2nd Lieutenant Julian L'ESTRANGE
Royal Flying Corps

Date of birth: 6th August 1880
Date of death: 22nd October 1918

Died aged 38
Buried at New York
He was born at Weston-Super-Mare on the 6th of August 1880 the second son of William Carvel Boyle, solicitor, and Marianne (nee de Soyers) of Thrumpton Lodge Weston-Super-Mare in Somerset.

By 1891 he had adopted the name L'Estrange, and was a boarder at the Priory Road School for Boys in Hampstead. He attended the King's School Canterbury from September 1893 to July 1897, where he played as a forward in the Rugby XV during the 1896/7 season and was awarded his sports colours in 1897.

He went to Gonville and Caius College Cambridge, which he entered on the 2nd of October 1899, but left after one term to make a career on the stage. He made his debut as the cupbearer in 'Herod' at His Majesty's Theatre in October 1900. He also appeared as Borachio in 'Much Ado About Nothing' and at Drury Lane 'The Sins of Society'.

He then moved to New York and first appeared on Broadway on the 17th November 1902 when he was cast in the comedy “Imprudence” at the Empire Theatre.

He was married at All Saints Church, Marylebone to Laura Constance (nee Hardy) on the 25th of November 1905. His wife, an actress who worked under the stage name of Constance Collier, frequently appeared in productions with him. They lived at 224 West 52nd Street in Manhattan.

On the 5th of September 1908 he landed at New York from Southampton on board the SS New York, passing through Ellis Island. He appeared as leading man to Maxine Elliott where he made a great reputation for himself making regular appearances on Broadway between 1908 and 1916 and also appearing in several silent films.

In 1917 he went to Toronto, Canada to join the Royal Flying Corps and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on the 22nd of February 1917, later serving as an Adjutant. After training as a pilot he was rejected on medical grounds, resigned his commission on the 2nd of August 1917 and returned to the United States. On his return to New York he was registered by Local Draft Board No 3 at 1482 Broadway on the 10th of September 1918 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the New York Company. The Board recorded that he had dark blue eyes and dark brown hair.

He was appearing as Lord Goring in 'An Ideal Husband' with his wife at the Comedy Theatre on Broadway at the time of his death from pneumonia as a complication of influenza. His funeral took place in New York.

His death is not recognised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

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