Kitty Broadhurst

[Nebraska]

Morning All

i am a nubie to this site (which i love because i read about names and locations that i remember as a lad but have gone now).
Anyway i am wondering if anyone might know anything about an ancestor of mine, she was called Kitty Broadhurst and i was always told that she sang in music halls.
She was supposed to be fairly well known and i would love to know more, so any help would be most appreciated

 

[Astoness]

hi nebraska and welcome to the forum..i have moved this thread to the surname interests section as it maybe noticed more there

all the best

lyn

 

[mikejee]

Unfortunately the period immediately before and after WW2 is not covered in many papers in the newspaper archive, though this will presumably be remedied when they get round to it. The Tamworth herald is one paper that is covered and mentions Kitty on 4 occasions, though, as I say, she may have appeared in other areas not covered. Cuttings are below

 

[Nebraska]

Hi Mikejee

many thanks for the newspaper articles featuring Kitty Broadhurst, she is becoming more of a real person to me and my family now

Many thanks
Rob

 

[Alberta]

The 2 new films mentioned were 'Music Hath Charms' and 'the Perfect Weekend' were released in 1935.
I wonder how old Kitty was when she was performing at the event recorded.

 

[Nebraska]

Many thanks Alberta i will look into thse films a little more.

 

[Alberta]

Rob, if you could give us a hint at any other surnames she may be linked with in your family history we may be able to help you further,She was not born Kitty so Katherine,Catherine,Kathleen,Kate would be the lady we are looking for but quite a few to choose from unfortunately.Alberta

 

[Iain Wilson]

Morning All

i am a nubie to this site (which i love because i read about names and locations that i remember as a lad but have gone now).
Anyway i am wondering if anyone might know anything about an ancestor of mine, she was called Kitty Broadhurst and i was always told that she sang in music halls.
She was supposed to be fairly well known and i would love to know more, so any help would be most appreciated

Hello Nebraska, I knew Kitty extremely well. I used to drive her about to her shows. She was indeed a music hall entertainer and a good one at that. This was in the 60s and I was in fact with her the night she passed away. I'm in my late 60s now and my memory for names is not as good as it was. She had a daughter who was married to a guy who had a newsagent in Handsworth Wood. I can see her but can't recall her name. I drove her to Birmingham General on that fateful night.
If you find a film 'Cathy Come Home' you will see Kitty as a landlady who told the main character played by Carol White, that she couldn't accept children. I had forgotten all about that film till I saw it on the BBC last night. I hope you find this helpful.

 

[Nmvb]

Kitty was married to Tony Romanov. In real life they were Kitty & Tony Davies. Their daughter was Ena (Georgina) who died a few years ago; she was married to Ray, the newsagent. Kitty also acted in Crossroads and a BBC TV series based on a women's magazine shot in Birmingham. She also was the standby act for Noel Gordon's Lunch box programme from the Aston Cross ATV studios. In the 50's and 60's she lived in Aston Brook Street and Tony rehearsed in a shed! After Tony's death she moved to a high rise flat in Perry Barr but was never happy there. Her stage clothes were given to a friend in Bromsgrove who dies a couple of years ago and are now in the care of a woman in London.

 

[Alberta]

Nebraska I hope you are still interested in Kittys history.
She was born Kathleen Mary Jane Broadhurst in shropshire and died as Kathleen M J Davies in birmingham in 1974
1911 census.
8 Chapel Place, Denbigh, Wales
George Broadhurst age 34 Assurance worker
Mary Jane age 32
Beatrice Lily A age 10
Ida Alice R age 8
Kathleen Mary J age 6
all born Beverley Shropshire
Kathleen M J Broadhurst married Percy Cyril Davies in 1926 Birmingham
they had a daughter Iris Georgina May in 1928, she married Ramon Skelding, he died in 2004 and she died in 2013.

 

[Ginabee]

Morning All

i am a nubie to this site (which i love because i read about names and locations that i remember as a lad but have gone now).
Anyway i am wondering if anyone might know anything about an ancestor of mine, she was called Kitty Broadhurst and i was always told that she sang in music halls.
She was supposed to be fairly well known and i would love to know more, so any help would be most appreciated

 

[Ginabee]

Kitty Broadhurst
I am rather late in replying to your query and I’m not sure why I looked up Kitty Broadhurst. But here goes.
The lady in question was the sister of my Grandfather, William Joseph Broadhurst, who, in turn, was the father of my Mother. There was another brother, Harry. The family home was in Aston Brook Street in Birmingham where I remember my Great Grandmother, their mother, lived.

I met Kitty only once and that was at the funeral of my Grandfather, her brother, in 1969 or 1970 (not sure which). She was recognised by several of the neighbours as I think she had also appeared on television apart from being known as a musical hall singer.

Kitty was a larger-than-life lady. She was immaculately dressed (as indeed my Grandfather always was) and wore an enormous picture hat. As the coffin moved slowly away I remember that Kitty elegantly waved a beautifully gloved hand and, for all to hear, cried “Goodbye Bill !” More than that I’m afraid I can not add.

I hope that I am talking about the same lady and, if so, I would be very interested to learn of your connection.