Article from the Bystander, Dec 19, 1906, written by noted tennis historian Wallis Myers.


II.—MISS TOUPEE LOWTHER.
By A. WALL1S MYERS

If Miss Toupee Lowther had not devoted most of her leisure to sport—sport of a strenuous, masculine type—one could almost picture her leading a public movement in favour of "Woman's Rights." For she is essentially a lady of strong personality, destined to command, and her knowledge of men and women is so wide, her disregard of petty restrictions so pronounced, that apparently nothing would stop her if she once made up her mind publicly to support a policy of emancipation.

As a Fencer
Miss Lowther has so many accomplishments that it is difficult to separate one from the other. As all the world knows, she is one of the most brilliant lady fencers in Europe. Coming from a stock of vigorous patriots who have fought their country's battles at the point of the sword, she was early trained in the use of the rapier and the sword-stick, and, possessed of a lithe and hardy frame, it is small wonder that, at the age of eight she could engage in a fencing-bout with her elders with all the confidence of an expert. Fencing is not an art for namby-pamby girls or, indeed, for any girl who does not command more than the average amount of spirit and pluck, and Miss Lowther is, above all, a woman of indomitable nerve. At many a public assault-at-arms in Antwerp. Ghent, Brussels, and Paris, great crowds of foreign enthusiasts have gathered round the " stadium " to witness her skill and endurance, and, both against the leading amateurs and the foremost professionals, she has always managed to hold her own unflinchingly, li is no secret that Miss Lowther has a greater admiration for foreign fencers than for those masters of the art who hail from her own country, and certainly the former have returned the compliment by showering on the welcome intruder a full measure of whole-hearted praise. " Nothing has struck me more when fencing abroad," said Miss Lowther to me on one occasion, "than the sporting qualities of foreign fencers. They were always ready to offer me facilities for trying my hand against their champions, and no detail was too small for them to carry out with perfect taste. When I was in Paris,, a few years ago, the various fencing masters invited me to visit their respective sattes ti'arnies, and at each I found some of the best pupils vaiting there to fence with me."

At the Wheel
When travelling abroad—and a lady of her active- disposition never stays long in one place—Miss Lowther almost invariably uses her own 40 h.-p. Mercedes, and, needless to say, drives the car with her own hand. I should not like to hazard how fast Miss Lowther has driven through the country roads of France, or to speak of her dashing motoring exploits in some of the mountain passes of Germany— the authorities might get on the alert. But I do know that this intrepid sportswoman has secretly broken many a record on the Continent, and knows rural France, through the agency of her motor-cbetter than any lady in this country.

With the Racket
Then, of course, Miss Lowther is far-famed as a lawn-tennis player, and were her temperament a trifle less impetuous, there is little doubt she would ere now have attained to championship honour. Her experience of every kind of court (from the wooden floor at Queen's to the sumptuous gravel court at Cannes) is unique ; but she is probably seen to best advantage under cover, and she has more than once won the indoor championship. Her style is a combination of grace and aggressive zeal. The way in which Miss Lowther tackled Miss Sutton at Leicester last summer, and all but achieved a notable triumph, will not soon pass from memory. Miss Sutton was essentially a girl after her opponent's heart—tough, remorseless, and incapable of fatigue ; it was a case of Greek v. Greek. And after the match was over Miss Lowther was discussing French philosophy with some learned spectator on one of the banks.

Music and Ju-Jitsu
I must not forget to add that Miss Lowther possesses a charming voice, and is musical to the tips of her fingers, or that she has recently become a passionate convert to the subtle mysteries of Ju-Jitsu, and is rapidly becoming a mistress of the art of throwing her adversary without apparent effort. The only pity is that her love for wrestling is interfering with her zest for fencing.

W. and D. Downey Miss Toupeec Lowther the well-known lady fencer, who also excels as motorist, tennis player, and exponent of Ju-Jitsu

 

A Bystander article from 1907 on Toupee's sister Aimee. This article is critical for establishing Toupee's family tree.

A Professional-Amateur Actress
Miss Aimee Lowther, who last week took, very successfully, the principal part in a maujtte, date 1623, which was produced by the English Drama Society, tells me that she has always loved acting and gone in really seriously for its study. She is a daughter of Captain Francis Lowther, and a sister of Miss Toupee Lowther, the tennis champion. She studied for many years with Madame Thenard, of the Co me die Franchise, and last played in Paris in a piece of Francois Coppee's, called Le Passant, with Madame Rita Jolivet. She has also made serious study of pantomime, and has often appeared in a li.tle pantomime of her own composition, entitled 'Ihe Dream-Flower. Miss Lowther generally plays boys' parts in costume plays, and, in a play called Le Madrigal de Pierrot, which was produced last summer at the Haymarket, she played with Miss Pauline Chase, and made a very charming pierrot. Dancing, particularly that of the eighteenth century, is also one of Miss Lowther's hubbies, and in the art of mimicry Miss Lowther has few equal

 

Finally getting somewhere with Claude. This appears to confirm the birth date for tennis playing Toupee (c 1985, as Claude was born in 1872). It also confirms his close realation to the Earls of Lonsdale.

Here is his wiki entry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Lowther

The wiki entry has a link to the British Dictionary of National Biography online. I do not have access to this. Newmark, can you help?

 

Very interesting Rollo, dont know a lot myself but she sounds quite a character!!

 

If you (re)read the piece I put up on the early Ladies' Championships of Germany, you'll see that Toupie Lowther was fencing in public as early as 1898. To me, this means that she must have been born between 1875-1880, there or thereabouts.

The "Barbara Toupie Lowther" trail is false because it had been presumed that "Toupie" was Barbara Lowther's nickname. But (Lady) Barbara Lowther was born in 1890, so that rules her out. She was, though, the daughter of the 6th Earl of Lonsdale. There can't have been two different Toupie Lowthers.

The 1881 UK census lists a Commander Francis William Lowthers RN (retired). He is only 40 years of age. His wife's name is Louisa and she was born in Canada 29 years earlier. They have a six-year-old daughter, May, but no other children at that point.

I'm quite sure that the tennis-playing and fencing Toupie Lowther is the same Toupie Lowther who formed the Hackett-Lowther ambulance unit during the First World War, and who socialised with high profile lesbians such as the writer Radclyffe Hall. But Toupie Lowther's origins are still very mysterious.

 

If you (re)read the piece I put up on the early Ladies' Championships of Germany, you'll see that Toupie Lowther was fencing in public as early as 1898. To me, this means that she must have been born between 1875-1880, there or thereabouts.

I came to the same conclusion after reading your piece, hence my digging about to get to the root of the mystery. Tennis has abounded with teen prodigies, but a 9 or ten year old tennis champ is ridiculous even for our sport!

The "Barbara Toupie Lowther" trail is false because it had been presumed that "Toupie" was Barbara Lowther's nickname. But (Lady) Barbara Lowther was born in 1890, so that rules her out. She was, though, the daughter of the 6th Earl of Lonsdale. There can't have been two different Toupie Lowthers.

I agree it's a false trail to connect her to "tennis" Toupie. I'm not 100% sure i agree with "there can't have been two different Toupie Lowthers". If I had to bet I would agree with you. It's possible that Barbara may have been called Toupie though. Can anyone confirm where the nickname comes from? Does anyone still go by Toupie? It might just be possible that lady Barbara looked up to her famous kinswoman and also adapted her nickname. Possible, but not probable.

The 1881 UK census lists a Commander Francis William Lowthers RN (retired). He is only 40 years of age. His wife's name is Louisa and she was born in Canada 29 years earlier. They have a six-year-old daughter, May, but no other children at that point.

That is exciting news! It fits the time frame. Hopefully we confirm that Toupie's real name was May. The absence of Claude doesn't worry me-there could be several explanations for that.

I'm quite sure that the tennis-playing and fencing Toupie Lowther is the same Toupie Lowther who formed the Hackett-Lowther ambulance unit during the First World War, and who socialised with high profile lesbians such as the writer Radclyffe Hall. But Toupie Lowther's origins are still very mysterious.

I'm quite sure too Mark. We have a French mother, and indications that her brother Claude vastly preferrred Paris to Britain. Throw in Toupie's well known love for driving and she seems like the logical candidate, especially as lady Barbara was having two children during the war.

 

Presumably this is a portrait of Toupie's mother by the Pre-Raphaelite artist G Watts. The page (link below) has the caption

c. 1865-7
the sitter was Louise Lowther, a French-born woman considered a great beauty who married Captain Frank Lowther RN. The coiled style of her hair seems to have been 're-used' in his sculpture Clytie.

http://preraphaelitepaintings.blogspot.com/2009/05/g-f-watts-portrait-of-mrs-francis.html

 

Toupie's tennis record included a couple of semifinals at Wimbledon.

One impressive performance was in 1907, when she lost to May Sutton 6-4 6-4 in the second round. It was the most games Sutton lost to anyone that year at Wimbledon. According to Alan Little's book on Sutton she was behind 4-2 and 40-love in the second set. (Page 14) "At this stage May showed wonderful perseverance and self control in allowing Miss Lowther to make the mistakes."

 

Toupie's tennis record included a couple of semifinals at Wimbledon.

One impressive performance was in 1907, when she lost to May Sutton 6-4 6-4 in the second round. It was the most games Sutton lost to anyone that year at Wimbledon. According to Alan Little's book on Sutton she was behind 4-2 and 40-love in the second set. (Page 14) "At this stage May showed wonderful perseveranve and self control in allowing Miss Lowther to make the mistakes."

That is interesting and highlights that Lowther must have been a really good player. I mean Sutton at that point was almost unbeatable at Wimbledon, even for the great Lambert Chalmers. So that score against her in 1907 is impressive.

 

The word "toupie" is French (obviously) and means "spindle" (a children's toy) or "old bag" (derogatory term for an elderly woman). It sounds like the sort of name someone would give herself as a joke. It also sounds like "toupée", which means "wig". But it can't be her real name.

Lady Barbara Lowther (b. 1890) definitely did not have the name Toupie. Funnily enough, she abandonned her husband and children (who grew up not knowing her) soon after the birth of the second one, and divorced her husband in 1921. But that doesn't help us at all.

I was looking at the Lowthers in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography today, but frustratingly there is no mention of Toupie. In the entry for Claude Lowther, son of Francis William Lowther and Louise Beatrice de Fonblanque, it says that he was born in 1870 and that he had two sisters (no names provided). Apparently both sisters were born before him, but this might not be so. Claude is in the 1881 census, aged 10, but at school in Hastings, southern England.

Claude's father was indeed the "illegitimate" son of the 2nd (?) Earl of Lonsdale, who never married, but who admitted to having three children by three different women, all of them, apparently, Italian opera singers. Francis William Lowther's mother's name appears to have been Emilia Creosotti. This would explain why he was born in Genoa, Italy. It also hints at a dramatic streak in the family's blood, which Toupie Lowther would have inherited, if she is indeed the daugher of Francis William Lowther and Louise Beatrice de Fonblanque.

 

The word "toupie" is French (obviously) and means "spindle" (a children's toy) or "old bag" (derogatory term for an elderly woman). It sounds like the sort of name someone would give herself as a joke. It also sounds like "toupée", which means "wig". But it can't be her real name.

Your info is an even stronger layer of evidence linking Toupie to the ambulance corps Lowther. Apparently at least one other woman has had the nickname-a google search reveals a cook whose French grandmother called her Toupie (pronounced "Two-Pea").

Perhaps the castle that Claude helped to restore can help us? Also, is there a French site that contains death records? I wouldn't be shocked if Toupie lived the rest of her life and died in Paris.

 

Diana Souhami wrote a book (The Trials of Radclyffe Hall) that contains a good amount of information on Toupie. The book confirms that Toupie's real name was May, though others often called her "Brother". Papers from Toupie's days in the ambulance corps are in the Imperial War Museum under "Hackett-Lowther".

Souhami lists Toupie's date of death as 30, December, 1944.

 

Great! That means that Toupie (May) was the sister of Claude and Aimée, and the daughter of Francis William Lowther and Louise Béatrice, née de Fonblanque. And that Toupie was born in London in 1875. Well done on the detective work!

 

Great! That means that Toupie (May) was the sister of Claude and Aimée, and the daughter of Francis William Lowther and Louise Béatrice, née de Fonblanque. And that Toupie was born in London in 1875. Well done on the detective work!

You too Mark! Together we did quite well on this one.

 

Infor on Toupie from Palatable Poison, Critical Perpectives on the Well of Loniness

p 147-149 and 327-328

p147 Judith Halberstam writes that Toupie was the inspiration for "John" Radclyffe Halls's story "Miss Ogilvy Finds Herself." In the writer's words the story was "a sort of trubute to Hall's good friend Toupie Lowther."

A (probably legendary) story about the mannish Toupie relates how she was arrested going from Frnace to Italy for cross-sressing as a man. On the way back into France she was arrested for being a man masquerading as a woman!

Toupie received the French Croix de Guerre (War Cross) for her service during the war in the Hackett-Lowther Ambulance unit-the only British female unit in the war.. Una and Toupie often worked on their cars together. Both Una and "John" usually called Toupie "brother" and used male pronouns. Halberstam suggests that the war period gave Lowther more scope than she would have had in other eras-newspapers of the era were usually full of praise for her activities. a London Times article says Toupie was one of the first women to ride a motcycle. ("Englishwomen With the French Army", London Times (Auguast 5, 1919)

The Imperial War Museum has a file of Toupie's ambulance corps in the "Women in War special Collection". Her unpublished memoir on the war is also at the War Museum.

 

Much more extensive bits on Lowther are to be found in The Trials of Radclyffe Hall by Diana Southam.

References found on pages 33.40,52, 66,75,111,118-121, 127,130,132,137,140,144,147,159-60,162,198,211,242,367

p 33 in 1906 Dolly Diehl and her friend Marguerite (Radclyffe Hall) traveled as "cousins" (they were in fact lovers) to see women's tennis in Homburg,Germany. Marguerite's friend Toupie, who had driven hherslef to Homburg in her roadster, was playing Wimbledon champ Dorothea Chambers. Toupie "was large, renowned for her lobs and said to have a man's stroke and a man's strength and a temperament"wholy unsuited to lawn tennis" (This description of Lowther's game comes from Captian Hillyard, spouse of Wimbledon champ Blanche Hillyard).

Chambers defated Lowther 6-4 6-4 in the final.

"She [Lowther] was the daughter of a naval captain and the sister of a Conservative MP. A science graduyte and one of the first women to own a motorbike, she lifted weights and was a fencing champion, too. Her affairs with women were stormy and her style flamboyant.She left written instruction for her body after death to be laid out for four days. If, the view of two doctors, she was still dead, they were to cut her jugular vein, cremate her corpse and strew it's ashes to the wind."

Toupie was apparently good friends with Mabel Veronica Batton, once a paramour of Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VII).

p 111 "Una [Troubridge] said she thought Toupie Lowther was a hermaphrodite."
p119 Una wrote in her diary that Toupie "gave her the willies" because "she was so obvious"

Una's clear dislike (jealousy?) of Toupie's friendship with Hall clearly colors some of her thoughts/opinions on Toupie. Much of the indformation on Toupie comes fro Una's diary entries. Here is her wiki entry-she introduced the French writer Colette to English readers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Una_Vincenzo,_Lady_Troubridge

p130 actress Tallulah Bankhead was a friend of Toupie's.

 

continuing with Southam's book...


p 132 Toupie told artist Romaine Brook's that Una hated Romaine's famed portrait of her. A book on Una which may contianmore info on Toupie is:
Ormrod, Richard. Una Troubridge: The Friend of Radclyffe Hall. 1984


The Lady Una Troubridge, by Romaine Brooks.

 

p 242 Toupie believed that the character of Stephen Gordon in The Well of Lonlieness was based on her life. Her claim lost her the friendship of Hall.

After Hall's death Una briefly stayed with Toupie

p 367 According to Una Toupie wasted away of tubercolosis during the war. Alone and often drunk, "At night she railed at god from her window for taking her wife Fabienne Lafargue De-Avilla from her. Fabinne was 'tough, promiscuous, and cruel.'---and living in a nearby cottage with her lover. The cottage was owned by Toupie. Una wrote that Fabienne was waiting for Toupie to die so she could get her hands on her money. Lowther died on 30 December, 1944.

 

p 367 According to Una Toupie wasted away of tubercolosis during the war. Alone and often drunk, "At night she railed at god from her window for taking her wife Fabienne Lafargue De-Avilla from her. Fabinne was 'tough, promiscuous, and cruel.'---and living in a nearby cottage with her lover. The cottage was owned by Toupie. Una wrote that Fabienne was waiting for Toupie to die so she could get her hands on her money. Lowther died on 30 December, 1944.

According to "The Times" of London of 5 January 1945, at the time of her death Toupie Lowther was living in Pulborough, a large village in West Sussex close to the south-east coast of England. A memorial service was due to be held for her at 3 pm on 9 January 1945. "The Times" doesn't seem to have carried an obituary for her. It gives her first name as Toupie, although she was born - and christened? - May.

 

Boy... this thread was such a fun read. Great job of deducing Toupee's identity.

 

Great wiki page on Toupee with a picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toupie_Lowther

 

There was a book about Toupee written in 2017.

Toupie Lowther: Her Life by Valerie Brown. (171 pages)

 

Thanks for the heads up. Just ordered it.

 

Peter2003 found an excellent photo of her from 1899. She is in fencing gear. Fencing was the sport that perhaps brought her the most fame.

 

Does her name sound like 'Toupie' as in 'Kewpie' doll or Toupee as in toupée?

 

Does her name sound like 'Toupie' as in 'Kewpie' doll or Toupee as in toupée?

We aren't sure Pam. Mark writes its like the wig [toupée]. Given all the French connections this seems plausible or even likely.

On the other hand a google search back when I searched yielded a cook whose French grandmother called her Toupie (pronounced "Two-Pea"). I can't find a link or reference to it now.

So even her name remains something of a mystery.