Ellen Lawless (Ternan) Robinson (1839 - 1914)

Born 3 Mar 1839 in Rochester, Kent, England, United Kingdom

Wife of George Wharton Robinson — married 31 Jan 1876 in Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom

Died 25 Apr 1914 at age 75 in Fulham, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Biography

Ellen was born in 1839. She is the daughter of actors Thomas Ternan and Frances Jarman.

Appeared in the 1841 England and Wales census in Cumberland, England. The household included: Thomas age 30, occupation Tragedian; Frances age 30, occupation Tragedian; Frances age 5; Maria age 3; Ellen age 2.

She made her stage debut at the age of three in Sheffield.

Appeared in the 1851 England and Wales census in Saint Clement Danes, Middlesex, England. The household included: Frances E. age 43, occupation Tragedian; Frances age 15; Maria age 13; Ellen age 12.

She caught the attention of Charles Dickens in 1857, while performing at London's Haymarket Theatre. The same year, he cast her - alongside her mother and sister - in three performances of The Frozen Deep.

Appeared in the 1861 England and Wales census in SPancras, Middlesex, England. The household included: France E E age 58, occupation Annuitant; Frances E E age 25, occupation vocalist; Maria S S age 23, occupation actress; Ellen age 22.

Relationship with Dickens

It is believed that Dickens began an affair with the 18 year old actress, although, the true nature of their relationship was kept secret from the general public. The following year, Charles and Catherine Dickens separated, after 22 years of marriage.

Ellen left the stage in 1860 and was financially supported by Dickens from then on. She sometimes travelled with him, and lived in houses he took under false names at Slough and later at Nunhead. It is speculated that she may have given birth to a son by Dickens that died in infancy, although nothing can be confirmed to date. Neither Dickens, Ellen, nor her sisters left any account of the relationship, and most correspondence relevant to the relationship was destroyed.

Dickens is thought to have based several characters on Ellen, including Estella in Great Expectations, Bella Wilfer in Our Mutual Friend and Helena Landless in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. It is also thought she may have inspired Lucie Manette in A Tale of Two Cities.

The author left a legacy of £1,000 to Ellen in his will on his death in 1870 as well as sufficient income from a trust fund to ensure that she would never have to work again.

Later Life

In 1876 she married George Wharton Robinson^[1], an Oxford graduate, who was 12 years her junior and knew nothing of her close association with Dickens. She presented herself as 14 years younger (23 years-old, rather than 37).

Appeared in the 1881 England and Wales Census in Margate, Kent, England. The household included: George Wharton Robinson age 30, occupation Private Schoolmaster M.A. Oxford; Ellen Lawless Robinson age 28, occupation school master's wife; Leonard Thomas Lake age 17, occupation Medical Student Middlesex Hospl.; Eliza Burden age 20, occupation servant; Mary Hill age 16, occupation Housemaid Domestic Servant.

Appeared in the 1891 England and Wales Census in Paddington, London, England,. The household included: George W age 40, occupation Private School Master; Ellen Lawless age 48; George W age 12; Gladys E W age 6.

Appeared in the 1901 England and Wales Census in Theale, Berkshire, England. The household included: George W age 50, occupation HORTICULTURIST; Ellen Lawless age 50.

The couple had a son, Geoffrey, and a daughter, Gladys, and ran a boys' school in Margate. Ellen's husband died in 1910, and she spent her last years in Southsea with her sister Frances.

She died of cancer in Fulham, London in 1914^[2] and is buried in Highland Road Cemetery in Portsmouth.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2DPL-LHV : 13 December 2014), George Wharton Robinson, 1876; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1876, quarter 1, vol. 1A, p. 111, Kensington, London, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
2. ↑ Death registration for ROBINSON, ELLEN LAWLESS WHARTON Age: 65 GRO Reference: 1914 J Quarter in FULHAM Volume 01A Page 367
3. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #84830365

"England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2NS9-LX3 : 1 October 2014), Ellen Lawless Ternan, 1839; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Medway, Kent, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.

"England and Wales Census, 1841", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M73J-YMY : Tue Dec 05 21:21:01 UTC 2023), Entry for Thomas Ternan and Frances Ternan, 1841.

"England and Wales Census, 1851", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGFH-QNZ : Tue Jan 30 19:06:19 UTC 2024), Entry for Frances E Ternan and Frances E Ternan, 1851.

"England and Wales Census, 1861", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M75R-8RS : Thu Jan 18 13:46:14 UTC 2024), Entry for France E E Ternan and Frances E E Ternan, 1861.

"England and Wales Census, 1881", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27W-K9N5 : Sat Nov 11 16:07:25 UTC 2023), Entry for George Wharton Robinson and Ellen Lawless Robinson, 1881.

"England, Surrey Parish Registers, 1536-1992", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPMH-PZ1T : Fri Jan 05 02:14:28 UTC 2024), Entry for Gladys Eleanor Wharton and George Wharton Robinson, 9 Nov 1884.

"England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NJR2-4BQ : 26 July 2023), Ellen Lawless Robinson in entry for Gladys Eleanor Wharton Robinson, 1884.

"England and Wales Census, 1891", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:3TZX-TN2 : Wed Jan 10 02:15:29 UTC 2024), Entry for George W Robinson and Ellen L Robinson, 1891.

"England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XS3K-TK3 : 20 May 2019), Ellen L Robinson in household of George W Robinson, Theale, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Tilehurst subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

"Find A Grave Index," , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV2Y-YMPM : 16 December 2021), Nelly, ; Burial, Portsmouth, Portsmouth Unitary Authority, Hampshire, England, Highland Road Cemetery; citing record ID 84830365, Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84830365/ellen-lawless-robinson.

See also:

• Wikipedia: Ellen Ternan
• Wikidata: Item Q1223395, en:Wikipedia