Constance FitzMaurice, Countess of Orkney (23 January 1865 – 9 May 1946), also known as Connie Gilchrist, was a British child artist's model, actress, dancer and singer who, at a very early age, attracted the attention of the painters

Frederic Leighton Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton, (3 December 1830 – 25 January 1896), known as Sir Frederic Leighton between 1878 and 1896, was a British Victorian painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. His works depicted historical, biblical, and clas ...

Frank Holl Francis Montague Holl (London 4 July 1845 – 31 July 1888 London) was a British painter, specialising in somewhat sentimental paintings with a moment from a narrative situation, often drawing on the trends of social realism and the proble ...

William Powell Frith William Powell Frith (9 January 1819 – 2 November 1909) was an English painter specialising in genre subjects and panoramic narrative works of life in the Victorian era. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1853, presenting ''The Slee ...

and

James McNeill Whistler James Abbott McNeill Whistler (; July 10, 1834July 17, 1903) was an American painter in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral a ...

, the writer and photographer

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...

and aristocrats,

Lord Lonsdale Earl of Lonsdale is a title that has been created twice in British history, firstly in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1784 (becoming extinct in 1802), and then in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1807, both times for members of the Lowth ...

and the

Duke of Beaufort Duke of Beaufort ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by Charles II in 1682 for Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester, a descendant of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, legitimised son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd D ...

. She became a popular attraction on stage at the age of 12 in a

skipping rope A skipping rope (or jump rope) is a tool used in a sport involving rhythmic jumping over a rope swung underfoot and overhead. The activity, practiced both recreationally and competitively, encompasses disciplines such as freestyle routines—f ...

dance routine at London's Gaiety Theatre, where she was then engaged in

Victorian burlesque Victorian burlesque, sometimes known as travesty or extravaganza, is a genre of theatrical entertainment that was popular in Victorian England and in the New York theatre of the mid-19th century. It is a form of parody in which a well-known oper ...

and vaudeville throughout her formative years. Gilchrist, who became known as the "original Gaiety Girl",Lady Orkney, Once a Stage Actress. ''The New York Times'', 10 May 1946, p. 19 had abandoned the stage by the time of her marriage in 1892 to Edmond Walter FitzMaurice, 7th Earl of Orkney.

Early life

Constance MacDonald Gilchrist was born in

Agar Town Agar Town (also known as Ague Town, Hagar Town, Agar-Town and Agar-town) was a small, historically poor neighbourhood of St Pancras, London, St Pancras in central London. Most of the area was demolished making way for St Pancras railway station ...

, London, the daughter of David and Matilda Maria (née Potter) Gilchrist. Her father worked as an

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

and either her mother or, more likely, her elder sister Matilda Elizabeth was probably the model who posed for Whistler's etching, ''Tillie: A Model''.University of Glasgow, Whistler Etchings
Retrieved 13 July 2013 As an artist's model Gilchrist first sat for

at about age six. She was the Arab girl in his painting ''Little Fatima'', all five little girls in ''

Daphnephoria Daphnephoria was a festival held every ninth year at Thebes in Boeotia in honour of Apollo Ismenius or Galaxius. History The Daphnephoria consisted of a procession in which the chief figure was a boy of good family and noble appearance, whos ...

'', the child in ''Study: At a Reading Desk'' and the student in ''The Music Lesson.''. She posed for a series of works that

based on

W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...

's ''Little Mim'', and was the child depicted in his painting ''The Deserter''. Whistler captured Gilchrist's jumping rope routine in his etching, ''Harmony in Yellow and Gold: The Gold Girl'', and posed her for ''The Blue Girl'', while other members of the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

, London, such as

, often placed her in their works.

photographed her at age twelve and a year later wrote in his

diary A diary is a written or audiovisual memorable record, with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. Diaries have traditionally been handwritten but are now also often digita ...

: "she is losing her beauty and can't act – but she did the old skipping-rope dance superbly."

Stage

Gilchrist's first known stage appearance came by age 8 at the

Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dru ...

in 1873 playing the Prince of Mushrooms in a play entitled, ''Jack in the Box''. Over the 1874–1875 Christmas season, she played

Harlequin Harlequin (, , ; , ) is the best-known of the comic servant characters (Zanni) from the Italian commedia dell'arte, associated with the city of Bergamo. The role is traditionally believed to have been introduced by the Italian actor-manager Zan ...

in an all-children's cast of the

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

'' The Children of the Wood'', an adaptation of a

Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob Grimm, Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm, Wilhelm (1786–1859), were Germans, German academics who together collected and published folklore. The brothers are among the best-known storytellers of Oral tradit ...

fairy tale staged at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

London.Adams, William Davenport
"Gilchrist, Constance"
''A Dictionary of the Drama,'' 1904, p. 579. See also pp. 176, 250, 281–282, 339, 542 and 605. Retrieved 13 July 2013 Two years later, she was the

harlequin Harlequin (, , ; , ) is the best-known of the comic servant characters (Zanni) from the Italian commedia dell'arte, associated with the city of Bergamo. The role is traditionally believed to have been introduced by the Italian actor-manager Zan ...

in ''

Goody Two-Shoes ''The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes'' is a children's story published by John Newbery in London in 1765. The author of the book remains unclear, but Oliver Goldsmith is generally considered the most likely. The story popularized the phras ...

'' at the same theater. Gilchrist was engaged at London's Gaiety Theatre in 1879, at age 14, where she played numerous roles, beginning with Tiddi-widdi in an adaptation of ''Gulliver'' and Colomba in ''The Great Casmir'' by

Charles Lecocq Alexandre Charles Lecocq (; 3 June 183224 October 1918) was a French composer, known for his opérettes and opéra comique, opéras comiques. He became the most prominent successor to Jacques Offenbach in this sphere, and enjoyed considerable su ...

and Henry S. Leigh, adapted from the French of J. Prevel and A. D. Saint Albin (both 1879). In 1880 she played Libby Ray in the

Benjamin Edward Woolf Benjamin E. Woolf (February 16, 1836 – February 7, 1901) was a British-born American violinist, composer, playwright, and journalist. His best-known works were the comic operas ''The Mighty Dollar'' and ''Westward Ho''. Biography Benjamin ...

comic opera ''The Mighty Dollar''; Baron Montgiron in ''The Corsican Brothers and Co., Limited'' by F. C. Burnand and H. P. Stephens; and Polly in ''Bubbles'' by Charles L. Fawcett. She played Florence Dombey in ''Captain Cuttle'', adapted from Dicken's ''

Dombey and Son ''Dombey and Son'' is a novel by English author Charles Dickens. It follows the fortunes of a shipping firm owner, who is frustrated at the lack of a son to follow him in his footsteps; he initially rejects his daughter's love before eventual ...

'' by

John Brougham John Brougham (9 May 1814 – 7 June 1880) was an Irish and American actor, dramatist, poet, theatre manager, and author. As an actor and dramatist he had most of his career in the United States, where he was celebrated for his portrayals of com ...

; and Lord Lardida, Baron de Belgravia, in '' Whittington and his Cat'' by Burnand (both in 1881);

Maid Marian Maid Marian is the heroine of the Robin Hood legend in English folklore, often taken to be his lover. She is not mentioned in the early, medieval versions of the legend, but was the subject of at least two plays by 1600. Her history and circums ...

in ''Little Robin Hood'' by

Robert Reece Robert Reece (2 May 1838 – 8 July 1891) was a British comic playwright and librettist active in the Victorian era. He wrote many successful musical burlesques, comic operas, farces and adaptations from the French, including the English-lang ...

(1882); Anne in the

''Blue Beard; or, The Hazard of the Dye,'' by Burnand; Miranda in ''Ariel,'' a parody of Shakespeare's ''

The Tempest ''The Tempest'' is a Shakespeare's plays, play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1610–1611, and thought to be one of the last plays that he wrote alone. After the first scene, which takes place on a ship at sea during a tempest, th ...

''; and Myrene in the Stephens and Lutz burlesque ''Galatea; or, Pygmalion Re-Versed'' (all in 1883); and Pauline in ''Called There and Back'',

Herman Charles Merivale Herman Charles Merivale MA (27 January 1839 – 17 August 1906) was an English dramatist and poet, son of Herman Merivale. He also used the punning pseudonym Felix Dale. Life Herman Charles Merivale was born in London on 27 January 1839, the ...

's burlesque of the

Conway Conway may refer to: Places United States * Conway, Arkansas * Conway County, Arkansas * Lake Conway, Arkansas * Conway, Florida * Conway, Iowa * Conway, Kansas * Conway, Louisiana * Conway, Massachusetts * Conway, Michigan * Conway Townshi ...

and Carr play, ''Called Back'' (1884). In the summer of 1886, Gilchrist turned 21 and came to America with the

Violet Cameron Violet Lydia Thompson (7 December 1862 – 25 October 1919), known professionally as Violet Cameron, was an English actress and singer who gained fame in Robert Planquette's operettas '' Les cloches de Corneville'' and ''Rip Van Winkle'', and F ...

Comic Opera Company for an American tour that began at New York's Casino Theatre with ''The Commodore,'' an adaptation by

Henry Brougham Farnie Henry Brougham Farnie (8 April 1836 – 21 September 1889), often called H. B. Farnie, was a British librettist and adapter of French operettas and an author. Some of his English-language versions of operettas became record-setting hits on th ...

of Offenbach's, ''Le Creol''. From 27 December of that year she played Abdallah in ''The Forty Thieves,'' a pantomime adaption of the classic by E. L. Blanchard staged at the Drury Lane Theatre.

Earl of Orkney

Gilchrist was the mistress of two aristocrats. The first, the 4th

Earl of Lonsdale Earl of Lonsdale is a title that has been created twice in British history, firstly in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1784 (becoming extinct in 1802), and then in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1807, both times for members of the Lowth ...

, purchased a house in London for her and the other girls of the Gaiety Theatre.

died in 1882 at the house, a matter of some scandal. He bequeathed it, and a sizeable legacy, to Gilchrist. Her second benefactor was the 8th

, who became her adoptive father. In July 1892, Gilchrist married

Edmond FitzMaurice, 7th Earl of Orkney Earl of Orkney, historically Jarl of Orkney, is a title of nobility encompassing the archipelagoes of Orkney and Shetland, which comprise the Northern Isles of Scotland. Originally founded by Norse invaders, the status of the rulers of the N ...

. Though a Scottish peer, he owned no property or other title there, but had inherited an estate in

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

and some 11,000 acres in

County Laois County Laois ( ; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medieval kingdom. Hist ...

and

County Kerry County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...

in Ireland that brought him an approximate £6,000 annual income in rents."Connie Gilchrist and Her Lord", ''The New York Times'', 31 July 1892, p. 7. Retrieved 16 July 2013 After their marriage the couple quietly retired to Tythe House, Lord Orkney's estate in

Stewkley Stewkley is a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. The village is about east of Winslow and about west of Leighton Buzzard. The civil parish includes the hamlets of North End and Stewkley Dean. The toponym Stewkley is deri ...

, as they were largely excluded from British upper class circles at the time. This did not seem to bother Gilchrist, who settled into country life and became known for generous contributions to local charities. Over their early years Gilchrist and her husband operated a hunting lodge on the estate grounds that led to a friendship with the family of Baron Rothschild. A hunting accident in 1906 ended Gilchrist's participation in such forays.

Death

Gilchrist died at Tythe House on 9 May 1946 after 53 years of marriage. The Earl of Orkney lived another five years, dying on 21 August 1951. Their only child, Lady Mary Constance Hamilton Gosling, survived her but had no issue and predeceased her father by 10 months, with the title of

Earl of Orkney Earl of Orkney, historically Jarl of Orkney, is a title of nobility encompassing the archipelagoes of Orkney and Shetland, which comprise the Northern Isles of Scotland. Originally Scandinavian Scotland, founded by Norse invaders, the status ...

being inherited by the Earl's first cousin twice removed, Cecil FitzMaurice, 8th Earl of Orkney.

References

External links

''The Music Lesson,'' Frederic Leighton''Tillie: A Model,'' James Whistler''Harmony in Yellow and Gold The Gold Girl,'' James Whistler''Little Fatima,'' Frank Holl
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orkney, Constance FitzMaurice, Countess Of 1865 births 1946 deaths British child actresses English stage actresses English artists' models English vaudeville performers Scottish vaudeville performers British burlesque performers Scottish countesses 19th-century English actresses Mistresses