youngest child. The cradle-rockers had done hard duty for so many years, under the weight of so many children, on that flagstone floor, that they were worn nearly flat in consequence of which a huge jerk accompanied each swing of the cot, flinging the baby from side to side like a weaver's shuttle, as Mrs. Durbeyfield, excited by her song, trod the rocker with all the spring that was left in her after a long day's seething in the suds. The cradle rocking would cease for a moment, and an exclamation at highest vocal pitch would take its place. "God bless thy diment eyes! And thy waxen cheeks! And thy cherry mouth! And thy cubit's thighs! And every bit of thy blessed body!" Yuomar Hardy. Good mothers make good sons, good sons make good fathers, good fathers make all they can. [?] "It is a fearsome thing for a man to be left alone in the dead of night with a young baby." (The joyous adventures of [?] [?] ) Therefor let us encourage mothers. W. L. Locke. Dieu s'est det' Je we beut pas e'tre bartout – et il crea la mere. Favorit [?] [?] Belloc [?]. The [?] what it is, the rights of the [?] home to be considered. We make a [?] fuss [?] man or woman is unkind to baby but the [?] often [?] are how [?] financially [?] to the unkindness [?]. [?] [?] Let every mothers [?] [?] she looks at her [?] [?] that she is gazing upon. "The baby figure of the [?] mass of things to come". What things shall come, as a [?] of the struggle now taking place, is in a large measure [?] [?] ; and any movement [?] for its [?] the [?] awakening of [?] to [?] [?] and [?] [?] calls for eager support. [?] [?]. You are [?] [?] St [?], opening flowers to grow instead of weeds good luck to your work, now and always. W. Pett Rudge. "A vast multitude of children of untainted blood and good mental and moral possibilities die yearly through insufficient food, insufficient good air, and insufficient attention. These poor little souls are born, amidst tears and suffering they gain such love as they may, they learn to feel and suffer, they struggle and cry for food, for air, for the right to develop; they fight their pitiful little battle for life against the cruellest odds, and they are beaten. Battered, emaciated, pitiful, they are thrust out of life, borne out of our regardless world, stiff little lifesoiled sacrifices to the spirit of disorder against which it is man's pre-eminent duty to battle. "There has been all the pain in their lives, there has been the radiated pain of their misery, there has been the waste of their grudged and insufficient food, and the pain and labour of their mothers, and all the world is the sadder for them because they have lived in vain. H. G. Wells. "Mankind In The Making." A true woman loves little children, her own – and others. [?] [?].

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The very best thanks are due to the following who have so kindly given their services. To Mr. H. B. Irving for lending the Theatre. To the Artistes taking part in the Matinee, To the Authors for their messages for the Programme, To Mr. Tom Reynolds for his services as Stage Manager, To the Ladies who are selling Programmes, To Miss Lilla Dunbar for Press Work, To Mr. Bertram and Members of the Staff of the Theatre, To The Theatre Attendants, To the Housekeeper and her Staff of Cleaners, To the Printers, The Haycock-Cadle Company, Camberwell and J. Deakin, of Loughborough. Programme Sellers under the direction of the Baroness Percy de Worms. Miss Astbury, Miss Hilda Bayley, Mrs. York Bowen, Miss Mary Glynne, Miss Hansard, Miss May Holland, The Hon. Anna Lawrence, Miss Joyce Lawrence, Miss le Mesurier, Miss Pollock, Miss E. Pollock, Miss Scudmore, Miss Jessie Winter.Printed by the Haycock-Cadle Co., Neate Street, Camerwell, S.E.

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Document ID: ET-D504 Archive location: ET PROGS ET-D418a-551;561a-589, 1916 (BL) Loan 125/23A/5