Josephine Tewson

Josephine Ann Tewson (26 February 1931 – 18 August 2022) was an English actress, known for her roles in British television sitcoms and comedies. She portrayed Edna Hawkins ("Mrs H") on Shelley (1979-1982), Jane Travers in Clarence (1988), and Miss Lucinda Davenport in Last of the Summer Wine (2003-2010). She portrayed the frequently put-upon neighbor Elizabeth "Liz" Warden in Keeping Up Appearances (1990-1995). Tewson's professional career lasted more than 65 years, from 1952 until her retirement in 2019. Early life and education Tewson, an only child, was born on her father’s twenty seventh birthday in Hampstead, London on 26 February 1931. Her father, William (1904-1965) was a professional musician and played the double bass in the BBC Symphony Orchestra; her mother, Kate (née Morley, 1908-1999), was a nurse, the daughter of footballer Haydn Morley, who captained The Wednesday in the 1890 FA Cup Final. After grammar school, Tewson studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from which she graduated in 1952. Early career Tewson began acting on the London stage in the 1950's and remained active in theater productions throughout her professional career. She appeared on television during the 1960's with semi-regular appearances on shows like Z-Cars, the The Dick Emery Show, and The Charlie Drake Show. She was a regular comedy performer in sketches on David Frost on Sunday and Hark at Barker (1969-1970). She later appeared in Mostly Monkhouse, a BBC Radio comedy with David Jason and Bob Monkhouse. During the 1970s she had significant roles in comedy sitcoms including Six Dates with Barker, Coppers End (1971), and 1977's Odd Man Out (British TV series) with John Inman playing his half-sibling. She co-starred in "No Appointment Necessary" with Roy Kinnear, the tapes of which have been lost or destroyed. Tewson played Edna Hawkins (usually referred to as "Mrs H" by Shelley) in the first six series of the British sitcom Shelley (1979–82). Later, she played Jane Travers in Ronnie Barker's last starring television role before his retirement, the sitcom Clarence (1988), which he wrote. She appeared as two characters in the 1984 children's film Gabrielle and the Doodleman, as Gabrielle's father's housekeeper Mrs. Briggs, and as the Fairy Godmother.