Bertha Mary Willmott (16 September 1894 – 3 June 1973)Bertha Willmott

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

database was a British actress, comedienne, singer and

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

performer. She was born in

West Ham West Ham is a district in East London, England and is in the London Borough of Newham. It is an inner-city suburb located east of Charing Cross. The area was originally an ancient parish formed to serve parts of the older Manor of Ham, a ...

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

in 1894, the second of four daughters of Henry Benjamin Willmott (1863 - 1929), an engine fitter, and his wife Bertha Vivian (1872-1953), who married in 1891. When she was a girl at a London convent school the nuns encouraged and commenced her vocal training, which she continued at the London School of Music. At age 14 she became well known in the provinces for her Irish songs in costume. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

she appeared in the revue ''Razzle-Dazzle'' which opened in June 1916 at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...

where it ran for 408 performances. She spent much of her leisure singing for the soldiers. While playing in the chorus at the Empire Theatre in

Leicester Square Leicester Square ( ) is a pedestrianised town square, square in the West End of London, England, and is the centre of London's entertainment district. It was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields, which was named after the recently built Leice ...

in 1918 she met Reginald Thomas Bishop Seymour (1895-1962), a Lieutenant in the

Royal Garrison Artillery The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Artillery, Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse ...

. They married three months later at

Romford Romford is a large List of places in London, town in east London, east London, England, located northeast of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Havering, the town is one of the major Metropolitan centres of London, metropolitan centr ...

. From about 1939 the couple ran the Spinney Hill Hotel in

Northampton Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...

. They had one son, Donald Henry Thomas Bishop Seymour (1920 - 1999). At about this time Willmott turned to comedy, and in 1924 she made her first radio broadcast from

Savoy Hill Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Valley i ...

. Billed as "The Radio Comedy Girl with a Voice", she scored success after success, especially with her contributions to the ''Old Time Music Hall'' series. In 1931 she appeared in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

radio musical show ''The Ridgeway Parade'', while in 1935 she was in the British

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

''. From the 1920s through to the 1940s Willmott released a number of recordings, including 'Maggie! - Yes, Ma!' (1923), 'Mum And Dad And The Nipper' (1932), 'No ! No ! A Thousand Times No !' (1935), 'Live And Love Another Day' (1937), ' Bless 'Em All' (1940) and 'You'll Be Far Better Off In A Home' (1942). Willmott made an early appearance in the new medium of television on 4 January 1937 in ''The Two Leslies and Bertha Willmott'' for the BBC Television Service. In 1938 she appeared with

Seymour Hicks Sir Edward Seymour Hicks (30 January 1871 – 6 April 1949), better known as Seymour Hicks, was a British actor, music hall performer, playwright, actor-manager and producer. He became known, early in his career, for writing, starring in and p ...

and

Ellaline Terriss Mary Ellaline Terriss, Lady Hicks (born Mary Ellaline Lewin, 13 April 1871 – 16 June 1971), known professionally as Ellaline Terriss, was a popular British actress and singer, best known for her performances in Edwardian musical comedies. Sh ...

in the BBC radio broadcast of ''George Edwardes'', an "illustrated biography" of the Edwardian musical impresario. In 1941 she sang music hall favourites in a BBC radio broadcast for military personnel serving during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, while in 1943 she played The Singer in ''

Millions Like Us ''Millions Like Us'' is a 1943 British propaganda film, showing life in a wartime aircraft factory in documentary detail. It stars Patricia Roc, Gordon Jackson, Anne Crawford, Basil Radford, Naunton Wayne, Moore Marriott and Eric Portman. ...

'', a war-time British propaganda film. In April 1944 Willmott was among the cast of ''

Variety Bandbox ''Variety Bandbox'' is a BBC Radio variety show transmitted initially in the General Forces Programme and then the Light Programme. Featuring a mixture of comic performances and music, the show helped to launch the careers of a number of leadi ...

'' broadcast by BBC radio. In 1953 she appeared in the popular

light entertainment programme '' The Good Old Days''. In the same year she was the Queen Ratling of the Grand Order of Lady Ratlings,Bertha Willmott, Queen Ratling
Our History - The Grand Order of Lady Ratlings a branch of the show-business charity the

Grand Order of Water Rats The Grand Order of Water Rats is a British entertainment industry fraternity and charitable organisation based in London. Founded in 1889 by the music hall comedians Joe Elvin and Jack Lotto, the order is known for its high-profile membership an ...

. Bertha Willmott Seymour died in 1973 in

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Willmott, Bertha 1894 births 1973 deaths Actors from the London Borough of Newham English women comedians English women singers British music hall performers British vaudeville performers English television actresses English film actresses Comedians from Essex Actresses from Essex People from West Ham Comedians from the London Borough of Newham