CYNTHIA BROOKE (1868-1949),

DAUGHTER OF HENRY BEAUFOY MERLIN

BY RICHARD BRADSHAW

MISS CYNTHIA BROOKE

The Sketch (London), 11 March 1896
The actress Cynthia Brooke, who was brought from London by the
manager George Musgrove to perform in Australia in 1903, was
the second daughter of Henry Beaufoy Merlin. He had gained
posthumous fame as a photographer in 1951 when Keast Burke
uncovered hundreds of glass negatives which had been stored in a
garden room in North Sydney belonging to a member of the
Holtermann family. Constance Louisa Beaufoy Merlin was born in
Warrnambool, on 15 December 1868. In 1890, in The Green
Bushes at the Adelphi Theatre in London, she acted as Constance
Beaufoy,1 but by the end of that year, in a touring production of
The Solictor, she was using the stage name Cynthia Brooke,2 the
name by which she became well-known.

We now know that Henry Beaufoy Murlin was born in Wells-next-

the-Sea, Norfolk on 20 March 1830. He came to Australia in late
1848 and eventually adopted the spelling “Merlin.” However, in
1853-7, when he was involved in theatre, he used the surname
“Muriel.” As Henry Muriel he had built a new Queen’s Theatre in
Maitland after an earlier one was burnt down.3 Cynthia Brooke
must have been told by her mother about this because, just ahead
of her departure from London for Australia on 19 December 1902,
it was reported in Australia that her father had once “presented the
town of Maitland, New South Wales, with a theatre, built at his own
expense.” 4

1
https://www.umass.edu/AdelphiTheatreCalendar/m89d.htm
2
Eastbourne Gazette, 31 December 1890.
3
Richard Bradshaw, The Merlin of the south, Australasian Drama Studies
No.7, (October, 1985)
4
Advertiser (Adelaide) 13 December 1902; Brisbane Courier, 20 Dec. 1902
Henry Beaufoy Merlin had died in Sydney in 1873, and a month
after his death his wife sailed from Sydney for England with her
four children, two boys and two girls. Young Constance was
educated in England and at a convent near Bruges.5 Merlin’s
mother, known as Mrs Forster thanks to a short-lived second
marriage in Sydney, was a medal-winning “artist in wax flowers”
whose models of Australian native flowers were among the
Australian exhibits at the International Exposition in Paris in 1855.
She remained in Australia until at least 1876, but perhaps she too
finally returned to England.

In England Cynthia Brooke was pleased to reveal that she was

born in Australia. She told The Sketch of London in 1896: “I was
born in Victoria, in the township of Warrnambool, on the rocky sea-
coast. Of course, I can’t say that I remember the place, as on my
father’s (Mr. Beaufoy Merlin) death, when I was four years old, I
was brought by my mother to England; however she has
6
graphically described my birthplace to me.” News of her
birthplace and father’s name was immediately relayed to
Australia.7 In interviews she talks of her father’s theatrical
activities, but never mentions the photography for which he is now
remembered.

5
Evening News (Sydney) 13 July 1895
6
The Sketch 11 March 1896
7
Sent by the London correspondent of The Age (Melbourne) on 13 March, as
reported by The Referee (Sydney) on 22 April 1896.
CYNTHIA BROOKE, from the article in The Sketch of 11 March 1896
(Author’s collection)

Tall, and strikingly attractive, she expressed a preference for

comedy roles with which she had begun her acting career.
However it was in Pinero’s “problem plays” that she really came to
the fore. Mrs Patrick Campbell8 had made her own mark with
London audiences when The Second Mrs Tanqueray opened in
1893, and Cynthia Brooke had toured in the lead in the provinces
in 1894-5. At Pinero’s request Brooke took the lead in an 1895-6
tour of The Notorious Mrs Ebbsmith, a role which Mrs Campbell
had created in March1895.

8
[She had also made her London debut at the Adelphi in 1890, but in March.]
CYNTHIA BROOKE as THE SECOND MRS TANQUERAY
The Sketch, 27 February 1895 (Author’s collection)
The actor who played Aubrey Tanqueray on tour with Cynthia
Brooke was C. Aubrey Smith,9 at the beginning of his acting
career. Then he was in the original cast of The Notorious Mrs
Ebbsmith in London with “Mrs Pat” and made his debut on
Broadway in the same play at the end of 1895, with Julia Neilson
in the lead and about half of the original cast. [Smith later starred
as a tall, craggy-faced Englishman in many Hollywood films right
up until his death in 1948, aged 83.] If Cynthia Brooke had been
considered for the lead in New York, her marriage in London about
that time may have worked against it.

In London, in 1895, Constance Louisa C. B. Merlin married

Frederick George Latham (born ca 1853).10 At the time he was
business manager for the Gattis at the Adelphi Theatre in London,
but he was also responsible for a number of touring companies
including those for the two Pinero plays that starred Cynthia
Brooke. A daughter, Cynthia Beaufoy Latham, was born on 21
April 1897 in London. (There was a report in 1899 that Cynthia
Brooke was recovering from a serious illness.11) It was possibly
with Latham’s help that, in about 1900, she was featured on
Ogden’s Cigarette Cards and (in New Zealand at least) was
advertised as one of the “English beauties” who used Dr
Mackenzie’s Arsenical Soap.12

9
reported in Otago Witness , 9 May 1895.
10
St Catherine’s House, Marriages Oct-Dec,, Marylebone 1a 1099
11
Otago Witness, 16 November 1899
12
e.g. Auckland Star, 29 September 1900
Fred G. Latham helped organise seasons at the Adelphi for Sarah
Bernhardt in 1897 and 1899 and he was manager for Maurice
Grau of the coast-to-coast American tour of Bernhardt and
Coquelin, who arrived with their company in New York from France
in November 1900. In an interview for Table Talk in Melbourne,
Brooke revealed that Bernhardt, “an intimate friend,” had wanted
young Cynthia Latham to play the part of the 4-year-old Georges in
the tragedy Frou Frou (in French!) but she had felt it was too early
for the youngster to appear in public.13

After he returned from England, at the end of August 1902, George

Musgrove announced plans to import actors for a Shakespearean
company, a farcical comedy company and a comic opera season.
Cynthia Brooke’s name was listed for the last company along with
Maud Milton, who was a decade older. Maud Milton, whom
Musgrove called “Sir Henry Irving’s leading lady,” was also listed
14
for the Shakespeare. Some weeks later Musgrove revealed that
Brooke would be in A Midsummer Night’s Dream too. This news
would clearly have dismayed her because, when asked in an
interview in 1895 if she had ambitions to act in Shakespeare, she
had replied: “No, certainly not, I do not care for Shakespeare, and
do not intend ever to act in any of the plays.” 15

From London for the Evening News (Sydney) of 6 December 1902

Emily Soldene wrote of Cynthia Brooke: “You will find her a

13
Table Talk (Melbourne) 5 February 1903
14
The Argus, 3 September 1902
15
South Wales Echo, 26 September 1895
finished and charming artist of the school – and appearance too –
of Mrs. ‘Pat’ Campbell. Some years ago , I saw Miss Brooke play
‘The Notorious Mrs. Ebbsworth,’ and was much impressed.” Mrs
Beerbohm Tree complimented her after making a special journey
to see her as Mrs Tanqueray and reportedly told Mrs Patrick
Campbell that Brooke’s version was more moving than hers! 16

Cynthia Brooke arrived in Melbourne on 28 January 1903 with her

5-year-old daughter and a nurse. At the time her husband Fred G.
Latham was manager at the Metropolitan Opera in New York for a
season of Maurice Grau’s English opera company. As early as
26 February Table Talk was asking “Why was Miss Cynthia
Brooke brought out to Australia?” Much to the surprise of the
press she was not placed by Musgrove in a play until more than
two months of her six-months engagement had passed ... and then
she was cast as Hermia in A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. It
opened at the Princess in Melbourne on Saturday, 11 April 1903
and was directed by Robert Courtneidge [father of Cicely
Courtneidge].

Cynthia Brooke was unhappy with the role. She had never acted
in Shakespeare and felt uncomfortable in the “draperies” and
sandals. “I didn’t come here to play Shakespeare. I had never
spoken a line of blank verse before. I want to play in my own line
17
of business in Australia.” This comes from a “chat” in Adelaide

16
Interview in Sunday Times (Sydney) 14 June 1903. The following week it
was reported that Brooke had written a letter of thanks to the interviewer.
17
The Register (Adelaide) 10 July 1903
in which the reporter calls her a ”sweet, graceful lady, with a soft
caressing voice that falls like music in the ear, ....” . Brooke told
how Maud Milton, who played Helena, had helped her to create the
character of Hermia. One writer felt Brooke was not exactly short
enough to be called a “minimus of hind’ring knot grass made.” 18

CYNTHIA BROOKE AS HERMIA (IN “DRAPERIES”)

Punch (Melbourne), 7 May 1903 Table Talk, 28 May 1903
[Images via National Library of Australia’s “Trove”]

18
The Argus, 13 April 1903
Brooke had a brief chance at modern comedy in a one-night-only
performance on 30 May 1903 at The Princess in Melbourne. She
played Mrs Lavinia Burnett in the farce On Change, which starred
Robert Courtneidge and was staged as a farewell piece ahead of
his return to England.

After the Adelaide season of The Dream, Brooke appeared with

Nellie Stewart in Sydney at the Theatre Royal from 25 July 1903,
as Violet Aynsley in A Country Mouse, a farce that ran for only four
nights. The Sydney Morning Herald of 27 July reported that “Miss
Cynthia Brooke’s debut gave added interest to the evening. The
newcomer is handsome and stylish, with an easy and effective
comedy manner.” It was a role she had just missed out playing in
London because she had been in New York at the time.

The Dream opened in Sydney on 1 August with Cynthia Brooke as

Hermia, but she left before the end of the run. She had originally
intended to continue on to South Africa to perform, but was
apparently able to cancel the engagement. A report in The
Referee on 1 July 1903 had said she had already signed a
contract to play for Charles Dillingham, with whom her husband
now worked, in New York, but as late as 1 August the Sydney
Morning Herald reported that she was to sail for England on the
Oruba on 15 August. In the end she left with her daughter for San
Francisco on the Sonoma on 17 August 1903 intending to join her
husband in New York. The part of Hermia was taken over by
Margaret Cellier, daughter of composer François Cellier.
There can be little doubt that Cynthia Brooke was very
disappointed with her engagement in Australia and it is unclear
why Musgrove did not employ her to more advantage. Certainly
his main preoccupation seems to have been with his de facto wife,
the extremely popular local actress Nellie Stewart, and an
overseas tour was planned for her. He had said: “... I consider
Miss Nellie Stewart is to-day the best actress on the English
19
Stage.” Was he perhaps concerned that Cynthia Brooke might
outshine Nellie Stewart? [George Musgrove and Nellie Stewart
were the parents of Nancye Stewart, born in 1893, who also
became a successful actress.]

In April 1904 papers reported: “Miss Cynthia Brooke is back again

in London. Miss Brooke was introduced to Australia by
Mr Musgrove really to play lead in his comedy company, but
remained for many weeks unoccupied on a high salary, owing to
the success of Miss Stewart in Sweet Nell. Afterwards Miss
Brooke appeared with the Shakespearean company, and then left
for America, where she joined her husband and the Julia Marlowe
20
Dramatic Company.” In 1905 Cynthia Brooke was back in New
York for productions of The House of Burnside and Love in
Idleness, with Olive Wilton, the English actress who eventually
settled in Hobart. In 1909-10 Cynthia Brooke appeared in London
in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, starring H.B. Irving.21

19
Advertiser (Adelaide) 16 October 1902
20
Advertiser (Adelaide ) 16 April 1904 & Bendigo Advertiser 16 April 1904.
According to the Los Angeles Herald, 3 Dec. 1903, about that time Julia
Marlowe was hiding in St Louis from her manager, Charles Dillingham.
21
He was the eldest son of Sir Henry Irving.
In the Supreme Court of New York in December 1910, as
Constance Cynthia Beaufoy Latham, she successfully sued her
husband for divorce. She claimed she was destitute while her
husband lived in luxury in New York City with another “Mrs.
Latham.” She also claimed that, when Latham visited Europe in
1907 after four years absence from London, he delayed a visit to
her because he was escorting a “certain prima donna” back to her
home in Germany. He responded by saying that this had been at
Dillingham’s request, and that five other people were in the party.
Latham claimed that he was obliged to try to keep two households
going because his wife hated everything about America (which she
hotly denied) and this “caused her to lose sight of her marital
duties.” Furthermore, he claimed she had only married him to
advance her own career, and in that ambition she had “signally
failed.” Cynthia Brooke was granted $350 for costs and alimony of
22
$60 per week. Fred G. Latham remained in the U.S.A. directing
musical comedies and serious plays and in 1929-32 he was a
playreader for RKO in Hollywood. He died in New York on 31
January 1943, aged 90.

In 1912-13 Cynthia Brooke was again in plays in London and then

in 1914 returned to New York in the English cast of The Elder Son
at the Playhouse Theatre. Her daughter, Cynthia Latham, was
also in the cast, making her Broadway debut at the age of 17. In
1915-25 Cynthia Brooke was in seven other Broadway plays. In

22
New York Times, 9 December 1910. [“THEATRE FOLK TELL THEIR
MARITAL WOES.”]
one of these, The Basker, in 1916, she appeared with Maud
Milton, who had been with her in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in
Australia.

In 1929 mother and daughter had appeared together in plays at

the Repertory Theatre of Boston: The Winter’s Tale, Measure for
Measure and a dramatised version of The Water Babies. In
Measure for Measure one critic felt it would have been more
believable if Cynthia Latham, who played the jilted Mariana, had
played the novice nun Isabella, after whom Angelo lusts, instead of
23
her mother. Cynthia Brooke died in New York on 11 September
1949.

From 1914 to 1970, Cynthia Brooke’s daughter, Cynthia Latham

appeared in many plays and musicals on Broadway. She was in
the 1946 cast of Pygmalion starring Gertrude Lawrence and
directed by Cedric Hardwicke and then, in Pittsburgh in 1964, she
played Mrs Higgins in My Fair Lady. She toured in The Constant
Wife, starring Ethel Barrymore [ca 1935], Old English, starring C.
Aubrey Smith [ca 1941], and The Man Who Came to Dinner, with
Moss Hart, the co-author, in the cast [ca 1941].

23
The Tech (Cambridge, MA) 22 November 1929
 CYNTHIA LATHAM

In 1959-60 Cynthia Latham played Maude Simpson in Redhead,

the first Broadway musical to be directed by Bob Fosse. (The
Australian actress Joy Nichols was also in the cast.) The original
cast recording can be accessed on the internet, so you can now
easily hear the voice of Henry Beaufoy Merlin’s granddaughter in
the song Behave Yourself.
 CYNTHIA LATHAM (on left) in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE

In 1970 she played one of the two crazy sisters in Arsenic and Old
Lace at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C.24 In later life she
appeared as minor characters in some TV series, possibly the last
being in an episode of The Facts of Life (which you may still be
able to see on line) when she was 86.25 Cynthia Beaufoy Latham
died in Los Angeles on 30 October 1989, aged 92.

24
9 October-15 November, 1970. This was a production of the New York-
based company Circle in the Square. The building was reopened as a theatre
on 12 February 1968, the first time since President Lincoln’s assassination.
25
Series 4, Episode 19, 9 March 1983] At the time of writing this can be seen
at: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x61pk8d
CYNTHIA LATHAM in the T.V. Sitcom, THE FACTS OF LIFE [1983]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am grateful to Paul Folkes who first alerted me to the connection
between Cynthia Brooke and Henry Beaufoy Merlin, whose birth
details he also provided. Paul is a descendant of Merlin’s elder
son, Francis (“Frank”) Beaufoy Merlin, who settled in Sydney in
1915, and died in Hurstville in 1927. The National Library of
Australia’s wonderful Trove website has been invaluable in this
research, and it has also been helped by the National Library of
New Zealand’s Papers Past. I would like also to acknowledge the
help of Dr Peter Orlovich, former archivist at the Seaborn,
Broughton and Walford Foundation.
[Bowral, NSW, 6 April 2021]