Worker of the Week: Eileen Russell Odell

Worker of the Week is a series of blog posts which highlights the workers at H.M. Factory Gretna that our volunteers researched for The Miracle Workers Project. This project aimed to centralise all of the 30,000 people who worked at the factory during World War One and, although it may be over, our amazing research volunteers are continuing to uncover more stories about H.M. Factory Gretna workers to be added to this database. We are always looking to learn more about H.M. Factory Gretna workers. If you know anything about a H.M. Factory Gretna worker please feel free to get in touch with us by contacting info@devilsporridge.org.uk  This week’s Worker of the Week is name-changing, performer Eileen Russell Odell! This information has been supplied through Research Project led by research volunteer, Nigel Crompton. A huge thank you to him and everyone else who is involved in this.

Eileen Russell Odell definitely seems to have led a very exciting life. She appears to have changed her name on more than one occasion!

Ethel Frances Prewer

First it seems to appear that Eileen was originally called Ethel Frances Prewer, when she was born in Eastborne, Sussex.

Her parents were William and Margaret Prewer. She had a total of four siblings and one half sibling, who was born to William’s first wife Elizabeth. In 1865, Elizabeth sadly died. This was a year before William married Margaret Russell in 1866.

William worked as a master gunner in the Royal Artillery. Consequently, the family moved around regularly, due to his postings until 1880 when William sadly died.

Next we seem to come across Ethel at her first marriage. She appears to have married four times! Elieen or Ethel had one divorce and children with three of her four husbands!

Her first marriage appears to have taken place in 1895 at Woolwich to John Scott Davidson Lonely, a career soldier. John was a Company Sergeant Major. However, he had a military courts martial during the Boer War, which lead to a five year prison sentence. At the time of the 1901 census, John was in Portland Military Prison. When John was released he was discharged “in ignominy.” This means he lost all rights and any medal entitlement.

Perhaps John’s experience strained his health, as he sadly died in 1902. By this time George and Ethel had two children. We have found no later record of these two children.

Violet Patricia Neville

Later that year, on 17th September, she appears to have married Harry Gilbert Peyton Beville in London. However, if this is indeed Ethel she appears to have changed her name and now be known as Violet Patricia Neville. She is described as a widow, which would indeed be true for Ethel, but could it really be her with the change of name and if so why would she change it?

It is possible she changed her name to distance herself from the disgraced reputation of her first husband John. Violet’s profession is listed as being a concert agent, so it’s also possible that Ethel could have changed her name for theatrical reasons. It’s not unknown for performers to change their name or adapt a stage name. However, it seems as though Ethel may have gone a step further and created a whole new history for herself!

Notably, for this and her next marriage, Violet gave her father as Francis Henry Russell and her mother as Helen Violet Margaret, which is not Ethel’s recorded parents! There has be no record of marriage between Francis and Helen that we have come across, but this does not make it impossible. The occupation of Violet’s father is given as Colonel in the Royal Horse Artillery and her place of birth is given as Kildare, Ireland, but we have found no confirmation of either of these.

Of course, this does not completely rule out the fact that Ethel and Violet could indeed be two completely different people! In this instance, we think it is likely that they are the same person but it may not be so. Unfortunately, there are simply some things about H.M. Factory Gretna workers we may never know for sure. This may be one of them! If you happen to be a relative of Ethel, Eileen or Violet and know more we would love to hear from you. We’re always looking to learn more and are happy to add to, edit or amend any of our online database entries or Worker of the Week blogs! (You can find out how to get in touch at the end of this blog post!)

Werther or not Ethel and Violet were indeed one and the same person, our next record is of Violet and Harry’s divorce. On 5th December 1910, Violet and Harry divorced on the grounds of adultery. We know that it seems as though Violet and Harry already had three children (including two twins), all of which were born in London by the time of their divorce.

Eileen Russell

Following this there appears to have been another name change. Violet appears to have changed her name to Eileen Russell. The 1911 census seems to provide more certain evidence of this. Eileen Russell is listed as living in Hampstead with her three young children from her last marriage to Henry. Additionally, she is living with Edward Seymour Oddell, a stockbroker and six servants. Eileen is still a concert agent.

Apparently Eileen was quite a performer during her time as a concert agent! We’ve found a magazine article which suggests she appeared in operas, stage shows and sung folk music too. She also appeared in films in America and the UK. Eileen certainly seems to have had a very exciting life!

After this this, on the 24th June 1911, Eileen Russell married Edward Odell in Glasgow. However, this marriage seems to have been short lived. In 1912, Edward filed for divorce from Eileen. Once again, adultery is cited as the reason. Eileen is accused of adultery with Rt. Hon. Charles Benjamin Bright McLean, Lord Aberconway. This petition was dismissed, but it doesn’t seem Edward and Eileen’s marriage did ever entirely recover from Edward’s accusations. We have not come across any further record of their divorce, but it seems they must have prior to 1920.

Mrs Mott

This is because Eileen appears to have married again by 1920 to Stanley Charles Mott, who was managing a film company.

Between these marriages, Eileen seems to have worked at H.M. Factory Gretna. ‘E. Russell Odell’ appears on a petition sent by the Women’s Police Force at H.M. Factory Gretna in 1918 to the then Minster of Munitions, Winston Churchill. [2] We think this is highly likely to be Eileen’s signature!

Further evidence of Eileen’s wartime work can be found in a magazine article:

“Mrs. Mott has been running her own Concert Party, “The Allies,” both here and in France, for the benefit of the wounded, and has been also a V.A.D., and has altogether been four times to France. The last role she filled in “war work” was as a policewoman, pitting in very arduous and dangerous work at our greatest explosive factory, and also serving in Scotland.”

– The Bioscope, 23rd October 1919.

We think it is highly likely that the “our greatest explosive factory… in Scotland” referred to is H.M. Factory Gretna! [1]

It is this same edition of ‘The Bioscope’ magazine from 23rd October 1919 already describes Eileen as Mrs Mott! Perhaps, Eileen and Edward had already separated 1919 and were waiting on a divorce? Or could there have been some confusion when this article was printed? It’s also worth noting that Eileen appears to have had two children in 1918 and 1919.

In fact, on 14th May 1920, Eileen is recorded as arriving in Fremantle, Australia with her five children and a nurse aboard the SS Naldera. It is likely that this could be a trip to preform! The article in ‘The Bioscope’ suggested that she travelled widely to preform and even been on a world-tour. As the article puts it Eileen:

“Possessed of a beautiful soprano voice, she has appeared in every quarter of the globe, being heard in leading operatic roles,  and also in her speciality, the Folk Songs of all Nations, being one of the few artists who render Irish and Scotch Folk songs in original Urse and Gaelic. Mrs Mott has given Command Performances before most of the European Royalties, as well as several of our Indian Potentates, during her world-tour.”

–  The Bioscope, 23rd October 1919.

By the 1939 Register, Eileen and Stanley are both still married, but are living separately in different parts of London.

On 25th April 1958, Eileen died in Surrey.

***

[1] ‘An Artistic Business Combination: Mr. and Mrs. Stanley C. Mott Join the W and F. Film Service’, ‘The Bioscope’ magazine, 23rd October 1919, page 42.

[2] Women’s Police Force letter to Minster of Munitions Winston Churchill, 1918, The Devil’s Porridge Museum’s archive.

 

Find Elieen Russell Odell’s online database by clicking here>

Do you have a relative who worked at H.M. Factory Gretna? We would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us by emailing info@devilsporridge.org.uk. You never know maybe your relative feature in a future Worker of the Week blog post! You can also have a look at some more H.M. Factory Gretna workers on our online database here>