Francis Lyndhurst
Birth nameLindhurst Francis Schmitz
Birth date2 March 1878
Birth placeKensington, London, England
Death date31 May 1952 (aged 74)
Death placeChichester, Sussex, England
OccupationTheatrical scenery painter, film producer, film director
Years active1914–1952
SpouseDorothy Rogers (m. January 1907)
Relatives

Francis Leonard Lyndhurst (born Lindhurst Francis Schmitz; 2 March 1878 – 31 May 1952) was an English theatrical scenery painter, film producer and film director. He is known for setting up an early film studio at Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex.

Early life

Lindhurst Francis Schmitz was born in Kensington, London, England on 2 March 1878.[1] He was baptised, a son of Francis Henry Schmitz, a clerk from Paris, and his wife, Annie Maria (née Mower), at St Clement, Notting Hill in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on 26 May 1878.[2]

Career

Lyndhurst's first films, beginning with The Showman's Dream in 1914, were made at Shoreham Fort, by his production company, Sealite,[3] or Sunny South Film Company.[4] He set up the Glasshouse Studio in a nearby, glass-sided, building, in 1915.[5] The business failed and he returned to his former occupation of scenery painting.[4][5]

Lyndhurst stored his films in a barn, which was destroyed by bombing during World War II. No copies of any of his films are known to survive.[6]

Lyndhurst bought a farm, in order that his sons should avoid fighting in the Second World War. Later a portion of the land was used to build chalets and set up a holiday camp.[7][3]

Personal life

Schmitz married Dorothy Constance "Dora" Rogers in Brentford, Middlesex, in January 1907.[8] They had five sons together: Francis Geoffrey Lyndhurst (né Schmitz; 1907–1996),[9][10][11] John Bellas L Lyndhurst (né Schmitz; 1912–1992),[12][13][14] Jim "James" Lyndhurst (né Schmitz; 1915–1958),[15][16][17] Richard Alan Kenneth Lyndhurst (1916–2002),[18][19] and Anthony Arthur Joseph "Joe" Lyndhurst (1924–2000).[20][21][22]

On 18 February 1916, during the First World War, he legally changed his name from Lindhurst Francis Schmitz to Francis Leonard Lyndhurst, because of anti-German sentiment.[23] In October 1916, he unsuccessfully sued a man, John Bull, for libel, for calling him "German", claiming it was the worst possible insult.[24]

Lyndhurst and his wife purchased a piece of land in Lambeth, South London, in 1933. The couple later bought a farm.[25]

Lyndhurst died at his home, Hundred Streddle Farm, in Chichester, Sussex, on 31 May 1952. He was 74.[26][27] He was buried in Birdham on 4 June 1952. His widow died in Chichester on 2 April 1964, aged 76.[28][29]

Lyndhurst is the grandfather of actor Nicholas Lyndhurst,[7] who is best known for his role as Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses,[30] and the great-grandfather of Archie Lyndhurst,[31] the late actor and designer, who was best known for his role as Oliver 'Ollie' Coulton in So Awkward.[7][32][33]

Credits

  • Building a Chicken House
  • Harnessing a Horse
  • Moving a Piano
  • Some Fun
  • Study in Skarlit
  • The Jockey
  • The Showman's Dream
  • Tincture of Iron
  • White Washing a Ceiling

Source(s): [34]

References

  1. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915: APR 1878 1a 152 KENSINGTON — Lindhurst Francis Schmitz
  2. ^ London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1923: 26 MAY 1878 St Clement, Notting Hill, Kensington and Chelsea, England — Lindhurst Francis Schmitz
  3. ^ "Shoreham Fort - Film Studio". Shoreham Fort. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  4. ^ McKie, David (10 November 2008). "Bungalow town boom". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  5. ^ "Series 7: Episode 4". No. 4. Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. Episode 4. 2017-11-16. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  6. ^ Bullmore, Harry (11 May 2020). "Eight times Sussex has starred on the silver screen". The Argus. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  7. ^ Hassell, Katherine (21 August 2015). "Nicholas Lyndhurst: my family values". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  8. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915: JAN 1907 3a 247 BRENTFORD — Francis Lyndhurst Schmitz = Dorothy Constable Rogers
  9. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915: OCT 1907 1a 189 FULHAM — Francis Geoffrey Schmitz
  10. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005: OCT 1934 3a 527 BRENTFORD — Francis G Lyndhurst = Emily M Roberts
  11. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: JUL 1996 (aged 88) A44B 4 CHICHESTER — Francis Geoffrey Lyndhurst
  12. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915: 1912 3a 351 BRENTFORD — John B L Schmitz
  13. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005: OCT 1939 3a 313 UXBRIDGE — John B Lyndhurst = Constance B Marillier
  14. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1992 (aged 79) 18 1750 CHICHESTER — John Bellas Lyndhurst
  15. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915: OCT 1915 2b 416 STEYNING — Jim Schmitz
  16. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005: OCT 1941 2b 1019 WORTHING — James Lyndhurst = Olive A Street
  17. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1958 (aged 42) 5h 701 CHICHESTER — Jim Lyndhurst
  18. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: OCT 1916 2b 407 STEYNING — Richard A K Lyndhurst
  19. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: OCT 2002 (aged 85) 8BD 54 CHICHESTER — Richard Alan K Lyndhurst
  20. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1924 3a 204 BRENTFORD — Anthony A J Lyndhurst
  21. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005: JUL 1947 5h 1088 CHICHESTER — Anthony J Lyndhurst = Yvonne B Elsmore
  22. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: AUG 2000 (aged 76) B54B 252 CHICHESTER — Anthony Arthur J Lyndhurst
  23. ^ "Apr 19, 1916, page 1 - The Daily Telegraph at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. 16 April 1916. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  24. ^ "Oct 15, 1916, page 2 - Sunday Dispatch at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. 15 October 1916. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  25. ^ "Mar 03, 1933, page 20 - The Daily Telegraph at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. 3 March 2000. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  26. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: APR 1952 (aged 74) 5h 474 CHICHESTER — Francis L Lyndhurst
  27. ^ "Deaths". West Sussex Gazette. 5 June 1952. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  28. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: APR 1964 (aged 76) 5h 556 CHICHESTER — Dorothy C Lyndhurst
  29. ^ Fox, Thomas (9 August 2022). "Only Fools star Nicholas Lyndhurst's quiet life in Sussex with wife at West Wittering home". Sussex Live. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  30. ^ Morris, Nicky (23 August 2023). "Nicholas Lyndhurst: Inside Only Fools and Horses' star's family life – from beautiful wife to tragic loss". HELLO!. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  31. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: NOV 2000 C91C 109 WESTMINSTER — Archie Bjorn Lyndhurst
  32. ^ "Archie Lyndhurst: CBBC star and son of Nicholas Lyndhurst dies aged 19". BBC News. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  33. ^ "Archie Lyndhurst: CBBC star died in his sleep, says mother". BBC News. 16 January 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  34. ^ Adhangale, David (28 February 2023). "Shoreham's Bungalow Town; the lost L.A of British cinema?". The Argus. Retrieved 1 December 2024.