22/11/2025
Violet (Edwards) Atroy
1875-16/12/1925
Musician, Singer & Music Hall Artiste
Circa 1875
Born in Liverpool as Violet Edwards. No information found on childhood or family. Possibly had a sister called Alice. An Alice Edwards performs as a singer with Violet at two musical events in Glasgow in 1895.
1889-1890
Violet performs with the Swiss Choir of Lady Artistes, a group of ladies who were both instrumentalists & singers. Violet played multiple instruments including the mandolin, guitar and xylophone. She appears on stage as Miss Violet Edwards.
Her talents were evident from the start. A review on her performance at the Co-operative Hall, Maryport describes how she manipulates her instruments with “surprising grace and skill”. The performance attracted a large crowd, despite the disapproval of some of the inhabitants due to the concert being performed on a Sunday.
Towards the end of 1889 and into1890, Violet appears in a pantomime called Robinson Crusoe with the Mr. Rollo Balmains Company. She performs a musical speciality as a character called Sweet Susan. She is praised for her competent performance and the introduction of curious instruments.
1893-1894
Violet performs as a vocalist & instrumentalist with Messrs Brewster’s & Wilson’s Vauderville company (Vaudeville is another name for Music Hall). Violet adds further instruments to her repertoire, the Dulcimer (stringed percussion instrument) and the banjo. She may have learned to play the banjo whilst with this company which included the famous Brewsters banjo band. Reviews describe her as a clever musician producing delightful sounds and report that she received well deserved encores.
1895-1896
Violet is engaged with the Mr J. Herman Dickson’s Company in a production called Bonnie Boy Blue, described as a burlesque pantomime. She performs as a character called Maggie Myrtle in a “new musical speciality.”
She receives praise for her extraordinary skill and her lively and graceful performance.This production comes to Lancaster on 19th October1895 at the Athenaeum Theatre, now the Grand Theatre.
The next engagement is with The Adamless Eden Company, whose artistes are all women The first part of the show is “Eve up to Date” and includes singing and dancing. The second part is “The Twentieth Century Girl or the Weaker Vessel” an operatic piece.
This production did not gone down well with some reviewers. The Walsall Observer 25/01/1896 commends the ladies performances, but is discriminatory towards the all female cast. Reporting that the show was not successful as there was “no masculine assistance”
This maybe the reason why Violet resigns from this company.
In April of 1986 Violet marries James Atroy in Newcastle-on-Tyne. Atroy was a stage name, James’ real surname was Smith. They were married by special licence, possibly because Violet did not belong to the Church of England. She is buried in the non-conformist part of Lancaster Cemetery.
Violet clearly met her husband whilst performing as a variety artiste. James was a juggler & equilbrilist (balancing acts). He used many different props in his act including, tables, chairs, umbrellas, top hats & travelling trunks. He was very famous at the time and toured different countries, particularly America.
After their marriage, the couple appear with the same variety companies and often have their names side by side on adverts. They perform at theatres and circus’s all over England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. Violet continues to use her maiden name on stage. Her performance is advertised as a “Grand Musical Melange” and she adds sleigh bells to her act.
1897
Violet goes on tour with Messrs Pooles Myriorama & Variety Company. As well as the variety acts, two other forms of entertainment were provided by this company. Firstly, myriorama in which a number of different pictures are displayed in sequence. Secondly, the projection of motion pictures using a cinematographe. One of the first motion pictures apparatus invented by the Luminere brothers. During this tour, Violet & her husband witnessed the popularity of this form of entertainment.
Violet introduces further novelty into her act by electrically illuminating her sleigh bells. This part of her act was patented and her husband, James, puts a notice in The Era (theatrical journal) that if anyone infringes the patent “they will be dealt with accordingly.”
1898-1901
In 1898 Violet adopts the stage name of Mademoiselle Violi.
She wears a Spanish costume and is described as a musical comedienne. She adds the following to her repertoire; bamboo bells, the marimba and mirambaphone (types of xylophone). Violet is praised for her originality and in 1901 is billed as “The Greatest Lady Instrumentalist in the World.”
1902-1905
Violet and James go on a tour to South America. They sail on the Royal Mail Steamer Magdalene for twenty three days and arrive in Buenos Aries on the 11th of August 1902. The tour was a big success and they were reported as being the talk of the town.
The couple return to England in September 1902 and continue working as variety artistes. Violet is reported as performing “a rare musical turn extracting music from unlikely instruments” and is described as quickly endearing herself to the audience.
1906-1908
In 1906 Violet is in the same variety show as George Formby at the Palace Theatre in Hull, Violet and her husband begin to move away from variety entertainment and start a cinema business. They toured around the country as the “World’s Animated Picture Company.” This company was the first to show films in Preston, Penrith, Lytham, St.Annes & Morecambe.
Films such as the “Wreck of the steamer Berlin”, the humorous film “Little Blind Girl” and the “Detective Tour around the World” were shown using a portable bioscope (type of projector).
Violet & James performed their variety acts as part of the entertainment. This may have been to fill the gaps when the film reels were changed.
James puts a humorous advert in the Bath Chronicle & Weekly Gazette (7th March1907)
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On Saturday the 11th of January 1908, The World’s Animated Picture Company were involved in a tragedy at the Harvey Institute, Barnsley. There was a large attendance of children. Bills advertising the show had been distributed to the local schools. Will Rain (owner of another picture company) was at the top of the gallery stairs collecting a penny from each child. The staff of the picture companies had the responsibility of taking money and managing queues.
When the gallery became full, Will Rain told a group of boys to turn round and go to the pit. He did not know that the staircase below was crammed with children, as he could not see round the bend of the stairs. The boys pushed back down the stairs causing children to fall and pile up on one another. Elizabeth Beardsall’s who was accompanying her daughter Jennie, saved some of the children by lifting them out. At one point, she thought one of the children who had died was her own son (three of her children had entered the hall at an earlier time) and she fainted.
In total, sixteen children, all under the age of 10 died of suffocation and forty were injured. The Martlett family lost 4 children. Messages of sympathy were sent from King Edward VII and Prince George & Princess Mary of Wales.
Violet and her husband were present, but were not at the site of the tradegy. James organised the evacuation of the children from the hall and ensured this was done in an orderly manner to avoid further stampedes.
At the trial, the coroner when summing up made reference to the lack of adult supervision from parents, but recognised the difficult circumstances for poor families. The jury’s verdict was that “the death of the children was due to the negligence of the company in not providing sufficient staff to regulate the children on the staircase”. This was not judged to be criminal negligence so no-one from the picture companies would have been imprisoned.
In 2008, one hundred years after the tragedy a plague was erected at the building in Barnsley, now known as the civic hall, to commemorate the loss of lives.
1908-1914
Not long after this tragedy and possibly as a result, Violet and her husband move to Lancaster and set up a cinema called “Violi’s Animated Pictures.” They rented out Cromwell Hall which was on the upper floor of a block of buildings in Rosemary Lane, Lancaster. (The rooms above the Istanbul Barber & Varna Bulgaria see photo) This was the assembly hall for the Trustees of the Centenary Church on St Leonard’s Gate.
An assortment of films were shown, such as the “Wrong Test” a comedy; “Saved from an Eagles Nest” an adventure film and a portrayal of the St. Leger’s Race.
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Additional entertainment was provided by Violet who performed illustrated songs, such as, “Redwing” & “Long Live King George” and a ventriloquist was, also, engaged.
The films received good reviews in the local papers. The films were praised for being clear and interesting and were reported as the best pictures ever seen in Lancaster.
James set up another cinema on Lower Church Street called the Picturedrome. An old skating rink in Victoria hall was converted into a luxurious and comfortable theatre. This was the first purpose built cinema in Lancaster. The opening ceremony was on the 11th December 1911. Violet accompanied the film The “Siege of Calais” on the piano. Violet and James were living at 50 Cable St Lancaster at this time (house demolished would have been opposite Sainsburys).
In April of 1912, an event was organised by two Lancaster charities, (including the Church’s Pleasant Sunday Afternoon Institute (PSA) who used rooms at Cromwell Hall) to provide breakfasts for poor children. Violet and James provided sandwiches, bread and butter, currant buns & tea for 426 children at Cromwell Hall and helped to make the children feel at home. It is reported that some of the children visited two different venues & therefore had enjoyed double breakfasts!
1914-1918
Similar to other cinemas in the first world war, both the Picturedome and Viola’s Animated Pictures appear to have closed. James became a special constable and did duty on Carlisle Bridge.
1919
After the war, Violet is no longer involved with Violi’s Animated Pictures. Michael Magee the manager of the Palladium Picture House on Market St takes over Cromwell Hall.
Violet continues to be involved in charitable events. She attends a fancy dress ball and whist drive at the town hall organised by the Lancaster Special Constables. The purpose of the event was to raise funds for a bed at Royal Lancaster Infirmary. Violet wins first prize in the fancy dress as a Spanish girl. She probably wore her costumes from her music hall days
1921-1925
Violet is living with James at 56 a Regent St Lancaster (building still there) Her occupation is documented as home duties the 1921 census. She is on the electoral register from 1921 and qualifies to vote in both parliamentary and local elections through her husband’s occupation.
On the 6th December 1925, Violet dies at the age of 50. She leaves her husband £720, equivalent today to approx £38,000. James continues in the cinema business until his death in 1952.
James Atroy is known as an early pioneer of early cinema in Lancaster and Morecambe. He was not alone , Violet had a significant part to play in this venture.
