Joyce Irene (Phipps) Grenfell OBE (1910 - 1979)

Born 10 Feb 1910 in Knightsbridge, London, England

Ancestors

Wife of Reginald Pascoe Grenfell — married 1929 in Westminster, London, England

Died 30 Nov 1979 at age 69 in Chelsea Registration District, London, England

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Biography

Joyce (Phipps) Grenfell OBE is Notable.

Joyce Irene Phipps was born on 10 February 1910 in Knightsbridge, London, England to Paul Phipps and Norah (Langhorne) Phipps. ^[1] Her father was an architect, and her paternal great-grandfather (Charles Paul Phipps) became High Sheriff of Wiltshire. Her mother was a socialite, and Joyce's maternal grandfather (Chiswell Langhorne) was an American railway millionaire. Joyce's maternal aunt was the Viscountess Nancy Astor.

1911 census: London, England ^[2]

Joyce grew up in London, becoming close friends with Virginia Graham - later a writer, critic, and poet, who wrote Joyce's entry in the ODNB (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography). ^[3]

After attending finishing school in Paris, Joyce attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), but decided against becoming an actress. She was presented at Court (Buckingham Palace) in 1928.

In 1929, Joyce married Reginald Pascoe Grenfell in Westminster, London, England. ^[4] They were a devoted couple, but were not able to have children.

After her poetry was published in Punch magazine, she became the first radio critic for the newspaper The Guardian. She soon became extremely successful as a 'diseuse' (a French word meaning 'dramatic monologist'). ^[5] During World War II, Joyce continued to appear in revues, radio series, and films ^[6], and also wrote songs. She also performed for Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) which provided entertainment for the troops during the war, and toured Algeria, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Malta, and Sicily. In 1946, she was created Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her war work. ^[7]

"George - don't do that..."
After the war had ended, Joyce appeared in the revue Sigh No More, written by Noel Coward (a family friend). In 1947, Joyce began creating her six Nursery School monologues, where she appeared as a harassed nursery school teacher, with the memorable phrase "George - don't do that..." (It was never revealed what 'George' was doing, but Joyce managed to hint that it was something fairly dreadful/disgusting purely from her faintly disapproving tone of voice.)

In 1954, Joyce presented her first solo West End show: Joyce Grenfell Requests the Pleasure, where she satirised 20 different women, and received excellent reviews. ^[8] UK tours and a year in London were followed by sellout performances on Broadway.

Joyce appeared in several films, but the one she will be remembered for is as Sergeant Ruby Gates in the St Trinian's series. Sergeant Gates was presented as a socially awkward, gangly policewoman.

After many years of touring, Joyce developed cancer in her eye, which was replaced with a glass one. She became fatally ill in October 1979, died on 30 November, ^[9] and her ashes were scattered at Golders Green cemetery on 4 December. She would have been made a Dame Commander (DBE) in the 1980 New Year's Honours list. However, in February 1980, a memorial service was held at Westminster Abbey.

Stage Performances

• Ensa Tour, Baghdad; Setif, Algeria (1944)
• Sigh No More, Piccadilly Theatre, London (1945)
• Tuppence Coloured at the Globe Theatre, London (1947)
• The Little Revue (1949)
• Penny Plain at St Martin's Theatre, London (1951–52)
• Joyce Grenfell Requests the Pleasure at the Fortune and St Martin's, London (1954)
• Joyce Grenfell in an evening of monologues and songs at the Haymarket, London (1962)

Filmography

• A Letter from Home (1941 short) – American Mother
• The Demi-Paradise (1943) – Sybil Paulson
• The Lamp Still Burns (1943) – Dr. Barrett
• While the Sun Shines (1947) – Daphne
• Alice in Wonderland (1949) – Ugly Duchess / Dormouse
• Poet's Pub (1949) – Miss Horsefell-Hughes
• Tuppence Coloured (1949 TV movie)
• A Run for Your Money (1949) – Mrs. Pargiet
• Stage Fright (1950) – 'Lovely Ducks'
• The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950) – Miss Gossage
• The Galloping Major (1951) – Maggie the Waitress
• Laughter in Paradise (1951) – Elizabeth Robson
• The Magic Box (1951) – Mrs. Claire
• Penny Plain (1952 TV movie)
• The Pickwick Papers (1952) – Mrs. Leo Hunter
• Genevieve (1953) – Hotel Proprietress
• The Million Pound Note (1953) – Duchess of Cromarty
• Forbidden Cargo (1954) – Lady Flavia Queensway

Grenfell as Sgt Gates being Miss Crawley

• The Belles of St Trinian's (1954) – P.W. Sgt. Ruby Gates
• The Good Companions (1957) – Lady Parlitt
• Blue Murder at St Trinian's (1957) – Sergeant Ruby Gates
• Happy Is the Bride (1958) – Aunt Florence
• The Pure Hell of St Trinian's (1960) – Sergeant Ruby Gates
• The Old Dark House (1963) – Agatha Femm
• The Americanization of Emily (1964) – Mrs. Barham
• The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964) – Hortense Astor

Bibliography

• Grenfell, Joyce (1976). Joyce Grenfell Requests the Pleasure. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-19428-4.
• Grenfell, Joyce (1977). George, Don't Do That. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-22080-3.
• Grenfell, Joyce (1979). In Pleasant Places. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-27288-9.
• Grenfell, Joyce (1988). James Roose-Evans (ed.). Darling Ma. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-42368-4. Letters to her Mother, 1932–1944
• Grenfell, Joyce; Compiled and introduced by Janie Hampton (2000). Hats Off: Poems and drawings. London: John Murray. ISBN 0-7195-6152-3.

Sources

1. ↑ England & Wales birth registration: St George Hanover Square [district], Volume 1a, Page 378, mother's maiden name LANGHORNE
2. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XW21-312 : 20 December 2018), Joyce Irene Phipps in household of Paul Phipps, St Margaret And St John, , London, England; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
3. ↑ "Grenfell [nee Phipps, Joyce Irene", Virginia Graham, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, revised
4. ↑ England & Wales marriage registration: St George Hanover Square [district], Volume 1a, Page 1068, December quarter 1929, Reginald P GRENFELL and Joyce I PHIPPS
5. ↑ Amateur Imitator in The Little Revue – Miss Joyce Grenfell", The Sketch, 31 May 1939, p. 445
6. ↑ BFI: British Film Institute
7. ↑ OBE: London Gazette
8. ↑ "Cambridge Premiere", The Stage, 29 April 1954, p. 10
9. ↑ England & Wales death registration: Chelsea [district], Volume 11, Page 1593, December quarter 1979, age 69

See Also:

• A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. IV, 1838, pp. 509–510, "Phipps of Leighton House" pedigree