**Hawicks forgotten film star?** - part two Towards the end of WWI in 1918, Jean Aylwin appeared in the silent film The Greatest Wish in the World as the Mother Superior. In the same year, she starred in a sketch called Something to his Advantage, written for her by Dion Titheradge, at the Euston Theatre and the Coventry Hippodrome. A reviewer remarked that There may not be much of a plot, but there is sufficient to bring out the remarkably fine qualities of Miss Aylwin. In 1920, she appeared in Just Like a Woman at the Glasgow Empire theatre. By 1923 Jean returned to the stage in one of two competing versions of Polly at the Chelsea Theatre, London. Her role as a Scottish maid was newly introduced for the Chelsea production and does not appear in the original. At the end of that year she announced her permanent retirement from the stage. She stated that she intended to travel to India and other parts of the East, to work with the Wesleyan Missionary Society to improve conditions in leper settlements. Jean though subsequently returned to England, and in 1926 was an early radio broadcaster on the BBC with a programme of Scotch Tales and Songs. **The divorce scandal** On 13th of December 1913, Jean Aylwin married Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred Rawlinson (1867-1934), son of Sir Henry Rawlinson, the famed Assyriologist. Though initially a happy marriage, they were divorced in 1924; the composer Hubert Bath was named as co-respondent in the case. The court heard that while she had been appearing in Polly, she had asked her husband to rent a flat for her opposite the theatre. When he went to visit her there, he encountered Mr Bath. On learning that his wife was too ill to come out, Rawlinson invited Bath out to lunch, who declined, claiming a prior engagement. Rawlinson returned to the flat later, where he again met Bath. When Bath went to ask Aylwin if she was well enough to receive her husband, Rawlinson heard her ask has he gone? which aroused his suspicions about Baths presence. Aylwin wrote to her husband afterwards, saying he was quite wrong, and that Bath had been a good friend. However, the housekeeper testified that Aylwin and Bath had often been alone together at the flat. The court found for Colonel Rawlinson and granted the divorce. Jean Aitkin/Aylwin remarkably lived till New Years Day 1964, and died at 36 Epple Bay Road, Birlington, Kent. Little is known about her later years, though we would be very interested if anyone has any stories or links to her colourful life. Please feel free to email us - projecthawick@gmail. #prohawick
Posted on: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 00:32:40 +0000
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