When you start a piece of historical research you sometimes have no idea where it will lead. As I am currently  rushed off my feet I was looking for a quick item for the next update of the web site. I recently purchased a carte de visite made by Dyke & Coy, of 96 Queen's Road, Watford. A quick check of the Hertfordshire trade directories showed that 1890 was the only year they were listed. I foolishly thought that a short page with a copy of the picture and a brief timeline would only take a few minutes. Little did I realise that, many hours later  I would still be busily chasing the seductively named Miss Lena Love all round the country.

The directory entry suggested I might find the photographer in Watford in the 1891 census but what I found was two young sons under the care of a housekeeper and no sign of Colville Dyke anywhere in England. A search of the 1881 and 1901 censuses showed the only Colville Dyke was a ventriloquist! In 1911 he had become a herbalist and changed his place of birth from Herefordshire to Lancashire. However in 1901 and 1911 there was a daughter born in Watford - who was recorded as Oliver in 1891. Further scrambling around on Ancestry, FindMyPast, Familysearch and FreeBMD revealed the marriage of John Joseph Colville Dyke, ventriloquist, and the baptisms of the two children - when he was described as a photographer!

So was Colville Dyke a photographer, a ventriloquist - or what? I decided to look further afield - in the British Newspaper Archive and on Google. It would seem that for much of the time he had a shop where he ran a business, but that he and his wife - on the stage Miss Lena Love - also arranged shows such as the one at the left which happened when (or shortly after) they lived in Watford. I have only selected a few of the many references to their Music Hall style activities in the timeline below.

Whitstable Times 11 July 1891

Timeline

The Era

Col. Dyke, the Prince of Ventriloquists, Two Hours Melange, "Make Life Happy." Tonight Corn Exchange, Watford. Music Hall Tour (arranged some months since) commences January 25th, Evan's Varieties, Newport; following on to Queen's, Dublin; Alhambra, Belfast, People's, Manchester; Pullan's, Bradford; Gymnasium, Huddersfield; Alhambra, Sheffield; Mechanics', Hull; Wear, Sunderland, &c.  The Era.

Lancaster Gazette

MAKING LIFE HAPPY. - Mr. Colvil Dyke, ventriloquist, gave an entertainment on Friday evening to a large companny in the Town Hall [Berkhamsted]. The entertainment was of a superior character, Hertford Mercury.

JERSEY - Royal Hall - Mr Colville Dyke opened on June 14th with his entertainment entitled "Make Life Happy," and has met with a fair share of patronage.   The Stage.

"MAKE LIFE HAPPY" - An entertainment with this title was given at the Assembly Room [Princess Risborough, Bucks] on Friday (yesterday) week, by Mr Colville Dyke. The entertainment consisted of some clever sleight-of-hand and ventriloquism, followed up by electro-biological experiments upon persons selected from the audience. The entertainment was both refined and interesting, The disappearance of a silver bird-cage, the transmutations of liquids and fairy bells, were executed with wonderful skill, and every feat was received with loud applause." Bucks Herald.

I don't know where the parents were on Census night but a couple of weeks before they were in Leicester: Kibworth Village Hall - Colonel Dyke gave his "feast of fun" at the above hall on Wednesday evening. Leicester Chronilce.

Colville Dyke (28, born Hereford, ventriloquist) and his wife Lena (24, born Liverpool, pianist) were visiting a house in Macclesfield.

John Joseph Dyke (ventriloquist) married to Helena Albertina Jonathan at St Judes, East Brixton, Surrey. - Father Thomas Dyke, Superintendant of Police

Entertainment. —Mr. Colville Dyke, who has been giving performances in America, India, and China during the past four years, is now having a tour England. On Monday and Tuesday evenings he gave his entertainment to enthusiastic audiences in the Public Hall [Much Hadham], his very varied programme winning him repeated applause. As conjuror he is almost unrivalled, and each evening began and ended his performance with some most astonishing sleight of hand feats. A mystical sword seemed to pass through his body at will; coins vanished, rings reappeared in the most unlooked for places, and an enchanted watch had quite a little history of adventures. To merely catalogue the articles he produced from an old hat would make a lengthy list that would appear like romance, so we content ourselves with chronicling the fact. The entertainer is also a good musician, singing humorous songs, imitating church bells with an apparatus that must require careful manipulation, and rendering Laretti’s music on the mandoline with surprising skill. His ventriloquism was a treat. With figure representations of the Sloper family he solved conundrums, sang duets, and kept up a lively patter that kept the audience in roars of laughter. Following this was an exhibition of clairvoyance or second sight, and here the professor was aided by Miss Lena Love, who was seated blindfold on the platform. She answered all queries and correctly named with detailed particulars all articles that were lent the audience to Mr. Dyke. Certainly the most astonishing performance of the evening was the amusing scene “John Buttercup m two pieces.” As Herefordshire farmer Mr. Dyke seeks a cure for his many maladies, from Dr. Dodge (Miss Love) and she informs him that to regain health he must lose his head. This he at length agrees to. and after his head is cut off, the trunk rises from the chair and reels from the stage. It left the audience m much bewilderment and was a very clever illusion. Herts Mercury

Col. Dyke the County Club. — Mr. Colville Dyke, who styles himself "The Novel American Deceptionist,"  gave three performances at the County Club [St Albans] on Wednesday and Thursday. The programme consisted largely of conjuring tricks, all of which were very well executed by Mr. Dyke. also showed his ventriloquial powers to very good effect, whilst Miss Lena Love greatly interested audience by her exhibitions of "second sight," naming when blindfolded any article touched by the "wizard." A very sweet effect was produced by imitation church chimes and bells by Mr. Dyke, and this part of the programme secured well earned applause. The entertainment was well patronised on each day. Herts Advertiser

The Era

Essex Newsman

At Colchester - Essex Standard  à

... This week. Public Hall, Colchester. Vacant Dates in Summer months. Address next week Col Dyke, Corn Exchange, Chelmsford. The Era

... Col Dyke's Two Hours Entertainment. Tonight Wolverton. Next Week, Drill Hall, Nuneaton. The Era.

Colonel  Dyke (professional ventriloquist) and Lady Dyke (professional though reader) were boarding with John Ward (blacksmith) in Berry Road, Sittingbourne. [Thanks to Trevor for finding this entry and letting me know]

Thomas Dyke (7) and Oliver [sic] Dyke (1, born Watford) were at 98 Queen's Road, Watford, in the care of Eliza Janes (49, born Chipperfield, Herts) housekeeper, with Gertrude Barnes (15, born Lambeth) general servant.

 East Kent Gazette à

 Colville Dyke visited Sittingbourne on the 4th and 6th instant, and gave a variety entertainment at the Town Hall each evening to a good audience. Conjuring formed the principal item of the "bill of fare." This. wee truly "wonderful," aod the repeated applause of those present testified to their delight as they watched with intense interest the magical performance. Another special attractive was the mysteriously clever clairvoyant performance of Miss Lena Love, who held the andantes spellbound as she (whilst blindfolded) correctly described various articles belonging to some of those present, even giving the name marked on the handkerchiefs. The ventriloquial performances with the "Phunny Pholks," proved another attractive item, while music, both vocal and instrumental, filled up a good programme. East Kent Gazette

Biggleswade: Entertainment. - Col. Dyke's Company gave a good variety entertainment in the Town Hall, on Monday and Tuesday evenings.

 Bedfordshire  Mercury

Col. Dyke's entertainment ay the Corn Exchange, Leighton Buzzard included a "Comic Concert Party" and ... Col. Dyle's Diaramic Diversions. Sixty lovely Scenes. Beautiful Limelight Effects, Fairy Transformation Scenes, Grand Spectacular Tableaux, surpassing anything presented to the public before. ... Reserved seats were booked at Messrs Rush & Warwick. Leighton Buzzard Observer  à

Bedford: An Attractive Entertainment in the Town Hall is promised for three evenings of next week, commencing on Wednesday, when Col. Dyke will give an entirely original performance, happily blending scientific novelties, laughable eccentricities, and wizard wonders. Humorous songs and good music, diaromaic diversions, ventriloquism, and a shadow pantomime are only some of the items that come in the program, The press notices speak well of this entertainment.

Bedfordshire Times

A real come-down in the world - the first performance listed as "Col. Dyke" (BNA April 2016) since 1895 - and only a 2d collection at the door.

Sunderland Daily Echo

The enumerators check list includes Colville Dyke, Stationary & Confectioner, 207 High Street, Gateshead, but it would seem that this was a shop with no residents.

At Melrose - reported in the Southern Reporter

Cheltenham Chronicle

I found no later references to his stage career