Katherine Blake (11 September 1921 or 1923 – 1 March 1991), real name Illone Catherine Inglestone, was a British and Canadian actress, born in South Africa, who had a long career on stage, in television, and in films.

In the early 1940s, she worked on stage as Katherine Inglestone. The spelling Katharine is used by IMDb, but hardly at all elsewhere.

Early life Born in Johannesburg, Blake was the daughter of Saul Inglestone and his wife Rachael. She had a younger sister, Ruth. The family visited England in 1924, staying in St Pancras, London, but returned to South Africa. On 5 August 1938, stating her age as fifteen, Blake arrived with her mother in Southampton on the Union Castle Line's Athlone Castle, which had come from Durban via Madeira. Their names were recorded as Rae Fanny and Illonne Inglestone, and their destination as the luxurious new Cumberland Hotel, London."Rae Fanny Inglestone", "Illonne Inglestone", United Kingdom and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960, accessed 24 January 2026 On 7 April 1939, Saul Inglestone, accountant, aged 45, and Ruth, aged 13, arrived in Southampton from Durban on the Windsor Castle."Mr Saul Inglestone", "Miss Ruth Inglestone", in United Kingdom and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960, accessed 24 January 2026 On 31 August 1939, Mrs R. F. Inglestone and Miss R. Inglestone, aged 13, left Southampton for Cape Town on the Union Castle ship Winchester Castle."Mrs R F Inglestone, 40, last address in the United Kingdom 26, St Johns Court N.W., Intended Future Permanent Residence S. Africa", "Miss R. Inglestone, aged 13", in United Kingdom and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960, accessed 24 January 2026

Blake's mother, Rachael Fanny Freeman, had been born in 1898 in Salisbury, Rhodesia, to a mother from Cologne and a father from Cardiff, and in Johannesburg in 1920 had married Saul Engelstein, originally from St George in the East, in the East End of London. He later changed his name to Inglestone."Rachael Fanny Freeman (1898–1967)", "Saul Engelstein (Inglestone) (1891–1973)", "Abraham Maurice Freeman (1866–1952)", "Elise von Garten Schmidt (1866–1942)", Ancestry.com, accessed 26 January 2026

Career In the early 1940s, as Katherine Inglestone, Blake was a member of the Amersham Playhouse repertory company. In September 1941, she was a waitress in The Devil's Advocate"ENTERTAINMENTS: THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE", Buckinghamshire Examiner, Friday 26 September 1941, p. 5: "Characters in the play are taken by Katherine Inglestone (waitress), Robert Marsden as Dr. Henry Trench, Emilia Peruzzi as the porteress, and Natasha Wigand as the parlourmaid." and in October played a ghost in A Murder Has Been Arranged."Katherine Inglestone as the ghost-woman", Buckinghamshire Examiner, Friday 17 October 1941, p. 6 In March and April 1942, she was Frau Rothmann in Maurice Edelman's Inheritance of Earth, billed as "a drama of the Struggle for Freedom"."INHERITANCE OF EARTH By MAURICE EDELMAN a drama of the Struggle for Freedom", Bucks Free Press (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire), Friday 20 March 1942, p. 6"INHERITANCE OF EARTH", The Stage, Thursday 2 April 1942, p. 5

In February 1944, Blake returned to the Amersham Playhouse, still using her maiden name, in a production of Spring Meeting."The cast of Spring Meeting", Buckinghamshire Examiner, Friday 25 February 1944, p. 8 In 1948, when reporting her first television appearance, the local newspaper noted her as "Katherine Blake whom Amersham audiences will remember as Katherine Inglestone"."Katherine Blake whom Amersham audiences will remember as Katherine Inglestone", Buckinghamshire Examiner, Friday 12 March 1948, p. 8

In November 1946, under the new name of Blake, she played the part of Iras, a maid of honour, in a production of Antony and Cleopatra at Stratford-upon-Avon"MAJOR PRODUCTION OF “ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA”", Stratford-upon-Avon Herald, Friday 29 November 1946, p. 3: "Katherine Blake, as Iras, the timid one, gives an exquisite performance..." which by late December was in the West End at the Piccadilly Theatre,"THE PICCADILLY", The Stage, Thursday 26 December 1946, p. 4: "Helen Christie's Octavia meets the needs of the case, but the Charmian and Iras of Nancy Nevinson and Katherine Blake are not especially inspired." with Edith Evans playing Cleopatra and Godfrey Tearle Mark Antony, and the play had a good run there. In March 1947, Blake was profiled with Evans and Tearle in The Queen."Edith Evans, Godfrey Tearle, and Iras (Katherine Blake)", The Queen, 5 March 1947, p. 46

In March 1948, she appeared as Catherine Earnshaw opposite Kieron Moore as Heathcliff in an early BBC television adaptation of Wuthering Heights, with Patrick Macnee as Edgar Linton."Kieron Moore as Heathcliff and Katherine Blake as Catherine Earnshaw", Bradford Observer, Friday 5 March 1948, p. 1

In 1949, Blake had another early screen appearance in Trottie True. Between 1952 and 1959, she worked in Canada and the United States and was naturalized as a Canadian citizen. In 1959, she returned to England.Peter Noble, ed., British Film and Television Year Book, Volume 30 (Cinema TV Today, 1975), p. 42

Blake won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress for her work in television in 1964. In 1969/1970 she played the character Chris Nourse in first an episode of Public Eye and then in Armchair Theatre'''s Wednesday's Child; one of the first lesbian love affairs to be seen on British television. Blake replaced Googie Withers as the Prison Governor in the ITV series Within These Walls in 1977, but only appeared in one season, leaving the role due to ill health.

Blake was also an occasional scriptwriter.

Personal life In June 1942, in Hampstead, as Illone C. Inglestone, Blake married firstly the actor Anthony Jacobs. In 1943, they had one daughter, Jenny, later Jenny Kastner. In June 1948, again as Illone C. Inglestone, she married secondly the actor and director David Greene, and in 1949 had a second daughter, Lindy Greene. Anthony Jacobs also married again in 1949 and had three further children, including Matthew Jacobs. In June 1959, Blake married thirdly the director Charles Jarrott. They were divorced in 1982.

Blake's mother died in Johannesburg in March 1967 and had a chevra kadisha burial there."Rachel Fanny Inglestone", JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR): "Birth Date abt 1900; Death Date 03 Mar 1967; Age at Death 67; Burial Place Johannesburg, South Africa; Cemetery Chevra Kadisha, Johannesburg; Cemetery Burials 38083; Cemetery Comments Johannesburg Jewish Helping Hand & Burial Society", accessed 26 January 2026 Her father died there in April 1973 and had the same burial in the same grave."Saul Inglestone", JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR), "Name Saul Inglestone; Birth Date abt 1894; Death Date 18 Apr 1973; Age at Death 79; Burial Place Johannesburg, South Africa: Cemetery Chevra Kadisha, Johannesburg; Cemetery Burials 38083; Cemetery Comments Johannesburg Jewish Helping Hand & Burial Society", accessed 26 January 2026 Her sister Ruth Mandell died in December 1998 and joined them in the grave."Ruth Mandell", JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR), "Name Saul Inglestone; Birth Date abt 1925; Death Date 06 Dec 1998; Age at Death 73; Burial Place Johannesburg, South Africa: Cemetery Chevra Kadisha, Johannesburg; Cemetery Burials 38083; Cemetery Comments Johannesburg Jewish Helping Hand & Burial Society", accessed 26 January 2026

Blake died in 1991 of a heart attack. She was estranged from both daughters at the time. Her death was registered in Camden, under the name of Katherine Ilone Jarrott, and her date of birth was recorded as 11 September 1923. Her last address was a flat in St John's Wood, Westminster NW8, and she left an estate valued for probate at £157,195."JARROTT Katherine of 67 Boydell Ct London NW8 died 1 March 1991 Probate London 14 November £157195", Wills and Administrations (England and Wales) 1991 (London: High Court of Justice, 1992), p. 4524

Selected filmography Trottie True (1949) – Ruby Rubarto (uncredited) Assassin for Hire (1951) – Maria Riccardi The Dark Light (1951) – Linda Hunted (1952) – Waitress Saturday Island (1952) – Nurse Hammer the Toff (1952) – Janet Lord Now That April's Here (1958) – Hilda Adams (segment "The Rejected One") Edgar Wallace Mysteries (episode: To Have and to Hold - Claudia) (1963) – (Working Title: BFI: 'Sleep Long, My Love') Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) – Elizabeth Boleyn

Selected television 1948: Wuthering Heights - Catherine Earnshaw 1961: The Avengers – Dr. Ampara Alvarez Sandoval 1962: Sir Francis Drake – The Dark Lady 1962: Maigret – Mado 1963: The Saint – Rosemary Chase 1967: The Baron – Madame Nicharos 1969: Public Eye – ('My Life's my Own', episode) - Mrs. Chris Nourse (broadcast 20th. Aug., UK) 1971: Paul Temple – Drucilla Ardrey 1972: The Shadow of the Tower – Signora Cabot 1972: No Exit – Claire Dufort 1959–1973: Armchair Theatre – Sylvia Forsyth / Chris Nourse / Hilary / Marie / Carla Melini / Doris Binstead 1974: Crown Court – Irene Rutland - (' The Woman Least Likely ', episode) 1976: Within These Walls – Prison Governess — Helen Forrester 1980: Heartland – Aunt Lucy 1981: Sunday Night Thriller'' – Dorothy ("Blunt Instrument", Parts 1 and 2)

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