Lily Elsie

Lily Elsie was a popular English actress and singer during the Edwardian era, best known for her starring role in the hit London premiere of Franz Lehrs operetta The Merry Widow.

Elsie was born in Armley, West Yorkshire. Her mother, Charlotte Elizabeth Hodder , was a dressmaker who operated a lodginghouse. She married William Thomas Cotton, a theatre worker, in 1891, and Elsie became Elsie Cotton. The family lived in Manchester. Elsie was also the niece of Wilfred Cotton, who married actress Ada Reeve.

Source: Wikipedia