 .......Cinema Notes ....... |
Additional notes ~ 1. ~ John Bonham Carter, Member of Parliament for Portsmouth,
assumed the name Bonham by Royal Licence when he inherited the
estates of his cousin Thomas Bonham. His wife Joanna Maria was
the daughter of William Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich. 2. ~ Their third son, Henry, married the elder daughter of George
Warde Norman of Bromley Common, while her sister, her junior by
eight years, married Henry's elder brother Alfred, his senior
by two years. 3. ~ Henry and Sibella had, with one daughter who died unmarried,
eleven sons, most of whom served with distinction in the army
or navy, and almost all of whom had children who served similarly.
Helena's grandfather entered politics, served as Private Secretary
to Asquith when he was Prime Minister, and married his daughter.
Their second son, Helena's father, was too young to fight in the
Second World War but served later as a Guards Officer. 4. ~ Magazine articles mentioning Helena's aristocratic background
assume this description refers to the Asquith connection (because
of the Prime Minister's earldom), but this lineage has been traced
only to the Prime Minister's grandfather Joseph who died in 1855.
It is the Bonham Carter line that provides the landed interest.
It could repay further research.
Helena Bonham Carter is
the English rose for those enthusiasts who followed her progress
from the fated Lady Jane on through the many costume dramas that
sustained the legend of her being suitable only for aristocratic
and upper-middle class rôles.
Her recent films, and especially Theory of Flight, have allowed her to break away and demonstrate the versatility
first revealed for this commentator in the beautiful Wings of the Dove.
Those who wonder at her aristocratic charm may be interested in
its source.
Armorial portrait of Helena Bonham Carter
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