Having found various references to Margaret Pender (Lomas) working for the Folies Bergère, I decided that the easiest thing would be to ask if they had any information in their archives.
To this end I sent the following email via their website on 5 September 2020.
Whether they can help or not, I don’t know – just have to wait and see.
Update: 7 September 2020 – Unfortunately they no longer have any archives at the Folis Bergère
[The message below is in French with an English translation at the end. Ironically, WordPress may automatically translate the French version to English!]
Je me demandais si vous pouviez m’aider?
Mes excuses, je ne parle pas français, donc ce document a été traduit à l’aide de Google Traduction.
Je recherche mon arbre généalogique qui comprend une famille appelée Lomas.
La famille était composée d’artistes de théâtre de variétés, de pantomimistes et d’échassiers.
Ils étaient généralement connus sous le nom de la troupe Pender et ils ont utilisé Pender comme nom de scène.
Le chef était Bob Pender (Robert Lomas), son épouse Margaret / Maggie Pender (Margaret Lomas née Bowman).
On rapporte que Margaret Pender / Lomas / Bowman travaillait à un moment donné aux Folies Bergère.
Dans l’une de ses autobigraphies, l’acteur Cary Grant, qui a commencé sa carrière avec la troupe Pender, dit qu’elle était une maîtresse de ballet.
Margaret est née en 1877 et décédée en 1943
Elle était sur scène à l’âge de 13 ans.
Si elle travaillait aux Follies, je soupçonne que c’était avant 1910.
Je vous serais très reconnaissant de savoir si vous avez des informations sur Margaret ou la troupe Pender.
Merci beaucoup pour votre temps
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I wonder if you can help me?
My apologies, I don’t speak French so this document has been translated using Google Translate.
I am researching my family tree which includes a family called Lomas.
The family were variety theatre performers, pantomimists and stilt-walkers.
They were generally known as the Pender Troupe and they used Pender as their stage names.
The leader was Bob Pender (Robert Lomas), his wife Margaret/Maggie Pender (Margaret Lomas nee Bowman).
It is reported that Margaret Pender/Lomas/Bowman was at one point working at the Folies Bergère.
In one of his autobigraphies the actor Cary Grant, who started his career with the Pender Troupe, says that she was a ballet mistress.
Margaret was born in 1877 and died in 1943
She was on the stage by the time she was 13 years old.
If she did work at the Follies then I suspect that it was before 1910.
I would be very grateful to hear if you have any information on Margaret or the Pender Troupe.
Many thanks for your time
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