Mildred

According to the Wolmer's Centenary Souvenir Mildred Phang attended the school in 1916-7, and she was presumably one of the Phang sisters referred to as taking part in concerts during the World War I period.

In June 1919 Mildred, along with her father, Charles, and three members of the Tie Ten Quee family, left Jamaica on the 'Turrialba' for New York, apparently, according to the Ellis Island records, all on their way to Shanghai. In November 'Miss M Phang' is noted as returning from England on the 'Camito' so it is not entirely clear whether Mildred ever reached China.

In 1929 the Wolmer's Centenary Souvenir lists her as Mrs deNeuter, living in Brussels. I have, so far, no information on this period of her life and she is never referred to by that name in later references. If she was in Belgium still at the time of the German invasion in 1940, she must have fled to England, where she was living a few years later. 

Home for Christmas

Daily Gleaner, December 15, 1949

Among other passengers was Miss Mildred Phang, daughter of Mrs Charles Phang of Balaclava, who is home on a month's vacation. She said she had just finished work on the film “The Black Rose” a 20th Century Fox production, starring Tyrone Power and Orson Welles. Miss Phang was cast as “Empress of China.”

Daily Gleaner, January 20, 1950

MME. MILDRED PHANG bids au revoir to Jamaica to return to her home in England where she resides. Mme. Phang is a member of the well known family from Balaclava. She is a close friend of Mrs. Attlee, wife of Prime Minister Clement Attlee, and will assist Mrs. Attlee in organising two large charity functions due to take place this season in London.

Pretty, petite, Mme. Phang wears most fascinating Chinese clothes of rich silk embroidery and at Greta Bourke's small informal farewell cocktail for her the other evening, her straight side split Chinese costume was much admired. Mme. Phang confesses that one of her most thrilling experiences was acting with Tyrone Power in "The Black Rose" where she played the part of the Chinese Empress. Cecile Aubry, the beautiful French actress who stars in the film is a close personal friend of Mme. Phang who predicts for her a great future on the screen. A sister of Mrs. May Soohih, who entertained her during her five-week visit to Jamaica, Mme. Phang lives in Croydon outside London at a lovely villa which she recently purchased.

In 1951 'The Black Rose' premiered at the Tropical cinema on Slipe Road on May 9th:

Jamaicans In Film At Tropical

"The Black Rose" Twentieth Century-Fox screen production, which opens at the Tropical Theatre tonight, holds another success story for two Jamaicans.

Playing the Chinese Empress in the fabulous three-years-in-filming motion picture is Madame Mildred Phang, daughter of Mrs. Charles Phang, of Balaclava, head of a well-known Chinese family in Jamaica.

Mme. Mildred Phang, a sister of Madame May Soohih, who runs the Soohih School of Dancing at Halfway Tree, was here on a holiday about two years ago, and, according to Mme. Soohih, will shortly arrive back in the island on another long vacation.

The other Jamaican in the film is Chinese, too. He is Basil Wong, and in the film, which stars Tyrone Power, Cecile Aubry and Orson Welles, Basil rows a canoe, bearing hero Tyrone to safety.

Basil is the son of Mrs. Mildred Wong of 5 Third Ave., Mountain View Gardens. He joined the R.A.F. in 1944, returned to Jamaica in 1946, was off to England again in 1949, and is now working in London.

In an account of Mme Soohih's visit to England in 1965 it is mentioned that she stayed in Eastbourne with her sister, Mildred, who was the owner of the well known Summer Palace Cafe. The flat in Croyden was then occupied by two other sisters, Gladys and Lucille. Mildred was still living in England in 1971 at the time of her sister May's death, but later than that I have no further information so far on Mildred Phang, sixth of the seven Phang sisters.

PS Using an online genealogy site I have been able to establish that Mildred Phang died in Eastbourne, in September 1992.