The Family

The Hepworth Family Tree

I do not know who in Weybridge (now Elmbridge) Museum generated this document in 1985 - but am grateful for it!

The Hepworth Family in 1881

At the time of the 1881 Census the Hepworth family was living at 37 St Pauls Crescent, St. Pancras, London and they were:

• Thomas C. Hepworth 36
• Sarah M. Hepworth 39
• Cecil M. Hepworth 7
• Grace D. Hepworth 5
• Effie M. Hepworth 4
• Mary E. Smith 17  (a servant?)

1891 Census entry shows the Hepworth family with Cecil Milton, aged 17, living at 43, St. Augustines Road, St. Pancras (Camden Town) with:

• father Thomas Craddock Hepworth,
• mother, Sarah Margaret (nee Stevens)
• sister Grace Dora [Dorothy] (16),
• sister Effie Mildred (14),
• sister Margaret Evelyn (9),
• brother Clive Craddock (6).

and two servants Elisa Humpreys (18) and Emily Grace Crimp (18). That's nine people in a pretty small house.

Thomas is shown as a Newspaper Proprietor and Public Lecturer. I wonder which newspaper that was?

This census entry show CMH as being born in Lewisham, Kent - it's well into London now!

Their neighbours were a piano tuner on one side, and a provisions merchant on the other.

A map of the location is to the left. It's just behind the now-restored St. Pancras Station, a magnificent Victorian building, but at the time Hepworth lived there it must have been filthy dirty, being sandwiched between the sooty station, smelly gasworks, and stinking canal, in some dense housing.

The BFI erected an plaque at 32 Cantelowes Road, Camden, where Hepworth spent time as a child. Records of his residence there are sought.

The 1901 census shows the family was still living together but had moved to 10 Lysias Road, Streatham, South London.

The census shows

• Father Thomas Hepworth age 56, son of a barmaid born in Co. Durham, occupation School Lecturer
• Cecil Hepworth, cinematographer, age 27, (born in Lewisham)
• Effie Hepworth age 24
• Grace Hepworth age 25
• Clive Cradock (16) occupation Commercial Clerk, born in Camden Town.
• Jessie Saunders, Servant, completes the household.

The Family Tree above suggests that Margaret Evelyn was nicknamed Kitty. At this time, she would have been about 19 and might have by then married Stanley Bartlett and moved elsewhere - I wonder where? Some more detective work is needed to generate definitive proof.

Hepworth also lived at 17 Somerset Gardens, Streatham, South London and it has a "Maroon Plaque" commemorating Cecil's residence there - a nice touch.  More information is needed of his time there.

Moving on a few years, Cecil married and had his own family.

I haven't find out much about them yet.
Can you help?

CMH's first wife was Margaret Hope McGuffie, and they were married in March 1902 in Chapel En Le Frith, Derbyshire. According to age old tradition, the marriage took place in the spouse's parish.

Mrs.Hepworth acted in some of the films.

• Daughter Elizabeth Barbara Hepworth (b.4/12/1904  d.July 1997) (star of Rescued by Rover in 1904, mentioned in “Came the Dawn”, and NOT the famous sculptress)
• Daughter Blanche Margaret Hepworth (b. 1907 d.?)
• Son Thomas Andrew Hepworth (b.1910 ish d.?) – As was traditional he was named after his grandfather.
• Dog Blair (star of Rescued by Rover in 1904, mentioned in “Came the Dawn”)
• Dog Paul (in picture with Blair and small child).

Although nothing is known about Margaret's birth and home life, and little about marriage to Cecil, but she died at the age of 43 in October 1917 (mentioned very briefly in "Came the Dawn") leaving Cecil, also 43, with a young family to care for. It is thought she may have died of breast cancer.  Cecil does not discuss the hardship he must have experienced associated with this sad event.

Elmbridge Borough records show the family living in Sydney Road, Walton on Thames for several years - this is a short walk to the location of the studios in Hurst Grove. Today, the area has been rebuilt but Hepworth Way commemorates the studios. There are few remaining signs of the studios apart from the Walton Playhouse, which has a great story to tell.

 Marriage and Death Certificate Details are Sought for Margaret Hope Hepworth

Cecil married again on 30th April 1929 to Olive Elizabeth "Betty" Walter, a local Walton girl. She gave her age as 25 and he was 55. At the time CMH gave his profession as "electrician" - following the collapse of the studios a few years before. There is a wonderful story of how they met - he was conducting "The Mikado", the first performance of the Walton and Weybridge Operatic Society (still going strong today) and she was the leading lady. The production was at The Playhouse in Walton, where they both lived. Hepworth supported the Society for many years afterwards.

During this time he lived at "Combe Moss", a house in Sidney Road, Walton, and had lived there for some time. It is not know whether it exists today.

Hepworth's autobiography in 1951 implies he re-married – but he was a bit vague about it. There is a report of the wedding in "The Times" (coming soon) which is rather scandalous for the time!

They went to live in Hampstead, and later may have moved to the Pinner area.

This marriage seems to have been rocky, since Betty left him for another man, leaving Cecil a single parent, quite unusual for the time. However, Betty returned some years later and Cecil took her back.
More of this later!

This marriage produced Valerie Williamson (b.1932, d. 8 October 2009), and despite being born after the studio closure, took an active interest in her father's films throughout her life. In recent years, Valerie attended a showing of several films at the Walton Playhouse, accompanied by music specially commissioned by Surrey Brass. Learn more here

• Val Williamson Obituary in The Guardian
• Val Williamson obituary for Giornate Del Cinema Muto written by The Cinema Museum