This blog is an attempt to chronicle my investigation into the issues surrounding the trial for the murder of Michael Scott Stephen by Elvira Barney. The case, a cause celebre in its day, is now largely remembered for two factors only. Firstly, in criminal history, as the victory of a masterful defence speech over the apparently overwhelming evidence for the prosecution – basically Elvira got away with murder thanks to the genius of Patrick Hastings; secondly, as a symbolic final curtain on the era of “The Bright Young Things”. This is most recently stated in D.J.Taylor’s excellent “Bright Young People”. Elvira Barney herself is seen as a peripheral figure. I want to focus on the events surrounding the case, the attendants at the infamous cocktail party that preceded the “murder” and various associative chains that spin out from that party. In doing so I want to shed some light on the extreme fringes of the “Smart Set” of the era and show that the “World of Elvira Barney” was more central to any discussion of the period than has hitherto been thought
seems interesting i am going to read through this in my spare time keep it up will keep reading sue
It would be good to email and to discuss further. Have you seen Cinzia Tani’s Amore Crudeli?
best
Gill Hedley
hi
have e-mailed you
cheers
m
What a fascinating blog and I’ll be reading through it all during the course of today!
I found it through googling someone who is mentioned on it (for a project of my own). Are we allowed to know who is writing this? A professional/academic historian/writer or – like me – someone who just has a longstanding interest in these things?
hi Sue
thank you for your kind comments.Hope you enjoy trawling through my ramblings. I am a retired college lecturer and this is more of a hobby than anything else at present. My academic background was in Literature and I could by no stretch of the imagination be called a “professional historian”. The blog just brings together an interest in British Trials, music, the world of pre-war clubs and the various characters who fall into the general category of Bright Young Things.
all the best
Maurice Bottomley
My interests too – as you will see from another of my comments! This ought to become a book at some point, surely?
hi there, i’ve just recently finished “bright young people” by D J Taylor. it was most interesting but jumped back and forth in time, incorporated too much politics and was ‘over-wordsy’. your blog i found light and easy to read. it was really the social life of those bright young things i was interested it, in particular brenda dean paul, elizabeth ponsonby and stephan tennant. olivia and elvira were only seldom mentioned, in the book, but i am now rather interested in them particularly as i read that olivia was a lesbian. anything you know i would be i would be really happy to read about.
regards, heather smith
i will save this page, like it and you can find me on facebook. thanks maurice x
thank you Heather
When I have time I will be posting more on Olivia Wyndham and her life in Harlem.
The 1920s section of Jane Stevenson’s biography of Edward Burra really brings Olivia and her friends to life and Francis Wyndham’s novelette, Ursula, is a very affectionate portrait of his aunt.
Hello again… could you post a specific url for the very beginning of this blog? If I go to October’s archives, it goes to 31st October, and I haven’t managed to get back to the start, whenever that was! Thanks.
hi
this is the first entry
http://elvirabarney.wordpress.com/2011/10/06/coctails-with-elvira/
Thank you for a very fascinating blog. I was particularly interested to read about great uncle Hugh. I have various 78rpm records of his songs. Namely “Souvenir de Paris”, which was a later work and had a moderate success shortly before his untimely death from throat cancer. This song was sung by various artists such as Anne Shelton and Doreen Lundy with Geraldo and his Orchestra. “Let it be Soon”, from “Maid to Measure” was sung by the Cheerful Charlie Chester and his Gang and Ted Heath and his Orchestra. I seem to remember that Tessie O’Shea also sung this song. Of his earlier works I have “Singing in the Moonlight” and “Rosalie”.
I understand that he spent some time in Paris and that there exists an interview of him on the French radio
My father and grandfather, Hugh’s elder brother sometimes spoke of him. Apparently he sometimes took time off from the wild parties to visit the family home in Market Deeping.
Hi there
How wonderful to hear from a relative of Hugh. I have found it quite hard to get information on him, as you can probably tell. There are little snippets here and there
but nothing substantial.His musical career is interesting, isn’t it? He seems to have had great early success, then club residencies and something of a comeback in the forties. I knew he died at a young age but not about the throat cancer, very sad. He is listed as a composer on the film The Tenth Man, do you know if he did any other film work? It would be nice to compile a complete discography – and it would make a useful CD.I’ve seen sheet music but not the records themselves.
The Paris connection is interesting. Quite a few of the people I’m concerned with spent time there.It would be fascinating to hear the radio interview.
So many pre-war artists have been neglected badly -I’m pleased I’ve been able to raise his profile even just a little. He must have had quite a “cult” following – my favourite story is Frederick Ashton cutting short a meeting with WB Yeats so he could catch Hugh at the Blue Lantern.
Thank you again for getting in touch – if you have any other information you’d be willing to share I’d love to hear it.
all the best
m
Thanks for your reply. I don’t have much information on Hugh, there are some letters and I have a photo where for once he is not wearing that jaunty cap. Unfortunately those who knew him must be dead by now. I understand that he had a sense of humour, he dubbed Coward’s “Talent to Amuse” as “Talent to Abuse”. He seems to have been very well liked by those who knew him.
I have heard the Paris radio interveiw but I don’t know if the recording survived. There is somewhere a recording of him singing and playing “Time may Change”, which I will search out.
The CD of his works is a good idea.
As far as i know “The Tenth Man” was his only film work.
I can tell you a little of his background. Hugh was the youngest of three sons of a country lawyer from Market Deeping in Lincolnshire and he attended Marborough College, Wiltshire.
I would be happy to email the photograph to you and when I find the correspondence will let you know.
Many thanks for putting Hugh on the map.
“Marborough” should read “Marlborough”
Hi
I’m pleased (and relieved) that you approve of the effort to “rescue” Hugh Wade. I’m glad to hear that he was well liked – I get the feeling that he remained loyal to his friends from the “fast set” who struggled in the 30s – when others just walked away. I wonder what happened to the piano Elizabeth Ponsonby is supposed to have left him?
I knew about the Market Deeping connection through Ancestry and FindMyPast but was not aware of the Marlburian link. By my reckoning that makes him a contemporary of some pretty illustrious figures – John Betjeman, Louis MacNeice and Anthony Blunt for a start.
I’d love anything that you feel you want to share – the best email for me is tildawn90@hotmail.com as I check that more regularly than the others/
thanks again
M
Found Guy Burgess’ photo on your page. Might I be able to use it in a book I’m writing on the WW2 industrial sabotage school he set up outside Hertford? Due acknowledgment given of course.
Thanks, Bernard ‘OConnor
help yourself,I have no rights to the image- it’ll have been lifted from some other site
Mr Bottomley,
I’m trying to trace Percy Colson’s heirs in the hope of them having photos he used in his 1937 book of Lord George Gordon, and being able to use them for a different view of Gordon. You wouldn’t have any idea of where he lived or where his heirs might be or their names, would you? The publishers don’t have a copy of the book – probably lost in wartime.
Your own comments on Colson’s prejudices tie in very well with his view of Gordon, and explain his highly critical stance; as does his political position, so obviously far to the right.
Joseph Harris
Can’t help much here, I’m afraid. I think his real name was Harold Percival Colson and he died in Winchester in 1952 but I’m not sure.If this is the same man then his estate was left to Sir Alec Martin of Christies – he is mentioned as an old friend in a couple of Percy Colson’s books.
That’s tremedously helpful; it gives me something to follow up. Thank you.