”’Olive Mercer”’ (15 September 1905 – 2 January 1983), born ”’Olive Maude Adams”’, was a British television actress perhaps best known for playing Mrs. Yeatman, the wife of Maurice Yeatman, the Verger in ”[[Dad’s Army]]”.
”’Olive Mercer”’ (15 September 1905 – 2 January 1983), born ”’Olive Maude Adams”’, was a British television actress perhaps best known for playing Mrs. Yeatman, the wife of Maurice Yeatman, the Verger in ”[[Dad’s Army]]”.
==Early life==
==Early ==
Born in 1905 in [[Hendon]] in then the [[Middlesex|country of Middlesex]], now the [[London Borough of Barnet]].<ref>[https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/2352/rg14_07039_0113_03?pid=39878406&backurl=http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DqzP36%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26gss%3Dangs-g%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26msT%3D1%26gsfn%3DOlive%2520maude%2520%26gsfn_x%3D0%26gsln%3DAdams%2520%26gsln_x%3D0%26msbdy%3D1905%26msbpn__ftp%3DHendon,%2520Middlesex,%2520England%26msbpn%3D85849%26msbpn_PInfo%3D8-%257C0%257C0%257C3257%257C3251%257C0%257C0%257C0%257C5275%257C85849%257C0%257C0%257C%26msgdy%3D1931%26msddy%3D1983%26msdpn__ftp%3DHillingdon,%2520Middlesex,%2520England%26msdpn%3D1671186%26msdpn_PInfo%3D8-%257C0%257C0%257C3257%257C3251%257C0%257C0%257C0%257C5275%257C1671186%257C0%257C0%257C%26mssng%3DCharles%2520%26mssns%3DMercer%26cp%3D0%26catbucket%3Drstp%26MSAV%3D1%26uidh%3Drc8%26pcat%3DROOT_CATEGORY%26h%3D39878406%26dbid%3D2352%26indiv%3D1%26ml_rpos%3D13&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=qzP36&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true 1911 Census Record for Olive Maude Adams] – [[Ancestry.com]] {{subscription required}}</ref> She was the daughter of Henry James Adams (born 1875), a theatre ticket agent,<ref>[https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1558/31280_198447-00339?pid=4964454&backurl=http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DqzP35%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26gss%3Dangs-g%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26msT%3D1%26gsfn%3DOlive%2520maude%2520%26gsfn_x%3D0%26gsln%3DAdams%2520%26gsln_x%3D0%26msbdy%3D1905%26msbpn__ftp%3DHendon,%2520Middlesex,%2520England%26msbpn%3D85849%26msbpn_PInfo%3D8-%257C0%257C0%257C3257%257C3251%257C0%257C0%257C0%257C5275%257C85849%257C0%257C0%257C%26msgdy%3D1931%26msddy%3D1983%26msdpn__ftp%3DHillingdon,%2520Middlesex,%2520England%26msdpn%3D1671186%26msdpn_PInfo%3D8-%257C0%257C0%257C3257%257C3251%257C0%257C0%257C0%257C5275%257C1671186%257C0%257C0%257C%26mssng%3DCharles%2520%26mssns%3DMercer%26cp%3D0%26catbucket%3Drstp%26MSAV%3D1%26uidh%3Drc8%26pcat%3DROOT_CATEGORY%26h%3D4964454%26recoff%3D8%25209%252010%252030%252043%26dbid%3D1558%26indiv%3D1%26ml_rpos%3D9&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=qzP35&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true Baptism of Olive Maude Adams] – 26 November 1905, [[Willesden]], London – [[Ancestry.com]] {{subscription required}}</ref> and Fanny Maria (née Dunnett, 1875-1961).<ref>[https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/78057780/person/30378521128/story Family of Olive Maude Adams] – [[Ancestry.com]] {{subscription required}}</ref>
Born in 1905 in [[Hendon]] in then the [[Middlesex|country of Middlesex]], now the [[London Borough of Barnet]].<ref>[https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/2352/rg14_07039_0113_03?pid=39878406&backurl=http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DqzP36%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26gss%3Dangs-g%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26msT%3D1%26gsfn%3DOlive%2520maude%2520%26gsfn_x%3D0%26gsln%3DAdams%2520%26gsln_x%3D0%26msbdy%3D1905%26msbpn__ftp%3DHendon,%2520Middlesex,%2520England%26msbpn%3D85849%26msbpn_PInfo%3D8-%257C0%257C0%257C3257%257C3251%257C0%257C0%257C0%257C5275%257C85849%257C0%257C0%257C%26msgdy%3D1931%26msddy%3D1983%26msdpn__ftp%3DHillingdon,%2520Middlesex,%2520England%26msdpn%3D1671186%26msdpn_PInfo%3D8-%257C0%257C0%257C3257%257C3251%257C0%257C0%257C0%257C5275%257C1671186%257C0%257C0%257C%26mssng%3DCharles%2520%26mssns%3DMercer%26cp%3D0%26catbucket%3Drstp%26MSAV%3D1%26uidh%3Drc8%26pcat%3DROOT_CATEGORY%26h%3D39878406%26dbid%3D2352%26indiv%3D1%26ml_rpos%3D13&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=qzP36&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true 1911 Census Record for Olive Maude Adams] – [[Ancestry.com]] {{subscription required}}</ref> She was the daughter of Henry James Adams (born 1875), a theatre ticket agent,<ref>[https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1558/31280_198447-00339?pid=4964454&backurl=http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DqzP35%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26gss%3Dangs-g%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26msT%3D1%26gsfn%3DOlive%2520maude%2520%26gsfn_x%3D0%26gsln%3DAdams%2520%26gsln_x%3D0%26msbdy%3D1905%26msbpn__ftp%3DHendon,%2520Middlesex,%2520England%26msbpn%3D85849%26msbpn_PInfo%3D8-%257C0%257C0%257C3257%257C3251%257C0%257C0%257C0%257C5275%257C85849%257C0%257C0%257C%26msgdy%3D1931%26msddy%3D1983%26msdpn__ftp%3DHillingdon,%2520Middlesex,%2520England%26msdpn%3D1671186%26msdpn_PInfo%3D8-%257C0%257C0%257C3257%257C3251%257C0%257C0%257C0%257C5275%257C1671186%257C0%257C0%257C%26mssng%3DCharles%2520%26mssns%3DMercer%26cp%3D0%26catbucket%3Drstp%26MSAV%3D1%26uidh%3Drc8%26pcat%3DROOT_CATEGORY%26h%3D4964454%26recoff%3D8%25209%252010%252030%252043%26dbid%3D1558%26indiv%3D1%26ml_rpos%3D9&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=qzP35&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true Baptism of Olive Maude Adams] – 26 November 1905, [[Willesden]], London – [[Ancestry.com]] {{subscription required}}</ref> and Fanny Maria (née Dunnett, 1875-1961).<ref>[https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/78057780/person/30378521128/story Family of Olive Maude Adams] – [[Ancestry.com]] {{subscription required}}</ref>
== Career ==
== Career ==
She often played stern older women in situation comedies, including ”[[On the Buses]]”, ”[[Billy Liar (TV series)|Billy Liar]]” and ”[[Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?]]”. She also appeared in ”The Ronnie Barker Yearbook” (1971) but is best known for playing Mrs. Yeatman , the wife of [[List of Dad’s Army characters#The Verger|Maurice Yeatman]], the Verger, in ”[[Dad’s Army]]”. Over the course of the series, her first name is variously given as Beryl, Anthea or Tracey. <ref>{{cite book |last=Webber |first=Richard |url= |title=The Complete A-Z of Dad’s Army |date=2000 |publisher=Orion Books Ltd. |isbn=0-75284-637-X |location=London |page=230 |access-date=}}</ref>
She often played stern older women in situation comedies, including ”[[On the Buses]]”, ”[[Billy Liar (TV series)|Billy Liar]]” and ”[[Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?]]”. She also appeared in ”The Ronnie Barker Yearbook” (1971) but is best known for playing Mrs. Yeatman, the wife of [[List of Dad’s Army characters#The Verger|Maurice Yeatman]], the Verger, in ”[[Dad’s Army]]”. Over the course of the series, her first name is variously given as Beryl, Anthea or Tracey. <ref>{{cite book |last=Webber |first=Richard |url= |title=The Complete A-Z of Dad’s Army |date=2000 |publisher=Orion Books Ltd. |isbn=0-75284-637-X |location=London |page=230 |access-date=}}</ref>
Aswell as TV, she also starred in film, appearing uncredited ”[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]” (1971) as the Old Lady at Duke of York, and as the Cleaner in ”[[Sex and the Other Woman]]” (1972).<ref name=”:1″ />
=== Filmography ===
*”[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]” (1971) – Old Lady at Duke of York (uncredited)
*”[[Sex and the Other Woman]]” (1972) – Cleaner
*”[[Dad’s Army]] (1969 – 1977) -” [[Dad’s Army#Supporting characters|Mrs. Yeatman]] (9 episodes) <ref>{{Cite web |title=Olive Mercer (1905-1983) {{!}} Actress |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0580293/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321114823/https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0580293/ |archive-date=March 21, 2022 |access-date=14 January 2022 |website=[[IMDb]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 1931 she married Charles Harry Mercer;<ref>[http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=qzP37&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&gss=angs-g&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=Olive%20maude%20&gsfn_x=0&gsln=Adams%20&gsln_x=0&msbdy=1905&msbpn__ftp=Hendon,%20Middlesex,%20England&msbpn=85849&msbpn_PInfo=8-%7C0%7C0%7C3257%7C3251%7C0%7C0%7C0%7C5275%7C85849%7C0%7C0%7C&msgdy=1931&msddy=1983&msdpn__ftp=Hillingdon,%20Middlesex,%20England&msdpn=1671186&msdpn_PInfo=8-%7C0%7C0%7C3257%7C3251%7C0%7C0%7C0%7C5275%7C1671186%7C0%7C0%7C&mssng=Charles%20&mssns=Mercer&cp=0&catbucket=rstp&MSAV=1&uidh=rc8&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=54262438&dbid=8753&indiv=1&ml_rpos=1 Olive M Adams in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005] – [[Ancestry.com]] {{subscription required}}</ref> they remained married until her death. Olive Mercer died in [[Hillingdon]] in 1983. {{Citation needed|date=January 2026}}
In 1931 she married Charles Harry Mercer;<ref>[http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=qzP37&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&gss=angs-g&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=Olive%20maude%20&gsfn_x=0&gsln=Adams%20&gsln_x=0&msbdy=1905&msbpn__ftp=Hendon,%20Middlesex,%20England&msbpn=85849&msbpn_PInfo=8-%7C0%7C0%7C3257%7C3251%7C0%7C0%7C0%7C5275%7C85849%7C0%7C0%7C&msgdy=1931&msddy=1983&msdpn__ftp=Hillingdon,%20Middlesex,%20England&msdpn=1671186&msdpn_PInfo=8-%7C0%7C0%7C3257%7C3251%7C0%7C0%7C0%7C5275%7C1671186%7C0%7C0%7C&mssng=Charles%20&mssns=Mercer&cp=0&catbucket=rstp&MSAV=1&uidh=rc8&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=54262438&dbid=8753&indiv=1&ml_rpos=1 Olive M Adams in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005] – [[Ancestry.com]] {{subscription required}}</ref> they remained married until her death. Olive Mercer died in [[Hillingdon]] in 1983. {{Citation needed|date=January 2026}}
British actress (1905–1983)
|
Olive Mercer |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Olive Maude Adams (1905-09-15)September 15, 1905 |
| Died | 2 January 1983(1983-01-02) (aged 77) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Known for | playing Mrs. Yeatman, the wife of Maurice Yeatman, the Verger in Dad’s Army |
Olive Mercer (15 September 1905 – 2 January 1983), born Olive Maude Adams, was a British television actress perhaps best known for playing Mrs. Yeatman, the wife of Maurice Yeatman, the Verger in Dad’s Army.
Early Life
Born in 1905 in Hendon in then the country of Middlesex, now the London Borough of Barnet.[1] She was the daughter of Henry James Adams (born 1875), a theatre ticket agent,[2] and Fanny Maria (née Dunnett, 1875-1961).[3]
Career
She often played stern older women in situation comedies, including On the Buses, Billy Liar and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?. She also appeared in The Ronnie Barker Yearbook (1971) but is best known for playing Mrs. Yeatman, the wife of Maurice Yeatman, the Verger, in nine episode from the third to the ninth series of Dad’s Armyfrom 1969 to 1977.[4] Over the course of the series, her first name is variously given as Beryl, Anthea or Tracey. [5]
Aswell as TV, she also starred in film, appearing uncredited A Clockwork Orange (1971) as the Old Lady at Duke of York, and as the Cleaner in Sex and the Other Woman (1972).[4]
Personal Life and Death
In 1931 she married Charles Harry Mercer;[6] they remained married until her death. Olive Mercer died in Hillingdon in 1983. [citation needed]
