Ethel Lavenu (1842 – 14 August 1917) was a British

stage actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...

. She was the mother of stage and silent screen actor

Tyrone Power, Sr. Frederick Tyrone Edmond Power Sr. (2 May 1869 – 23 December 1931) was an English-born American stage and screen actor, known professionally as Tyrone Power. He is now usually referred to as Tyrone Power Sr. to differentiate him from his son ...

, and grandmother of the

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

film star

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include '' Jesse James'', ...

Life and career

Born in

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

as Eliza Lavenu, the third of six daughters of the

cellist The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D3 ...

, composer, and music impresario Lewis Henry Lavenu by his wife Julia, daughter of Col.

John Blossett Colonel John Blossett was an Irish soldier who led the second British Legion to aid Simon Bolivar in the wars of independence against Spain. Born in Ireland, the great-grandson of Huguenot Brigadier-General Salomon Blosset de Loche who had ass ...

, head of the British expedition to assist

Simon Bolivar Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...

in the war of independence in

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

. Her father was often away on tour, and in 1855 left for

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

leaving the family in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. In 1861 Ethel was living with her mother at 128,

Long Acre Long Acre is a street in the City of Westminster in central London. It runs from St Martin's Lane, at its western end, to Drury Lane in the east. The street was completed in the early 17th century and was once known for its coach-makers, and l ...

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

, she, her elder sister Ada, and younger sister Alice were all listed as ''Professional'', and her youngest sister Bessie was also later to become an actress. She had more success than her sisters, by 1863 appearing in various plays at the Royal

Lyceum Theatre, London The Lyceum Theatre ( ) is a West End theatre located in the City of Westminster, on Wellington Street, just off the Strand in central London. It has a seating capacity of 2,100. The origins of the theatre date to 1765. Managed by Samuel Arnold ...

. In 1866, she married Harold Littledale Power, the youngest son of the

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

actor

. She had two sons, George Arthur, born in 1868, an actor, known as Littledale Power, who later appeared on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, and Frederick Tyrone Edmond, known as

Stage appearances

* ''The Duke's Motto'' (with

Kate Terry Kate Terry (21 April 1844 – 6 January 1924) was an English actress. The elder sister of the actress Ellen Terry, she was born into a theatrical family, made her debut when still a child, became a leading lady in her own right, and left the stag ...

, sister of

Ellen Terry Dame Alice Ellen Terry, (27 February 184721 July 1928), was a leading English actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born into a family of actors, Terry began performing as a child, acting in Shakespeare plays in London, and tour ...

), January, 1863, Theatre Royal Lyceum. * ''A Day After The Fair'', March, 1864, Royal Lyceum Theatre. * ''Bel Demonio'', March, 1864 with

, Royal Lyceum Theatre. * ''Nursey Chickweed'', December, 1865, Royal Lyceum Theatre. * ''The Master of Ravenswood'', May, 1866, Royal Lyceum Theatre. * ''The Corsican Brothers'', June, 1866, Royal Lyceum Theatre.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lavenu, Ethel 1842 births 1917 deaths English stage actresses 19th-century English actresses Women of the Victorian era People from Chelsea, London Power family