Francis Lyndhurst

Lindhurst Francis Schmitz was born in Kensington, London, England on 2 March 1878.^[1] He was baptised, a son of Francis Henry Schmitz, a clerk from Paris, and his wife, Annie Maria (née Mower), at St Clement, Notting Hill in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on 26 May 1878.^[2]

Lyndhurst's first films, beginning with The Showman's Dream in 1914, were made at Shoreham Fort, by his production company, Sealite,^[3] or Sunny South Film Company.^[4] He set up the Glasshouse Studio in a nearby, glass-sided, building, in 1915.^[5] The business failed and he returned to his former occupation of scenery painting.^[4][5]

Lyndhurst stored his films in a barn, which was destroyed by bombing during World War II. No copies of any of his films are known to survive.^[6]

Lyndhurst bought a farm, in order that his sons should avoid fighting in the Second World War. Later a portion of the land was used to build chalets and set up a holiday camp.^[7][3]

Schmitz married Dorothy Constance "Dora" Rogers in Brentford, Middlesex, in January 1907.^[8] They had five sons together: Francis Geoffrey Lyndhurst (né Schmitz; 1907–1996),^[9][10][11] John Bellas L Lyndhurst (né Schmitz; 1912–1992),^[12][13][14] Jim "James" Lyndhurst (né Schmitz; 1915–1958),^[15][16][17] Richard Alan Kenneth Lyndhurst (1916–2002),^[18][19] and Anthony Arthur Joseph "Joe" Lyndhurst (1924–2000).^[20][21][22]

On 18 February 1916, during the First World War, he legally changed his name from Lindhurst Francis Schmitz to Francis Leonard Lyndhurst, because of anti-German sentiment.^[23] In October 1916, he unsuccessfully sued a man, John Bull, for libel, for calling him "German", claiming it was the worst possible insult.^[24]

Lyndhurst and his wife purchased a piece of land in Lambeth, South London, in 1933. The couple later bought a farm.^[25]

Lyndhurst died at his home, Hundred Streddle Farm, in Chichester, Sussex, on 31 May 1952. He was 74.^[26][27] He was buried in Birdham on 4 June 1952. His widow died in Chichester on 2 April 1964, aged 76.^[28][29]

Lyndhurst is the grandfather of actor Nicholas Lyndhurst,^[7] who is best known for his role as Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses,^[30] and the great-grandfather of Archie Lyndhurst,^[31] the late actor and designer, who was best known for his role as Oliver 'Ollie' Coulton in So Awkward.^[7][32][33]

• Building a Chicken House
• Harnessing a Horse
• Moving a Piano
• Some Fun
• Study in Skarlit
• The Jockey
• The Showman's Dream
• Tincture of Iron
• White Washing a Ceiling

Source(s): ^[34]