The Portsmouth Music Scene

The Fuller Family

From Bob Hind of the Portsmouth NEWS 20th April 2019 You may not have heard of her, but from humble beginnings in this drapery and costumiers in Commercial Road, Rosalind Ivy Fuller went on to conquer the world of show business. Born in 1892, her father was in business from the late Victorian period until 1908 when he became bankrupt after underwriting a friend who went broke. Behind the store was a hall in which Mr Fuller, who had four daughters and a son, organised free entertainment on Sunday afternoons. He put three of his daughters on the stage to entertain the local populace. The girls had to sing and play and Rosalind hated every minute of if as she was extremely self-consciousness. Son Walter, born in 1881, financed the family and encouraged Rosalind to collect and learn folk songs. In 1911, Rosalind visited the great collector of folk songs, Cecil Sharp. He became entranced with Rosalind’s singing and had her perform at the Festival of Empire and then at Stratford Upon Avon. American visitors said she would go down well in the States and finance was arranged for Rosalind to tour there. All three sisters — Cynthia, Dorothy and Rosalind, along with Walter as manager, musical director and chaperone — left England in 1911 and they were an instant success. They were invited to perform at the White House but they were too busy. Rosalind was the star performer of the trio and president Woodrow Wilson did have them appear at the White House eventually and once at his own residence. Unfortunately, changing tastes in music and the First World War finished folk singing. After the war’s end, Rosalind went on stage and travelled to Paris to join the Folies Bergere. Within the year she was back in America and met F. Scott Fitzgerald. Success followed success and she appeared on stage and in films and she added an ‘e’ to her surname and cropped nine years from her age. Rosalind appeared in the first British Talkie film. In 1966 she was awarded an MBE. Rosalind died in London in September 1982 aged 90. The main picture shows the Fuller and Son’s store in Commercial Road. The doorway to the right of the blinds was the entrance doorway to the hall at the back of the shop where her singing career began. Above the shop can be seen an oblique cross with the letters P, Q and R with another letter off shot. Does anyone know what they stood for? Born: 16 February 1892, Portsmouth Died: 15 September 1982, London Books: Kissing the Joy: The Autobiography of Rosalinde Fuller OBE Siblings: Cynthia Fuller, Walter Fuller, Dorothy Fuller Resting place: Northamptonshire, England Nephew: Jeffrey Fuller Known performances;- 10/09/1945 Prince of Wales Theatre Cardiff Madame Bovary Risalinde Fuller plays Madame Emma Bovary 14/06/1948 Bristol Theatre Royal DARK SUMMER by Wynyard Browne. Directed by John Yeaxlee. Cast :- Barbara Leake, Rosalinde Fuller, John Roake, Winifred Evans and Maureen Pryor. 24-11-1930 25-3-1944 1-5-1951 Films The Unwritten Law (1929) – the first British 'talkie' The Message (1930) Contraband Love (1931) Perfect Understanding (1933) Song of the Plough (aka County Fair) (1933) Perfect Understanding 1933 Escape Me Never (1935) Immortal Gentleman (1935) Fullers Drapery Shop in Commercial Road 1901 Census First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Age Birth year Occupation Birth place Walter H Fuller Head Married Male 44 1857 Retail Draper Clapham, Surrey, England Eliza G Fuller Wife Married Female 42 1859 - Portsmouth, Hampshire, England Walter G Fuller Son Single Male 19 1882 Medical Student Portsmouth, Hampshire, England Oriska V Fuller Daughter Single Female 17 1884 - Portsmouth, Hampshire, England Dorothy D Fuller Daughter - Female 11 1890 - Portsmouth, Hampshire, England Ivy Rosalind Fuller Daughter - Female 9 1892 - Portsmouth, Hampshire, England Cynthia Doris Fuller Daughter - Female 4 1897 - Portsmouth, Hampshire, England Emma Jane Byrne Servant Widow Female 34 1867 Cook (Domestic) Wells, Somerset, England Eliza Elizh Jackson Servant Single Female 21 1880 Housemaid (Domestic) Hambledon, Hampshire, England 203 Commercial Road Portsmouth The family moved to Sturminster Newton in Dorset by the 1911 Census 1939 Register Transcription Bongniere Household (2 People) 10 Putney Hill, Ullswater , Wandsworth, London, England First name(s) Last name(s) DOB Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule Sub Number Rosalinde Fuller 16 Feb 1893 Female Actress Single 129 2 Francis Bongniere 16 Oct 1879 Male Photogrpaher Retired Married 129 1 Fuller's Hall at the back of Fuller's Drapery Shop 203 Commecial Road(Corner of Charlotte Street) 1887 February 2nd Programme of Elocution Contest and Entertainment Mrs Waller contralto, Mr C Manville tenor, A W Jerrard piano. 17 items of song and recitation 29-10-1889 29-10-1889 28-10-1890 l8-8-1892 17-7-1893