Dorothy Henrietta "Rita" Brunstrom, later known as Jane Carr, was a multifaceted performer who made a lasting impact on the world of stage, screen, and radio.
Born as Dorothy Henrietta Brunstrom, Jane Carr's life was marked by three significant unions. Her first marriage was to James Bickley, a civil engineer, whom she wed on September 14, 1931, at the Register Office in Marylebone, London.
At the time of her first marriage, Jane was already engaged to Major A. J. S. Fetherstonhaugh, D.S.O., M.C., the only son of Colonel and Mrs. Fetherstonhaugh of The Hermitage, Powick, Worcester. However, she chose to marry James Bickley instead.
Jane's second marriage was to John Donaldson-Hudson, which took place on January 7, 1943, at the Register Office in Westminster. She was 33 years old at the time, and her husband was 34. Together, they had a daughter named Charlotte Donaldson-Hudson.
Charlotte would later recall a memorable visit by Noel Coward to her mother's South Audley Street, Mayfair flat, where preparations were being made for the 1950 Festival of Britain. Coward was a frequent visitor to Jane's home, and on one of the Bluthner grand pianos in the drawing room, he composed the famous piece "Festival of Britain."
As a pianist and singer, Jane Carr regularly performed the Coward piece at Quaglino's and The Savoy, where she was a popular performer. Despite her busy schedule, Jane was diagnosed with a terminal illness in 1955, just before her third marriage to (Henry J.) Robert Stent.
Jane and Robert purchased a mill on the River Waveny, between Suffolk and Norfolk, England, where they would host many of Jane's showbusiness friends, including Michael Denison, Dulci Grey, and her closest friend, celebrity interior designer Nina Campbell.
