Langtry, Lillie, 1853-1929, English actress, b. Jersey, Channel Islands; known as the Jersey Lily. One of the first English women of elevated social rank to go on the stage, she made her debut at the Haymarket theater in 1881 after her husband, a diplomat, failed financially. Never considered a great actress, Langtry was noted for her great beauty and for her affair with Edward VII. Oscar Wilde wrote Lady Windermere's Fan for her. In 1899 she married Sir Hugo Gerald de Bathe.

orig. Emilie Charlotte Le Breton

(born Oct. 13, 1853, Isle of Jersey, Channel Islands—died Feb. 12, 1929, Monte-Carlo, Monaco) British actress. She married the socially prominent Edward Langtry in 1874 and later became known as the “Jersey Lily.” A famous beauty, she caused a sensation when she became the first society woman to go on the stage, starring in She Stoops to Conquer (1881). She played to enthusiastic audiences in England and the U.S., notably in As You Like It. Her lovers included the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII). After her husband died, she married Hugo de Bathe (1899), and she later remodeled and managed the Imperial Theatre in London (1901–17).

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orig. Emilie Charlotte Le Breton

(born Oct. 13, 1853, Isle of Jersey, Channel Islands—died Feb. 12, 1929, Monte-Carlo, Monaco) British actress. She married the socially prominent Edward Langtry in 1874 and later became known as the “Jersey Lily.” A famous beauty, she caused a sensation when she became the first society woman to go on the stage, starring in She Stoops to Conquer (1881). She played to enthusiastic audiences in England and the U.S., notably in As You Like It. Her lovers included the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII). After her husband died, she married Hugo de Bathe (1899), and she later remodeled and managed the Imperial Theatre in London (1901–17).

Learn more about Langtry, Lillie with a free trial on Britannica.com.

This article refers to Langtry, Texas. For other uses, see Langtry (disambiguation).

Langtry is an unincorporated community in Val Verde County, Texas, United States. The community is notable as the location of "Judge" Roy Bean, the "Law West of the Pecos" (Bean was actually a justice of the peace).

History

Langtry was originally established in 1882 by Southern Pacific as a grading camp named "Eagle Nest." It was later renamed for George Langtry, an engineer and foreman who had supervised a Chinese work crew building the railroad. Roy Bean arrived soon after and set up a tent saloon on railroad land.

In 1884 a post office opened, and in 1892 the town was reported to have a general store, a railroad depot, and two saloons (one of them Bean's "The Jersey Lilly"), which was named after the Jersey actress Lillie Langtry, who was unrelated to George Langtry.

After Bean's death in 1903 the town began to decline after the highway was moved slightly north for a more direct route, thus bypassing the town. In the 1920s Southern Pacific moved its facilities away from the town, and the town population dwindled to 50. By the 1970s the population dipped as low as 40. Tourism to the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center continues to keep the town alive and has helped to increase its population back up to 145 according to the 1990 census.

Depictions in the media

The town's exposure in mass media helped to renew interest in the town.

• 1940's The Westerner, featuring Walter Brennan as antagonist Judge Roy Bean and Gary Cooper as a fictional interloper, reiterated the myth of the town's naming for Lillie Langtry.
• In 1956 Roy Bean hit the TV airwaves and included many stars of the day such as Edgar Buchanan.
• In 1972 the movies sparked interest with The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, starring Paul Newman.

Gallery

External links

• Lillie Langtry - Biography on the woman that inspired the name.
• The Life & Times of Judge Roy Bean - IMDB entry on the Paul Newman movie.
• Roy Bean - IMDB entry on the 1956 TV show.