Category: Genealogy / Hollywood History / Biography
In 1939, a legal notice appeared in the London Gazette asking a simple question: Where is Esme Isabel E. Warde?
The solicitors searching for her knew her as the daughter of the late Albert Wingfield Hall, a provision merchant from Lincoln. They needed to settle his will. But what those solicitors likely didn't know was that while they were searching the archives of Lincolnshire, their "missing" heiress was busy shaping the literary tastes of Golden Age Hollywood, married to a famous character actor, and running a bookstore on the Walk of Fame.
This is the incredible, reconstructed timeline of Esme Isobel Haigh Hall—a woman who journeyed from the English Midlands to the heart of the MGM studio system.
The Origins: A Lincoln Merchant’s Daughter
The story begins in Lincoln, England. Albert Wingfield Hall* (1841–1910) was a successful family grocer and provision merchant. Alongside his wife, Clara, he operated businesses in the city, including the old Pea Warehouse at Wigford Yard. Albert's first shop was at Garmston House, later moving to the Cardinal's Hat.
When Albert died in 1910, he left behind a will, but the chaos of the early 20th century—and his daughter's adventurous spirit—meant that settling his estate would take decades.
At the 1911 Census Esme was at Southport, Lancashire training to be a nurse.
* Albert's family had owned Wingfield Hall, Derbyshire for several generations, his father was an auctioneer.
The Departure: Ellis Island and The Nairobi Mystery
In 1915, the First World War was raging, and Esme’s life changed forever. She married Reginald Warde and almost immediately left England.
Records confirm her arrival at Ellis Island on October 31, 1915. She was just 20 years old, listed as "Married," and arrived with $50 in her pocket. By 1916, she was writing letters from 101 West 109th Street in New York City.
But the trail didn't stop in America. In a twist worthy of a movie script, records place Esme in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1930. Whether she lived there with Reginald or was simply settling affairs remains a mystery, but it marks the transition between her old life and her reinvention.
The Reinvention: The Esme Warde Bookstores
By the late 1920s, Esme had arrived in Los Angeles, and she wasn't just a housewife—she was a pioneer.
She opened the Esme Warde Bookstores, with a flagship location at 6613 Hollywood Boulevard, right next to the legendary Musso & Frank Grill. In an era before film studios had massive internal script departments, Esme became the literary tastemaker for the industry.
She supplied novels and galley proofs to studios like MGM, helping executives find the next big picture. In fact, Esme is credited with writing the synopsis for Stefan Zweig's Marie Antoinette, explicitly recommending it as a vehicle for Norma Shearer. Her advice was taken, and the 1938 film became a classic.
Love and Legacy: The Actor and The Publicist
Esme’s personal life in Hollywood was just as notable as her business career.
The Second Marriage: On December 4, 1928, she married William V. Mong, a prolific American character actor who appeared in nearly 200 films, including The Last Days of Pompeii.
Citizenship: In 1944, living as a widow in Los Angeles, she finally became a naturalised U.S. citizen under the name Esme Mong.
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| Esme's Naturalisation Certificate (Her age is incorrect as she was born in 1893 - 49 is better than 51.) |
Perhaps her greatest contribution to Hollywood was her daughter, Esme Chandlee (1918–2012). Raised in the glow of the studios and calling William Mong her "stepfather," Esme Chandlee went on to become a legendary publicist at MGM. She managed the images of icons like Judy Garland, Clark Gable, and Grace Kelly, continuing the legacy her mother started.
The Conclusion
When the London Gazette placed that notice in 1939, they were looking for a merchant's daughter. They couldn't have guessed they were searching for a woman who was, at that very moment, selling books to movie stars on Hollywood Boulevard.
Esme Warde’s life serves as a reminder that behind every dry genealogy record, there is often a story of adventure, reinvention, and history in the making.
Key Timeline
1841–1910: Life of father, Albert Wingfield Hall (Lincoln).
1893: Esme born to Albert Wingfield and Clara Hall
1915: Esme marries Reginald Warde and immigrates to NYC via Ellis Island.
1918: Esme Chandlee Wardle born to Reginald and Esme Haigh Warde.
1928: Esme marries actor William V. Mong in Los Angeles. Click here to read about Mong.
1930s: Esme operates "Esme Warde Bookstores" on Hollywood Blvd.
1939: Notice placed in London Gazette regarding her father's will.
1940: Death of William V Mong
1942–2000s: Daughter Esme Chandlee works as a top MGM publicist. Click here to read about Esme Chandlee
1964: Death of Esme Mong.
2012: Death of Esme Chandlee.
Have you discovered an ancestor who vanished from the records only to reappear in an unexpected place? Share your genealogy mysteries in the comments!