Joyce Moore

Joyce Mary Moore was the only daughter and eldest of three children of Richmond Moore and Elizabeth Cameron Moore (née Abernethy). She was born on April 7^th, 1903 at St. John’s Lodge, Wellington College, Crowthorne in Berkshire, England. Her father was an assistant master at the college (1885–1918).

Miss Joyce Moore studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where she was enrolled in the French language acting class of Mme Alice Gachet.

“Joyce Moore was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1924–1925, and carried of Irene Vanbrugh’s prize for French Leaveout. Understudied Angela Baddeley in “The Wild Duck”; Toured the provinces in “Peter Pan”, “The Farmer’s Wife”, and “Yellow Sands”; had an important part in the latter “Marigold” at the Kingsway Theatre, London, and deputised for her for a time; understudied Angela Baddeley in “Thunder on the Left”; played the part of Liza Lu in “Tess of the D’Urbervilles”; has appeared in a large number of other stage Plays, including “The Edge of Life”, “Liberty Hall”, “Alice in Wonderland”, the Stage Society production of “Chéri”, “Spring’s Awakening”, etc., also children’s and broadcast plays. She made her film debut in 1930 as Violet in “The Speckled Band”, produced by British Dominion Studios.” [Original of this publicity biography written also (and primarily) in German, with a photo by Navana Ltd. W.C.2.]

In 1932 (October 20) she married Lt-Cdr. Geoffrey Hugh Cary Askew, RN. at the parish church of St. George in Hanover Square, London. He was the only son and eldest of three children of Claude Arthur Cary Askew and Alice Jane de Courcy Askew (née Leake). Alice and Claude Askew were the well known authors of over ninety books – before their tragic deaths in 1917, when the ship they were travelling on together was struck by a torpedo and sank in the Adriatic Sea. Geoffrey Askew was also an author of many short stories – some of which were published in a variety of magazines – particularly those specializing in mystery stories.

During the Second World War – while her husband was away serving with the Royal Navy (Fleet Air Arm) – Mrs Askew was raising their two young daughters. And – as far as I know – doing little or no theatre work. In 1946 or so they moved, accompanied by her widowed father and their now three children, to reside at Hill House, Spencers Wood, near Reading in Berkshire. Under her stage name, Joyce Moore did some work for the BBC – particularly for its radio service: ‘Children’s Hour’.

She took sick about a year after the death of her husband in 1962 (October 24); and began a steady decline until her own death a little over five years later. She died, aged sixty-four, on January 12^th, 1968 at St. Anne’s Nursing Home, Wokingham; and was buried beside her husband at the Berkshire Shinfield Cemetery in Spencers Wood.