There is undoubtedly much more available with some diligent web searching, especially in newspaper archives … if anyone reading this wishes to do some research and email the results to me (swynnerton.blog@gmail.com) I’d be happy to include it here.
A movie shot at Easton Lodge, Dunmow, Essex, in 1929 exists: www.youtube.com (opens in separate window).
1904
April 3 – Mercy born, Warwick House, St James, The Strand, Westminster, London, England.
Prince Francis of Teck [1870-1910]… was a great friend of mine. He was one of the few people to whom one can apply the somewhat old-fashioned term of “confidential friend” … he agreed to become god-father to our youngest daughter, Mercy. [Frances, Countess of Warwick (1931) Discretions.]
1908
Lady Mercy Greville is in Paris staying at the Hotel Continental for a few weeks. [Her mother] Lady Greville has come to Paris solely for the purpose of buying her autumn and winter toilettes. (The American Register, 26 Sep 1908.)
1909
The Tatler, 5 May 1909. Lady Mercy Greville (centre) and Hon. Maynard Greville with their mother, The Countess of Warwick.
The Graphic, 19 Jun 1909.
1909
The Sketch, 26 May 1909. The Countess of Warwick with her younger son and daughter, the Hon. Maynard Greville and Lady Mercy Greville.
1910
Circa 1910, age c. 6.
1912
The Bystander, 13 Mar 1912.
1913
A literary gathering at Easton Lodge in 1913. Back row: R. D. Blumenfield, Jane Wells. Front row: Mrs Marion Bensusan, Mrs Hugh Cranmer-Gyng, H. G. Wells, Frank Wells, Lady Warwick, Lady Mercy Greville [age 8 or 9], ‘Gip’ Wells, Hugh Cranmer-Byng, S. L. Bensusan. Source: Duncan Willoughby (2002) Clausen in Essex: Sir George Clausen RA, 1852-1944.
From the autobiographical work Discretions (1931), by Mercy’s mother, Frances, Countess of Warwick:
We had just had the telephone installed at Easton and my young girl, Mercy, with a little friend as mischievous and inconsequent as herself, decided that they would celebrate the event by ringing up everybody they knew, whether in town or country. They did this, apparently to their own satisfaction, and certainly to my cost, until they were bored and decided to seek fresh fields of endeavor. Over the luncheon table told me joyfully that she had telephoned to everybody she knew, and when I pointed out that this was a naughty and wasteful thing to do, she retorted with glee, “I’ve done better than that, Mummy. We sent a telegram over the telephone to George Curzon, telling him that ‘Penelope’ will be waiting for him at Hyde Park Corner, at five o’clock this evening!” I am afraid that I was more amused than angry, though I did scold the children and told them not to do it again. Then the whole incident passed from my mind.
Two or three weeks later, however, it was brought back to me with dismaying sharpness. I received an angry letter from Lord Curzon, telling me that he had been astonished to receive an offensive telegram from Dunmow, and that he had been at some pains to trace it to Easton Lodge. I sat down at once and wrote my explanation and apology. I thought this would end the matter, but it did not. I had a further letter, from a still angry Lord Curzon, prophesying the worst ends for children who behaved so abominably to their elders! I poured more oil on the troubled waters, and eventually smoothed them; but the side of it that hurt me was not my old friend’s outburst of anger, which was comprehensible, but the feeling that his inability to see the humorous side of a piece of stupidity – on the part of two children not more than nine or ten years old – was due to his state of health.
1914
Tatler, 21 Jan 1914.
1915
The Sketch, 24 Mar 1915.
1918
19 Feb [age 13] – Bridesmaid at the wedding of her brother, Maynard Greville (son of the Earl and Countess of Warwick), and Dora Pape.
1919
2 Jul – Richmond [Horse Show] – the first for five years … Lady Mercy Greville will ride some of the mother, Lady Warwick’s hacks [Tatler].
1920
1921
A Debutante. One of the debutantes of the coming season is Lady Mercy Greville, Lord and Lady Warwick’s youngest daughter. Lady Mercy was one of the first society girls to bob her hair, two or three years ago, when the fashion was set.
1922
The Constitution, Atlanta, CA (newspaper) 18 Sep 1922: Lady Mercy Greville … is acting the part of a domestic servant in “The Lilies of the Field.” She has assumed the stage name Nancie Parsons.
Tatler, 22 Nov 1922.
When Douglas and I first went to stay in the impressive but ugly and inconvenient house that was Easton Lodge (it was pulled down a good many years ago) we found there an obviously ex-Edwardian beauty with bright blue eyes, hair set in elaborate curls, an electric smile which flashed on and off abruptly, ‘flowing’ garments – this in an early period of short dresses and cloche hats – and a trail of unfriendly and offensive Pekinese dogs: her daughter Lady Mercy Greville had a black lamb which lived in the house. She [Mercy’s mother] had a tendency to walk out on her visitors if she found them tiresome; and at the moment of our arrival was engaged in a violent quarrel with her tenant H. G. Wells, who lived in a house in the park called Easton Glebe – of which, and of the games he played therein, he had written in Mr Britling Sees It Through. She was quarrelling with him, as she often did. But it did not last long; it never did. [Margaret Cole (1971) The Life of G. D. H. Cole.]
The Daily Mirror, 29 Dec 1922.
1923
The Tatler, 10 Jan 1923.
Wants to be an actress. Lady Mercy Greville has returned from Switzerland, and she is enthusiastic about winter sports. She is still as keen as ever about the stage, and the hardships of touring in the provinces do not seem to daunt her! (The Daily Mirror, 15 Jan 2023.)
… “Her identity,” Lady Warwick announces, “will be concealed under a stage name, as she does not wish to use her position and title to secure a part.” She has her parents’ full consent, it was added. (The Daily Mirror, 24 Feb 1923, p1.)
March 11 [age 18] – Sunday Illustrated, p3.
LADY MERCY GREVILLE Screen Her Ideal But Doubts if She Has “Film Face.”
At the invitation of the Countess of Warwick three hundred guests, including many of the villagers and workers from Easton Lodge estate, were entertained to the first kinematograph performance given in the Countess’s Barn Theatre … A new American super-film, “Tol’able David,” was given.
Mr. H. G. Wells took a house-party.
Lady Mercy Greville, daughter of the Countess of Warwick, who is rehearsing for her West End début, said:
“I would like to act for the film, but I doubt whether I have got a film face. Shortly, however, I shall have a film test, and then – who knows?”
The Sphere, 7 Apr 1923. Mr. Arthur Henderson, Lady Mercy Greville (with the Hon. Ambrose Greville), the Countess of Warwick, Mrs. Frank Hodges.
Lady Mercy Greville, the 19-year-old daughter of the Countess of Warwick, is to take up a stage career, and interviewed a West End manager with a view to a part in a coming production.
A number of titled ladies have recently taken up vocalism as a professional actress … Catherine Countess of Westmoreland … Lady Gloria Fane … Lady Mercy Greville, younger daughter of the Earl of Warwick, appearing in the London revival of Barrie;s play, “The Little Minister.” Perhaps it is not surprising that the old professional theater hands are not enamoured of the new tendency. They have not a title to help them when it comes to getting an engagement.
Weekly Dispatch, 18 Aug 2023.
Weekly Dispatch, 18 Aug 2023: … Lady Mercy Greville … is at present acting the part of a maid in the second act of “The Lillies of the Field” at the Ambassadors Theatre … “I like the work very much … and I do not find it at all hard.” … She appears under the name Nancie Parsons, and has been an enthusiastic amateur actress since she was fourteen. She has plenty of practice at the “Barn Theatre” at Little Easton, near Dunmow, Essex, a fine old barn given and fitted by Lady Warwick for a village theatre. Here Lady Mercy acted chiefly Shakespearean parts and on one occasion was applauded by Ellen Terry. She intends to make the stage her permanent career. At one time Lady Mercy intended to be a nurse.
From Hammond, J. H. (ed; 1980) H. G. Wells – Interviews and Recollections: [1923 or 1924] In Fleet Street I made friends with a breezy and genial man, the Hon. Maynard Greville … we went to tea with his mother, Lady Warwick, at Easton Lodge … We were near the head of the the table, at which the commanding Edwardian figure of Lady Warwick in a large ‘picture hat’. Opposite me were Basil Dean and Maynard’s sister, Lady Mercy Greville, who married each other a year or so later.
1925
Tatler, 18 Feb 1925.
BASIL DEAN TO MARRY LADY MERCY GREVILLE;Theatrical Producer Engaged to Youngest Daughter of Dowager Countess of Warwick. [Age 21].
LONDON, June 30.-A romance of the stage and peerage was revealed in the announcement of the engagement of the well-known theatrical producer Basil Dean and Lady Mercy Greville, youngest daughter of the Dowager Countess of Warwick and sister of the present Earl. Lady Mercy is an enthusiastic amateur actress. Dean is going to America shortly in connection with the production of one of Noel Coward’s plays. Lady Mercy Greville startled English society two years ago when she announced her intention of going on the stage. Her mother, the Countess of Warwick, expressed her approval of her daughter’s proposal and the young woman, when 19 years old, accepted an engagement in the London production of “Lilies of the Field,” in which she acted the part of a domestic servant. She assumed the stage name of Miss Nancie Parsons. Basil Dean, actor, manager, stage director and dramatic author, was first married to Miss Esther Van Gruisen, daughter of A. H. Van Gruisen and niece of the Earl of Reading. He was first educated in studies preparatory to entering the diplomatic service, and later he was trained to be a scientist. His first appearance on the stage was in 1905 as Trip in “The School for Scandal,” following which he continued on the stage. He is the author of several plays.
Mercy‘s daughter (and only child) Francis Elizabeth Tessa Dean, born.
Born. To Basil Dean, co-dramatist with Margaret Kennedy of The Constant Nymph (TIME, Dec. 20), and Mrs. Dean (onetime Lady Mercy Greville), daughter of the Dowager Countess of Warwick); a daughter (8 lb.) in London. Playwright Dean cabled a wish she should be named Tessa, after the heroine of the play. [Time, 27 Dec 1926, volume 8, issue 26, p24.]
Mercy visited Moscow, with her husband, Basil, and his designer, George Harris. Basil was interested to see what was happening in Russian theater. [Warden, Claire (2016) Migrating Modernist Performance.’
1927
Tatler (1927).
The Sketch, 5 Jan 1927.
1928
The Tatler, 26 Sep 1928.
Watching Her Daughter. – Frances Countess of Warwick looked very handsome wearing a turban, on the first night of the revival of “The Constant Nymph.” She was much interested in the performance of her daughter, Lady Mercy Dean, who’s acting name is Nancie Parsons. Noel Coward was there, too, and all the Forbes-Robertsons.
The Daily Mirror, 30 Sep 1928.
“THE CONSTANT NYMPH” REVIVED AT THE GARRICK THEATRE: “SANGER’S CIRCUS” AT SUPPER – (L. TO R.) TONI (NANCIE PARSONS), PAULINE (MADELINE CARROLL), TRIGORIN (MORTON SELTEN), LINDA (MARY CLARE), KATE (MARGOT SIEVEKING), SUSAN (RUBY COLE), TESSA (JEAN FORBES-ROBETSON), LEWIS DODD (RAYMOND MASSEY), JACOB BIRNHAM (KENNETH KENT), AND ROBERTO (TONY DE LUNGO). [The Illustrated London News, 6 Oct 1928.]
1931
The Daily Mirror, 17 Feb 1931.
The Tatler, 20 May 1931.
1933
MONKEY WED DING GUEST – Lady Mercy Dean, younger daughter of Frances Countess of Warwick, was married yesterday [14 Feb] at Chelsea Registry Office to Mr. Patrick Henry Noel Gamble. A small, excited, chattering monkey, in a little Red Riding Hood jacket with a hat and white bow, and a Bedlington terrier, also with a white coat and a red bow, were among the most interested guests. Bimbo, the monkey, and Peter, the dog, attracted such a large crowd that the police had to move people on. There were only eight guests. The bride defied superstition by wearing a bottle green ensemble with leopard skin.
The Daily Mirror, 15 Feb 1933.
1935
The Tatler, 2 Jan 1935.
The Daily Mirror, 29 Oct 1935.
9 Nov – EARL’S DAUGHTER DIVORCED … Lady Mercy Gamble, formerly of Brook End, Little Easton, Dunmow … Her husband, Mr. Patrick Henry Noel Gamble, estate agent, Eardley-crescent, S. W., alleged adultery between his wife and Mr. Richard Maurice Marter … Mr. amd Mrs. Marter were friends of theirs. [Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle, 9 Nov 1935, p6.]
1936
May 9 [age 32] – Married Richard Maurice Marter (1900-1964), The Register Office, Evesham, Warwickshire, England.
1938
16 Apr 1938: Princethorpe Pegasus born, one of thirteen pedigree dogs registered as owned or bred by ‘The Lady Mercy Marter‘ of Wood House, Princethorpe, near Rugby. (The Breed Archive.)
The Sphere, 9 Jul 1938: Lady Mercy Marter, daughter of Frances, Countess of Warwick, feeding some of the ponies on the Warwick estate at Easton Lodge, Dunmow, Essex … Whenever Lady Warwick hears of a pony threatened with the humane killer she inquires into the circumstances and often purchases it.
1946
The North Wales Weekly News, 19 Sep 1946: The engagement is announced if Mr. Peter J. M. Thomas … to Miss Tessa Dean, only daughter if Mr. Basil Dean, director of wartime E.N.S.A., and Lady Mercy Marter of Llanon, Cardiganshire. Mr. Peter Thomas, an R.A.F. pilot, was a prisoner of war in Germany for four years. Recently he took his M.A. degree at Oxford.
ANNIE LOUISA SWYNNERTON (1844-1933) 