FIRST GENERATION 1. Dora Knowlton THOMPSON was born in 1859 in Ashfield, Franklin, Massachusetts. She died on 19 Jan 1916 in New York City, New York, New York. She was buried in Center Cemetery, Ashfield, Franklin, Massachusetts. First Ladies From Ashfield's History, by Mary Priscilla Howes and the Ashfield Historical Society. Published by the Ashfield Historical Society, 1983. p. 8 - 15. Her parents were obviously people of means, who spent summers in Ashfield. For some reason, I do not understand, Dora chose to be known by her mother's maiden name of Knowlton. She was the granddaughter of Dr. Charles Knowlton. Her birthplace was the Knowlton homestead, a house of Colonial design at the intersection of Norton Hill Road and Main Street where Miss Bacon lives now. She had the advantage of a fine governess who taught her French and music at an early age. After that she attended the local school, where she was noted especially for her ability to "spell down" the class. She graduated from Sanderson Academy and completed her schooling at Packer Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y. where her parents had a winter home. Rossiter Johnson, in his tribute to Dora, A Simple Record of A Noble Life, published in 1916, writes: "Dora Knowlton also had a loving appreciation of those natural beauties, and in her mature life in New York, when the day for vacation came round, she invariably fled as a bird to her mountains, there to rejoice once more in the strength of the hills, the song of the streams, the freshness of the breeze, and the dreaminess of the summer clouds. And when after her return to the city, she spoke of her visit there, it was usually with specific mention of some features that forever interested her - Mill Hill Woods, the walk around the pond, climbing the hillside for berries, and the White Sisters ... (Note: these are the white birches which grow beside Norton Hill Road, opposite the golf course. There used to be a path between these trees) ... and Dora from some fancy or perchance some actual experience called this the Lovers' Walk." Dr. Johnson goes on to say: "She also entertained her associates with animated description of the cleaning to which the village is subjected every May, and the feast and frolic that follow in the Town Hall. Those early American authors, who occasionally were guests at her mother's table, gave to the place an air of scholarship and to the conversation a literary flavor that had an educating effect which showed its influence in Dora's later life." Her mother felt that Dora had dramatic talent and arranged for her a course during one summer with an English actor. When she was 20, in September 1879, she was allowed to join the Broadway and 30th Street theatrical company and Augustin Daley. Mr. Daley ran a really tight ship and was very strict with his aspiring young actresses. Dora loved the music, the costumes and excitement of being behind the footlights, even if hers was only a tit part. She kept a journal of these gay days called "The Diary of a Daley Debutante." She writes: "We were taught dancing, and in walking to be quick and graceful. I believe Mr. Daley could teach a broomstickt to act. I've always been crazy to swish around in a costume with a long train, ... but make-up! How I hate that messy business. I think you can injure your natural beauty by too much coloring. I would rather look a bit pale than like a daubed-up doll!" Then there were costumes ... All kinds of costumes. Let me tell you about them: "The costumes came yesterday, and some of them are extremely pretty. In the first act we girls are to wear the very giddiest bathing-suits I ever beheld. If such suits should appear on any beach the wearers would certainly draw a crowd. My costume is pretty and becoming I think. It has a short skirt of pale blue silk-and-wool material trimmed with bands of pink silk; I also wear pink stockings, white shoes, and a large hat with pink and blue ribbons. Wouldn't that costume be useful in the water?" But then even more shocking, in another production they were expected, of all things, to wear trousers! "When I heard of this, I thought I couldn't and I wouldn't dress like that. I didn't say a word at the theatre, however, but went home and told Mama. She thought it was horrid, too; but after we had talked it over she said that I had better do as I was told, and if there was anything really objectionable about the costume she would speak to Mr. Daley. I dont' think he would like that; Mamma doesn't understand what kind of man he is or how he seems a sort of king in his own dominions; but I shall do as she says. To tell the truth I am rather curious not to see how I look in trousers. I am slender and lively and think I might make a nice boy. But oh dear! suppose the people of Ashfield should see me in those things - they would never get over it. Luckily, they seldom come to New York." As time passed there were admirers. A dozen long-stemmed red roses appeared. She reacts quickly: "Absurd when you think of his age. Why he is certainly forty if not more, quite an old man." Some of the girls accused her of being a flirt. She denied this saying, "I wonder what makes some men act so silly." But Mamma was always there to meet her after rehearsals. The girls were not allowed to walk on the streets alone. "Mama thinks this is a good thing, but I think it goes too far - just as if we couldn't take care of ourselves. I should hope we know enough for that." She tells of an incident after a successful performance when Dr. Daley invited the chief actors to a supper to celebrate. Of course the "trundlebed crowd" (she refers to the young actresses, ) wasn't invited. "Too bad! I suppose those favored mortals, the grown-up folks, had all sorts of nice things to eat, and probably drank champagne. I should like to taste it once. I am sure I could have drunk success to the new play as well as anyone. Instead of that, I was trotted off home with Mama, who was waiting for me at the stage door, and when I got home I had my usual bowl of bread and milk before I tumbled into bed." There was hard work, too. Rehearsals were from 9 to 5 or sometimes midnight to 4. There were times when she longed to come home to Ashfield to rest. But when the opportunity came to go on the road she couldn't resist it. Her mother reluctantly gave her permission if she would write here every day. The summer tour took them to Philadelphia, Newport and Boston, where she reports they had the audacity to charge the girls $2.50 a day for a hotel room. On to Portsmouth, Providence, Hartford, Albany, Rochester, Detroit, Buffalo, Grand Rapids, Milwaukee and Chicago. She left the Daley Company because she hoped for more rapid advancement as an actress. Her mother again gave reluctant consent to Dora's wish to join the Kiralfy Brothers Company, which was touring the country playing the spectacular drama made from Jules Verne's popular novel Around the World in Eighty Days. Her dream of becoming a leading lady in a big, spectacular production came true briefly when they were playing in Wilkes-Barre. The leading lady was caught smoking cigarettes between the acts which against the fire rules. A fight between the manager and the leading lady ensued. She left the company the next day in a huff. The house had been sold out, so in desperation the manager asked, "Miss Knowlton, how well do you know Aouda's lines?" Dora answered that she knew them almost as well as she knew her own, for she had watched the whole play night after night, and she had a wonderful memory. Dora was advance to the part of leading lady, filled it to the manager's satisfaction, and afterward he shook hands with her, saying "Little Miss Knowlton, I did not think you had it in you!" It is said that she might have been a brilliant actress, but that was not to be. I am glad that she had her hour of glory, for soon the course of her life was to change completely. In the space of two short paragraphs Rossiter Johnson writes of the crucial watershed in Dora Knowlton Ranous' life: While with the Kiralfy theatrical company Dora Knowlton met William V. Ranous, a man of many attractions, with a remarkable voice for singing, and especially able as a stage manager. When they were in Canada, ... they were married at Whitby, Ontario, May 26, 1881, and soon afterward she left the stage. Their daughter, Alice, was born in Ashfield, May 9, 1882. The marriage proved unfortunate, and after a few years - for the best of all reasons, the one indisputable reason, - she left her husband and, taking the little Alice, went to live with her mother. A few years later still, the separation was made final and irrevocable. She never married again." In the years after the birth of Alice and the end of her marriage, she read a great deal, studied and conscientiously cared for her daughter, who became the love of her life. With what seems to me touching humility, Dora would take part in and help produce some the plays put on in the summer by Ashfield people, apparently enjoying sharing her talent with her fellow townspeople regardless of the fact that they were complete amateurs. John W. Field, a summer resident and Sanderson Academy benefactor, taught her Italian. Milo M. Belding often visited their home. An experiment with silk worms was conducted in the carriage house near the Knowlton home, and undoubtedly was a contributing factor toward a lecture on "Silk" which Dora gave in New York City several times, much later in her life during 1902 and 1903. By the time she was 33 (in 1892), she had lost her father, her sister and her mother. After this point she lived mostly in New York City. When she was 34, through an unfortunate investment, she lost her inheritance. No longer the gay young actress, from now on we see her in the role of conscientious mother, intellectual editor and translator, working to supporting herself and educate her daughter. Dora learned how to type at this time, soon going beyond stenography to an outstanding career of editing and translating. Her cultural background and brilliant mind stood her in good stead. It was the day when sets of books, beautifully bound, were in vogue. Among her achievements were editing the works of Benjamin Disreaeli in 20 volumes, those of Guy de Maupassant in 15 volumes and Gustave Flaubert in 10 volumes. She was the editor and translator of a 16 volume set entitled The Literature of Italy. She served on the staff of the Century magazine and worked with the editorial staff revising Funk and Wagnall's Dictionary. Dora assumed charge of the infant granddaughter (Catherine Alice Chubb) because the father had to travel a great deal in his business. She became more mother than grandmother to Catherine until she was 11 years old. By this time the father had remarried and could provide the little girl with a home. This was fortunate because Dora's health was failing rapidly. I have been interested to learn that two of her last editing jobs were the Ashfield Cookery Book and obtained extra illustrations for the first Ashfield Town History, a handsome two-volume set, sponsored by Milo M. Belding to be kept in the Belding Memorial Library but not to be circulated. Our librarian will be glad to show it to you. Dora's last trip to Ashfield was for the dedication of the Library. The ending of this story is not a happy one. She had two strokes which resulted in a paralysis of her tongue and throat. She had a serious heart trouble which gave her constant pain. There were no relatives nearby, and her eyesight was failing. On January 19, 1916, when she was 57, Dora Knowlton Ranous committed suicide at her apartment in New York City by inhaling gas. She left $25 in a letter, $12 in her purse, and $207 in a saving bank. In the note she left she wrote: "I am so weary of this broken life that I can not bear it any longer. God will not be angry with me. I have confessed everything to him. He knows how much I can bear and knows I can bear no more. My eyes are failing me and the blackest mist is ahead of me Don't reproach me but say kind word for your friend." Her friend Rossiter Johnson does say a kind word: "Mourn we must when such a life stops far short of three score and ten; but thank God we may, that it has been, and that we have known it." Dora came homes at last to be buried beside her dearly loved daughter in the Center Cemetery of her native Ashfield. I feel that she had known enough of work and tragedy to exhaust the splendid supply of strength and courage which she showed over and over again. She was married to William V. RANOUS on 26 May 1881 in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. Dora THOMPSON and William V. RANOUS had the following children: +2 i. Alice RANOUS (born on 9 May 1882).