Reginold Lancaster’s Wife was an Actress Before Marriage

My 2x-granduncle, Reginold Lancaster, married Eda Pearl Ralston on 30 July 1920 in Los Angeles when he was thirty-two years old. She was thirty-five.[1] This was her second marriage, having been divorced from Eugene De Lartigue.

Eda Pearl Ralston was born in December 1880 in Wyoming to Ellis Ralston and Flora Sackett. In 1880, her parents were living in Cheyenne, Laramie County, so it is possible that this was where she was born. Her father was a railroad engineer.[2]

By 1900, her mother was a widow living in Los Angeles County, California, with three children: Eda, aged 19, Ruby F., aged 17, and Earl E., aged 15.[3]

Actress
Sometime before 1902, Eda began working as an actress while living with her mother and brother at 3680 South Grand Avenue.[4] In the earliest news found in October 1901, she was a whistling, song and dance soubrette at the Unique Theater on South Spring Street in Los Angeles.[5]

Variety was a weekly newspaper that covered actors and actresses. Eda Ralston was listed appearing at the Cineograph Theater (Furst and Loos, Managers) as one of the acts, The Girl from Gay Paree.[6] The Los Angeles Times had her listed playing at Broadway with Joseph Holland. They presented an original sketch written for them by Edward Crissie entitled “Checkers.”[7]

She was part of the Kings and Queens’ Company, which appeared at the Clinton Opera House in December 1902. She was headlined as the great California Whistler.[8]

She was still an actress in 1910, living with her mother at 1503 Avery Avenue in Los Angeles.[9]

First Marriage
She was divorced from Eugene De Lartigue in August 1917. He had to choose between his wife and the other woman, and chose the other woman.[10] By 1920, Eugene, an actor of moving pictures was living with a twenty-three-year-old Emma.[11] Eda and Eugene were married in Visalia, Tulare County, California, on 5 November 1910, and he was alleged to have deserted her in Salt Lake City on 1 April 1914.[12]

Second Marriage
After her marriage to Reginold, there was no mention of acting for Eda. She and Reginold lived in Atascadero, San Luis Obispo County, California, and engaged in real estate speculation. Reginold died on 25 November 1962.[13] She died on 16 January 1973, and no mention of her previous acting career was made.[14]

It seems from the early articles that her artistic ability was whistling. That would have been an interesting thing to hear.

#52Ancestors-Week 24: Artistic
This is my eighth year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/) at Generations Cafe. I write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or My Trails into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.

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[1] "California County Marriages, 1850-1952," database & images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1804002), Los Angeles County, Record of Marriages, 356:150, 1920, Reggie F Lancaster-Eda De Lartigue, dig film 004280711, image 160; citing Los Angeles County Recorder's Office, Norwalk, Calif.

[2] 1880 U.S. census, Laramie Co, Wyoming Terr., Cheyenne, p. 157b, Ellis Ralston.

[3] 1900 U.S. census, Los Angeles Co, California, Los Angeles, ED 152, p. 22a, Flora M, Ralston.

[4] Los Angeles City Directory (Los Angeles: Los Angeles City Directory Co, 1902), p. 904.

[5] “Amusements,” Los Angeles Evening Express, 15 Oct 1901, p. 4, col. 6.

[6] “Los Angeles, Cal,” The Billboard (Cincinnati), 8 Aug 1903, p. 6.

[7] “Broadway,” Los Angeles Times, 5 June 1904, part VI, p. 2, col. 3.

[8] “Kings and Queens,” The Clinton (Missouri) Daily Democrat, 27 Dec 1902, p. 2, col. 5.

[9] Los Angeles City Directory (Los Angeles: Los Angeles City Directory Co, 1910), p. 1204.

[10] “Judge Jackson Grants Mrs. Eda,” Los Angeles Record, 11 Aug 1917, p. 1, col. 1. Also, “Husband Chooses the Other Woman,” Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug 1917, part II, p. 8, col 2.

[11] 1920 U.S. census, Marin Co, California, ED 94, San Rafael, p. 184 (stamped), fam 31, Eugene De Lartigue.

[12] “Husband Chooses the Other Woman,” Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug 1917, part II, p. 8, col 2.

[13] “Reginald F. Lancaster,” San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune, 26 Nov 1962, p. 3, col. 3.

[14] “Eda Lancaster,” San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune, 18 Jan 1973, p. 2, col. 7.

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