Dame Margaret Taylor Rutherford, (11 May 1892 – 22 May 1972) was an English actress of stage, television and film. She came to national attention following World War II in the film adaptations of

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

's ''

Blithe Spirit Blithe Spirit may refer to: * ''Blithe Spirit'' (play), a 1941 comic play written by Noël Coward * ''Blithe Spirit'' (1945 film), a British comedy film based on the play * ''Blithe Spirit'' (2020 film), a British-American comedy film based on th ...

'', and

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's '' The Importance of Being Earnest''. She won an Academy Award and a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

for her role as the Duchess of Brighton in '' The V.I.P.s'' (1963). In the early 1960s, she starred as

Agatha Christie's Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

character Miss Marple in a series of four George Pollock films. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1961 and a Dame Commander (DBE) in 1967. Dame MARGARET RUTHERFORD - 4 Berkeley Place Wimbledon London SW19 4NN

Dame MARGARET RUTHERFORD - 4 Berkeley Place Wimbledon London SW19 4NN

Early life

Rutherford's early life was overshadowed by tragedies involving both of her parents. Her father, journalist and poet

William Rutherford Benn William Rutherford Benn, later William Rutherford, (1855-1921) was an English translator and journalist, and a member of the political Benn family. In 1883 he murdered his father, the Reverend Julius Benn, and was detained at Broadmoor Criminal L ...

, married Florence Nicholson on 16 December 1882 in Wandsworth, South London. One month after the marriage, he suffered a nervous breakdown and was admitted to Bethnal House Lunatic Asylum. Released to travel under his family's supervision, he

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...

ed his father, the Reverend Julius Benn, a

Congregational Church Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

minister, by bludgeoning him to death with a chamber pot, before slashing his own throat with a pocket knife at an inn in

Matlock, Derbyshire Matlock is the county town of Derbyshire, England. It is situated in the south-eastern part of the Peak District, with the National Park directly to the west. The town is twinned with the French town of Eaubonne. The former spa resort of Matloc ...

on 4 March 1883. Following the

inquest An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions, particularly one held to determine the cause of a person's death. Conducted by a judge, jury, or government official, an inquest may or may not require an autopsy carried out by a coro ...

, William Benn was certified insane and removed to

Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England. It is the oldest of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth Hospital near Liverpool and Rampton Secur ...

. Seven years later, on 26 July 1890, he was discharged from Broadmoor and reunited with his wife. He legally dropped his surname. Margaret Taylor Rutherford, the only child of William and Florence, was born in 1892 in

Balham Balham () is an area in south London, England, mostly within the London Borough of Wandsworth with small parts within the neighbouring London Borough of Lambeth. The area has been settled since Saxon times and appears in the Domesday Book as B ...

, South London. Margaret's uncle, Sir John Benn, 1st Baronet, was a politician, and her first cousin once removed was the Labour politician Tony Benn. Hoping to start a new life far from the scene of their recent troubles, the Rutherfords emigrated to

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

, India, but Margaret was returned to Britain when she was three years old to live with her aunt Bessie Nicholson in

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...

, South London, after her

pregnant Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops (gestation, gestates) inside a woman, woman's uterus (womb). A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occur ...

mother hanged herself from a tree. Young Margaret had been told that her father died of a broken heart soon afterward. When she was 12 years old, she was shocked to learn that her father had actually been readmitted to Broadmoor Hospital in 1903, where he remained under care until his death on 4 August 1921. Her parents' mental afflictions gave rise to a fear that she might succumb to similar maladies, a fear which haunted her for the rest of her life. She suffered intermittent bouts of depression and anxiety.; Andy Merriman in ''Radio Times'', 4–10 June 2011 Margaret Rutherford was educated at

Wimbledon High School Wimbledon High School is an independent girls' day school in Wimbledon, South West London. It is a Girls' Day School Trust school and is a member of the Girls' Schools Association. History Wimbledon High School was founded by the Girls' Public ...

(where a theatre space, the Rutherford Centre, is now named after her) and, from the age of about 13, at Raven's Croft School, a boarding school in Sutton Avenue, Seaford. While she was there, she developed an interest in the theatre and performed in amateur dramatics. After she left school, her aunt paid for her to have private acting lessons. When her aunt died, she left a legacy that allowed Rutherford to secure entry to the

Old Vic School The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is a drama school in Bristol, England. The institution provides training in acting and production for careers in film, television and theatre. BOVTS is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. ...

. In her autobiography, Rutherford called her Aunt Bessie her "adoptive mother and one of the saints of the world".

Stage career

Rutherford, a talented pianist who first found work as a piano teacher and a teacher of

elocution Elocution is the study of formal speaking in pronunciation, grammar, style, and tone as well as the idea and practice of effective speech and its forms. It stems from the idea that while communication is symbolic, sounds are final and compelli ...

, developed an acting career relatively late, only making her stage debut in 1925, aged 33, at the Old Vic. As her "spaniel jowls" and bulky frame made the part of a romantic heroine impossible casting, she soon established her name in comedy, appearing in many of the most successful British plays and films. "I never intended to play for laughs. I am always surprised that the audience thinks me funny at all", Rutherford wrote in her autobiography. Rutherford made her first appearance in London's West End in 1933, but her talent was not recognised by the critics until her performance as Miss Prism in John Gielgud's production of '' The Importance of Being Earnest'' at the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and gra ...

in 1939. In 1941

's ''

'' opened on the London stage at the Piccadilly Theatre, with Coward directing. Rutherford received rave reviews from audiences and critics alike for her lusty portrayal of the bumbling medium Madame Arcati, a role which Coward had envisaged for her. Theatre critic Kenneth Tynan once said of her performances: "The unique thing about Margaret Rutherford is that she can act with her chin alone." Another theatrical success during the war years included her part as the sinister housekeeper Mrs. Danvers in Daphne du Maurier's ''

Rebecca Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...

'' at the Queen's Theatre in 1940. Her post-war theatre credits included Miss Prism in ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' again at the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...

in 1946 and Lady Bracknell when the same play transferred to New York City in 1947. She played an officious headmistress in '' The Happiest Days of Your Life'' at the Apollo Theatre in 1948 and classical roles such as Madame Desmortes in '' Ring Round the Moon'' (Globe Theatre, 1950), Lady Wishfort in '' The Way of the World'' ( Lyric Hammersmith, 1953 and Saville Theatre, 1956) and Mrs. Candour in '' The School for Scandal'' (Haymarket Theatre, 1962). Her final stage performance came in 1966 when she played Mrs. Malaprop in '' The Rivals'' at the Haymarket Theatre, alongside Sir

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...

. Her declining health meant she had to give up the role after a few weeks.

Film career

Although she made her film debut in 1936, it was Rutherford's turn as Madame Arcati in

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics ''The Bridge on the River ...

's film of ''

'' (1945) that established her in films. Her jaunty performance, cycling about the Kent countryside, head held high, back straight, and cape fluttering behind her, established the model for portraying that role thereafter. She was Nurse Carey in '' Miranda'' (1948) and the sprightly Medieval expert Professor Hatton-Jones in '' Passport to Pimlico'' (1949), one of the Ealing Comedies. She reprised her stage roles of the headmistress alongside Alastair Sim in '' The Happiest Days of Your Life'' (1950) and Miss Prism in Anthony Asquith's film adaptation of '' The Importance of Being Earnest'' (1952). More comedies followed, including '' Castle in the Air'' (1952) with David Tomlinson, '' Trouble in Store'' (1953), with Norman Wisdom, ''

The Runaway Bus ''The Runaway Bus'' is a 1954 British comedy film produced, written, and directed by Val Guest. It stars Frankie Howerd, Margaret Rutherford and Petula Clark and an ensemble cast of character actors in a story about a bus caught in fog while ...

'' (1954) with Frankie Howerd and '' An Alligator Named Daisy'' (1955) with Donald Sinden and Diana Dors. Rutherford then worked with Norman Wisdom again in '' Just My Luck'' (1957) and co-starred in '' The Smallest Show on Earth'' with

Virginia McKenna Dame Virginia Anne McKenna, (born 7 June 1931) is a British stage and screen actress, author and wildlife campaigner. She is best known for the films ''A Town Like Alice'' (1956), '' Carve Her Name with Pride'' (1958), ''Born Free'' (1966), and ...

, Peter Sellers and Leslie Phillips (both 1957). She featured, alongside

Ian Carmichael Ian Gillett Carmichael, OBE (18 June 1920 – 5 February 2010) was an English actor who worked prolifically on stage, screen and radio in a career spanning 70 years. He found prominence in the films of the Boulting brothers, including ' ...

and Peter Sellers, in the Boulting Brothers satire '' I'm All Right Jack'' (1959). In the early 1960s, she appeared as

Miss Jane Marple Miss Marple is a fictional character in Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories. Jane Marple lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective. Often characterized as an elderly spinster, she is one of ...

in a series of four George Pollock films loosely based on the novels of

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

. The films depicted Marple as a colourful character, respectable but bossy and eccentric. Authors Marion Shaw and Sabine Vanacker in their book ''Reflecting on Miss Marple'' (1991) complained that the emphasis on the "dotty element in the character" missed entirely "the quietness and sharpness" that was admired in the novels. The actress, then aged in her 70s, insisted on wearing her own clothes for the part and having her husband appear alongside her. In 1963 Christie dedicated her novel ''

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side ''The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side'', a novel by Agatha Christie, was published in the UK in 1962 and a year later in the US under the title ''The Mirror Crack'd''. The story features amateur detective Miss Marple solving a mystery in St. M ...

'' "To Margaret Rutherford in admiration", though the novelist too was critical of the films for diverging from her original plots and playing dramatic scenes for laughs. Rutherford reprised the role of Miss Marple in a very brief, uncredited cameo in the 1965 film ''

The Alphabet Murders ''The Alphabet Murders'' is a 1965 British detective film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Tony Randall as Hercule Poirot. It is based on the 1936 novel ''The A.B.C. Murders'' by Agatha Christie. Plot Albert Aachen, a clown with a unique ...

''. Rutherford played the absent-minded, impoverished, pill-popping Duchess of Brighton, the only comedy relief, in '' The V.I.P.s'' (1963), from a screenplay by Terence Rattigan. The film features a star-studded cast led by

Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (born 28 December 1934) is an English actress. With an extensive career on screen and stage beginning in the mid-1950s, Smith has appeared in more than sixty films and seventy plays. She is one of the few performer ...

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

and Richard Burton. For her performance, she won an Academy Award and

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

for Best Supporting Actress. At the time she set a record for the oldest woman and last born in the nineteenth century to win an Oscar. She appeared as Mistress Quickly in Orson Welles' film '' Chimes at Midnight'' (1965) and was directed by

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

in '' A Countess from Hong Kong'' (1967), starring

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

and

Sophia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...

, which was one of her final films. She started work on ''

The Virgin and the Gypsy ''The Virgin and the Gipsy'' is a short novel (or novella) by English author D.H. Lawrence. It was written in 1926 and published posthumously in 1930. Today it is often entitled ''The Virgin and the Gypsy'' which can lead to confusion because fi ...

'' (1970), but illness caused her to be replaced by Fay Compton.

Personal life

In 1945, Rutherford, fifty-three, married character actor Stringer Davis, forty-six, after a courtship that lasted for 15 years. Davis' mother reportedly considered Rutherford an unsuitable match for her son, and their wedding was postponed until after Mrs. Davis had died. Subsequently, the couple appeared in many productions together. Davis adored Rutherford, with one friend noting: "For him she was not only a great talent but, above all, a beauty." The actor and former serviceman rarely left his wife's side, serving Rutherford as private secretary and general

dogsbody A dogsbody, dog's body, or less commonly dog robber is someone who does menial or drudge work.''Oxford English Dictionary'', 3rd edition, 2010''s.v.''/ref> Originally, in the British Royal Navy, a dogsbody was a semi-sarcastic colloquialism for a ...

. More importantly, he nursed and comforted her through periodic debilitating depressions. These illnesses, sometimes involving stays in mental hospitals and electric shock treatment, were kept hidden from the press during Rutherford's lifetime. In the 1950s, Rutherford and Davis unofficially adopted the writer

Dawn Langley Simmons Dawn Langley Pepita Simmons (probably 1922 – 18 September 2000) was a prolific English author and biographer. Born as Gordon Langley Hall, Simmons lived her first decades as a male. As a young adult, she became close to British actress Dame M ...

, then in her twenties and still known as Gordon Langley Hall. Hall later had sex reassignment surgery and wrote a biography of Rutherford in 1983 under her new name.

Death

Rutherford suffered from

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

at the end of her life and was unable to work. Davis cared for his wife at their

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

home until her death on 22 May 1972, aged 80. Many of Britain's top actors, including Sir John Gielgud, Sir

, Dame Flora Robson and

Joyce Grenfell Joyce Irene Grenfell OBE (''née'' Phipps; 10 February 1910 – 30 November 1979) was an English diseuse, singer, actress and writer. She was known for the songs and monologues she wrote and performed, at first in revues and later in her solo s ...

, attended a memorial Service of Thanksgiving at the Actors' Church,

St. Paul's, Covent Garden St Paul's Church is a Church of England parish church located in Bedford Street, Covent Garden, central London. It was designed by Inigo Jones as part of a commission for the Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford, 4th Earl of Bedford in 1631 to ...

, on 21 July 1972, where 90-year-old Dame

Sybil Thorndike Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969. Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her ...

praised her friend's enormous talent and recalled that Rutherford had "never said anything horrid about anyone". Rutherford and Davis (who died in 1973) are interred at the graveyard of St. James's Church, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire. "A Blithe Spirit" is inscribed on the base of Margaret Rutherford's memorial stone, a reference to the Noël Coward play that helped to make her name. Margaret Rutherford plaque

Theatre performances

*A student at the Old Vic Theatre School, playing walk-ons and small parts in various shows, 1925–26 *Understudy for Mabel Terry-Lewis at the

Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London.

, 1928 *A season with the English Repertory Players at the Grand Theatre,

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...

, 1929 *Little Theatre, Epsom, 1930 *A season in rep at the Oxford Playhouse, 1930–31 *A season in rep in Croydon, 1931 *A season with the Greater London Players, 1932 *Mrs. Read in ''Wild Justice'' at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, 1933 *''Birthday'' (understudy to Jean Cadell and Muriel Aked), at the Cambridge Theatre, 1934 *Aline Solness in '' The Master Builder'' at the Embassy Theatre, Swiss Cottage, 1934 *Lady Nancy in ''Hervey House'' at

His Majesty's Theatre His Majesty's Theatre may refer to: *Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, Australia, known as His Majesty's Theatre 1901–1952, demolished 1983 * His Majesty's Theatre, London, England, known as Her Majesty's Theatre 1952–2023 *His Majesty's Theatre, ...

, 1935 *Miss Flower in ''Short Story'' at the Queen's Theatre, 1935 *Mrs. Palmai in ''Farewell Performance'' at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, 1936 *Aunt Bella in ''Tavern in the Town'' at the Embassy Theatre, Swiss Cottage, 1937 *Emily Deveral in ''Up the Garden Path'' at the Embassy Theatre, Swiss Cottage, 1937 *The Mother in ''The Melody That Got Lost'' at the Phoenix Theatre, 1938 *Bijou Furze in '' Spring Meeting'' at the Ambassadors Theatre, 1938 *Miss Prism in '' The Importance of Being Earnest'' at the

, 1939 *Mrs. Danvers in ''

'' at the Queen's Theatre, 1940 *Madame Arcati in ''

'' at the Piccadilly Theatre, 1941 * ENSA tour of France and Belgium, 1944 *Queen of Hearts and White Queen in ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...

'' at the

Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia *Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria *Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Mo ...

, 1944 *Lady Charlotte Fayre in ''Perchance to Dream'' at the London Hippodrome, 1945 *Miss Prism in ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' at the

Theatre Royal Haymarket The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foot ...

, 1946 *Lady Bracknell in ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' at the Royale Theatre, New York, 1947 *Evelyn Whitchurch in '' The Happiest Days of Your Life'' at the Apollo Theatre, 1948 *Madame Desmortes in '' Ring Round the Moon'' at the Globe Theatre, 1950 *The title role in ''Miss Hargreaves'' at the Royal Court Theatre and New Theatre, 1952 *Lady Wishfort in '' The Way of the World'' at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, 1953 *White Queen in '' Alice Through the Looking Glass'' at the Prince's Theatre, 1954 *Duchess of Pont-au-Bronc in ''Time Remembered'' at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith and New Theatre, 1954 *Mirabelle Petersham in ''A Likely Tale'' at the Globe Theatre, 1956 *Lady Wishfort in ''The Way of the World'' at the Saville Theatre, 1956 *Lady Bracknell in ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' on UK tour (Dublin, Limerick, Belfast, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Eastbourne and Bournemouth), 1957 *'' The Happiest Days of Your Life'' and ''Time Remembered'' on tour of Australia, 1957 *Minerva Goody (Povis) in ''Farewell, Farewell Eugene'' at the Garrick Theatre, 1959 *Minerva Goody (Povis) in ''Farewell, Farewell Eugene'' at the Helen Hayes Theatre, New York, 1960 *Bijou Furze in ''Dazzling Prospect'' at the Globe Theatre, 1961 *The Marquise in ''Our Little Life'' at the Manoel Theatre in Valletta, Malta and the Pembroke Theatre, Croydon, 1961 *Mrs. Candour in '' The School for Scandal'' at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, 1962 *Mrs. Laura Partridge in '' The Solid Gold Cadillac'' at the Saville Theatre, 1965 *Mrs. Heidelberg in '' The Clandestine Marriage'' at the Chichester Festival Theatre, 1966 *Mrs. Malaprop in '' The Rivals'' at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, 1966

Filmography

Legacy

''For One Night Only: Margaret Rutherford''. Margaret Rutherford ( Timothy Spall in drag) tells her life story in cabaret form before an audience. ''Without Walls'' TV Series (UK) 5 October 1993.

Recordings

The English PEN International Centre included several readings of poems by Rutherford on a list entitled
Library of Recordings.pdf
(1953). The works listed were: * "A Charm Against the Toothache" by John Heath-Stubbs * "O Country People" by John Hewett * "Sedge-Warblers", "Women He Liked", "Haymaking", "Adlestrop", "Will You Come?" and "Lights Out" by Edward Thomas

78s and singles

*''All's Going Well'' / ''Nymphs and Shepherds'' (1953) (with Frankie Howerd): Philips Records PB214

References

External links

* *
''Oxford National Dictionary of Biography'' profilePerformances in Theatre Archive, University of Bristol
*
"Famous Rutherfords"
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rutherford, Margaret 1892 births 1972 deaths Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Audiobook narrators Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners English film actresses English stage actresses English voice actresses Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Deaths from Alzheimer's disease Neurological disease deaths in England Actresses awarded British damehoods People from Balham People from Buckinghamshire People educated at Wimbledon High School Actresses from London 20th-century English actresses Benn family British comedy actresses English autobiographers