Lil Hawthorne

Lil Hawthorne (1877–1926) was an American-born British stage beauty, music hall performer and pantomime Principal Boy who was involved in bringing Dr. Crippen to justice.

Born in Nashville in Illinois as Lillian Hawthorne, she started her variety career in America at the age of 14 as part of the song and dance trio "The Hawthorne Sisters" with her sisters, Lola and Nellie (1891-1898). She performed with her sisters in Boston and New York before transferring to England, making her first appearance in London at the Palace Theatre in 1896, singing Leslie Stuart's popular song, "Willow Pattern Plate".

After her sisters' marriage and retirement, Hawthorne remained in the United Kingdom where she soon became popular in music halls all over the country. She made the first of many appearances in pantomime at the Empire Palace Theatre, Edinburgh in 1898. Hawthorne's repertoire of songs included 'Lucy Loo', 'Tessie, You are the Only, Only, Only' and 'Mamie May,' all of which she recorded, as well as 'Kitty Mahone' and 'Don't Cry Little Girl, Don't Cry'.

In 1899 she married John Edward Nash (1863-1934), who became her manager. Also in 1899 she recorded the song "Sweet Rosie O'Grady" (written by Maude Nugent) for Berliner Gramophone and "I'll Be Your Sweetheart". In 1900 she starred in Walter Gibbon's Anglo-American Bio-Tableaux film Kitty Mahone. She was the Principal Boy in the pantomimes Puss in Boots (1903-1904) and Sleeping Beauty (1904-1905), both at the Prince’s Theatre, Bristol. On 6 December 1909 Hawthorne topped the bill at the opening night of the Hippodrome Theatre in Bishop Auckland.

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