Taken from the book
"The Life and Reminiscences of E.L Blanchard
*With notes from the Diary of W.M Blanchard"
compiled by Clement Scott and Cecil Howard
Monday 2nd
January 1860
Find town in uproar from the landing of discharged troops, most of whom appear to be unmitigated blackguards.
16th
March 1860
Going to British Museum an atom comes into my eye and causes such excruciating torture that I am barely able to make my way home again; after some hours of agony am somewhat relieved by a clever chemist (Wellspring of Chandos Street), but compelled to go to bed at 8, and there sleep and dream for fourteen hours, and the inflammation very painful, and in one instant feel how all my hopes of living might be destroyed by lack of sight.
21st
March 1860
To town,
and grieved to hear of the death of my old friend, Lovell Phillips on
Monday.
*William
Lovell Phillips died in Oakley Square, Camden Town of dropsy, aged
forty-three.
He was an
instrumentalist and composer. Was educated at the Royal Academy of
Music; was
musical conductor of the Olympic and composed the music of Gwynneth
Vaughan.
He for many years directed
the
music of the festivals of the General Theatrical Fund.
23rd
May 1860
Derby Day and Thormanby wins.
28th
July 1860
To Gravesend in Mr John Clarke’s beautiful yacht, The Glimpse, with Mr Wheaton, a yacht artist; no wind, but get caught in a sharp thunderstorm; do not arrive til midnight, at which time make the Terrace pier; rather slow but hospitably entertained.
3rd
August 1860
Delighted by a visit from Emma and Mrs Stanley, after their four years wandering in all parts of the world.
9th
August 1860
Go to Stanleys’ to dinner: all sorts of reminiscences of travel. Fancy Mrs Stanley with a box of Lucifer matches in jungle keeping off lions and tigers on journey from Madras to Bombay!
17th
October 1860
Gravesend very gay. Queen disembarks here from her continental tour.
8th
November 1860
Princess’s
theatre; see Byron’s new farce of Garibaldi Excursionists;
odd effect of gas
going out and piece played in the dark.
*All the gas in the front of the house and the footlights went out suddenly; some water had got in the metre. Some few of the audience left the theatre.
17th
December 1860
Poor Deulin
dies very suddenly.
*His real name was Isaac Dowling. He made a reputation as Harlequin at the Grecian Saloon. He was about forty-eight years of age. Had been at rehearsal in the afternoon and was quitting the theatre when he found he was spitting blood; and almost immediately after, in Wilson’s tavern Drury Lane, he vomited a large quantity of blood, and in a few minutes expired. His lungs were found to be extensively diseased.
27th
February 1861
Astley’s
put up for auction by Batty, and bought in, no bidding being high
enough.
*Astley’s
(theatre) was held on lease from Mr Cobbold at a ground rent of
£500 per annum,
forty-four years unexpired.
The
bidding
rose to £15,000 but £17,000 was the asking price.
11th
March 1861
To Assembly rooms, where see Le Moiski, a Polish Duke, who performs some wonderful feats in mesmerism. Experiments most extraodinary, and I think, most convincing: the power explanatory of some miracles.
15th
March 1861
The death of the Duchess of Kent this morning.
4th
April 1861
Hear of
poor Saker’s death, of Princess (theatre).
*He had only a few days before played the second gravedigger in Hamlet. He died from a virulent attack of small-pox, while quite in the prime of life. He was well known in the provinces and Dublin and was a great favourite at the Princess’s.
11th
April 1861
On Grand Jury at Maidstone, Easter Sessions; find the affair very dreary, and brother Grand Jurymen very stupid. A lovely day but stop over the indictment some seven hours. Sleep at Bell; Landlord Epps a character.
17th
April 1861
Hear of Edwin James and his fraud of some forty thousand pounds on the Earl of Yarborough and son.
22nd
June 1861
To Waterloo
Bridge to see the dreadful conflagration in which Braidwood was killed.
*This was
the fire at the Loftus Alum works, known as the Tooley St conflagration. The
wall fell into the roadway and buried Mr
Braidwood and a Mr Scott under the ruins.
The oil,
tallow and tar floated on the Thames and absolutely set it on fire. Several
lives were also lost on the
river.
The funeral of James
Braidwood,
the respected Superintendant of the London Fire Brigade, who was much
lamented,
was one of the most impressive scenes witnessed in London.
Nearly
2,000 people took the
procession.
There were 14 mourning
coaches and several private carriages.
The
body was interred at Abney Park Cemetery.
26th
July 1861
Great
excitement of the Northumberland Street tragedy of Roberts and Murray.
*Roberts was a solicitor in Northumberland St. Major Murray occupied himself with finance. Roberts appears to have some grievance against the Major, and fired at him in his (the lawyer’s) chambers. Major Murray in self defence took up first the tongs and then a champagne bottle, which he broke on Robert’s head. Roberts died from the effects and the verdict of justifiable homicide was returned.
3rd
October 1861
Write
obituary notice of Arthur Smith.
*Brother of Albert Smith. Died October 1st in his thirty-seventh year. He was business manager at the Egyptian Hall for his brother, and arranged Charles Dickens’s readings. Was one of the committee of the Thames Fisheries Society and wrote the little brochure. He was also almoner of the Fielding Club, a benevolent association to assist actors in distress.
7th
November 1861
Hear of
Talfourd’s marriage.
*Francis
Talfourd was married on 5th
November , to Miss Frances Louisa Towne.
{note - see also 11th March 1862 }
12th
December 1861
To Sadlers
Wells; see Mrs Conway as Ion – very good.
*Mrs Conway was the younger sister of Mrs Bowers. Possessed an intelligent face, good figure, and a rich and melodious voice, and was devoid of the exaggeration for which American school had the rather a bad character.
14th
December 1861
The whole town in excitement about Prince Albert’s illness; hear in the evening he died at eleven. All deeply impressed with the significance of this event.
16th
December 1861
Papers all in mourning – Morning Star excepted because of machine difficulties. Telegraph admirable; 141,622 copies officially announced to have been sold this day.
16th
January 1862
To Sadlers
Wells and hear of the death of Raymond.
*Molone Raymond, or more properly, Richard Malone, was born in Dublin in 1800, and came from a very good family. Made his first appearance in Londonderry as Callooney in The Irishman in London. Performed in Ireland for a considerable time, then came to Liverpool, where he made a hit in the character of O’Slash in The Invincibles, and from that time adopted Irish characters exclusively. Made his first appearance at the Haymarket April 14th 1842 as Major O’Flaherty in The West Indian. After giving entertainments for some years, in 1860, he became acting manager of Sadlers Wells, remaining there until the time of his death.
17th
February 1862
Write
memoir of Mrs Bradshaw (Miss M Tree), who died this day at noon.
*Maria
Tree, sister to Mrs Charles Keen, began life as a vocalist, was
instructed by
Signor Lanza and Tom Cooke…
Was an exquisite figure, had very expressive features: made her last appearance at Covent Garden, June 16th 1825 as Mary Copp in Charles II., and Clari in the opera of that name, of which chacater she was the original. She married Mr James Bradshaw, some years M.P for Canterbury, who died leaving her a widow with one daughter, who married Mr Langly of the 2nd Life Guards.
25th
February 1862
The long
looked-for case, Ledger versus Webster, this day decided before
Cockburn at the
Queen’s Bench; verdict for plaintiff, 1s.
This was a libel case brought by Frederick Ledger, proprietor the Era, as plaintiff, against Benjamin Webster, manager of the New Adelphi Theatre as defendant. It had arisen out of certain strictures which the plaintiff had placed on certain systems and tricks made use of at benefits in aid of dramatic charities. [Notably the Crystal Palace Fancy Fair, which was most justifiably condemned in the Era as a disgrace to the acting profession – C.S]
11th
March 1862
Deeply
grieved to hear of my friend Frank Talfourd’s death, which
took place on Sunday
at Mentone.
*Francis Talfourd was the son of Justice Talfourd, and was in his thirty-fifth year when he expired, on March 9th; was educated at Eton and intended for the bar. His first travestie was Alcestis, but the burlesques he wrote after this were innumerable. He had only been married five months. He was a most genial, warm hearted companion, of brilliant literary powers and was ready to help in any good work.
29th
April 1862
Chronicle the death of The Literary Gazette, after forty-five years existence, on Saturday last.
13th
May 1862
Hear with
regret of Sir William Don’s death.
Died at Hobart Town, Tasmania March 19th 1862. Was the son of Sir Alexander Don, a Scotch baronet. Was originally in the 5th Dragoon Guards, but ran through his property and was obliged to sell his estate, ‘Newton Don’, which fetched £85,000. Being accounted a good amateur actor, he determined to take to the stage as a profession, and so played in the North of England, and went to America in 1851 and was successful in New York and Philadephia, remaining there five years. Then came to England and played in the provinces, and eventually at the Haymarket. Was over six feet in height and was only thirty six years of age when he died of consumption leaving a widow.
4th
June 1862
Derby Day:
Caractacus, winner
A rank outsider owned by a London publisher. He had won at Bath a few days before.
5th
July 1862
Go to Arthur Sketchley’s entertainment at the Bijou Theatre.
[Arthur Sketchley was the nom de plume of George Rose, most amusing and charming companion. He was an Oxford man (Magdalen Hall) and was for some years, clergyman in the Church of England. On his conversion to the Church of Rome he became private tutor to the Duke of Norfolk. He was an able dramatist and litterateur, and is buried at St Thomas‘s Catholic Church near Fulham. – C.S]
6th
November 1862
See John Duncan ship, off to Otago, with Miss Rye and female immigrants.
27th
December 1862
At night to
Dion Boucicault’s new Westminster Theatre: beautiful and
commodious building,
but the pantomime of Lord
Dundreary dull and pointless.
This had hitherto been known as Astley’s, and had been thoroughly rebuilt.
2nd
January 1863
Hear of the
death of Mrs William Barrymore, and add another to the list of the
records of
lives I have known. Feel very sad.
*Known some
fifty years previously as Miss Adams, one of the best of English
dancers; was
always an attraction at the Old Circus, now the Surrey, in the grand
ballets
there.
Her husband, William
Barrymore,
was for many years, stage manager and inventor of pantomimes at Drury
Lane, at
which she appeared with great success.
In 1831, she and her husband went to America, made a great reputation and settled at Boston; and when Mr Barrymore died, in 1846, his widow returned to this country, where she resided until the time of her death, having reached nearly her eightieth year. She was a clever linguist, artist and musician.
23rd
January 1863
Fire at
Princess’s; poor little ballet girls burnt in pantomime.
*The girls’ names were Hunt and Smith, who died from their hurts. Robert Roxby, stage manager, was seriously injured in endevouring to put out the flames. It was fortunate, with such a number of people on stage, that the accident did not result in more evil consequences.
5th
February 1863
This
day
Parliament is opened with much excitement, the public looking forward
to the
marriage of the Prince of Wales with Princess Alexandra.
7th
March 1863
The Princess Alexandra of Denmark arrives. See the landing from Terrace Pier, with celebrities and Prince of Wales.
9th
March 1863
Daily Telegraph comes out with with supplement, which, 1d, with paper, find sells the amount of 205,884 copies! Unprecedented. At night bonfires all over the place.
4th
April 1863
Attend General Theatrical Fund Dinner: Charles Dickens in chair; about two hundred present. Goes off well.
25th
May 1863
Record death of General Stonewall Jackson – a heavy Confederate loss and deeply to be regretted.
31st
August 1863
To Olympic;
first appearance here of Miss Lydia Foote (real name Legge), neice of
Mrs
Keeley.
*She had previously appeared at Sadlers Wells and the Victoria.
5th
October 1863
Woken at 3am by a shock of earthquake, which was felt all through England.
31st
October 1863
To
Lyceum.
First night of
Fechter’s second
season; Bel Demonio
*Fechter had introduced fresh mechanical appliances to the stage, and some patented improvements, and generally bettered the arrangements behind the footlights.
25th
November 1863
Hear of the
death of Robson, ‘the old playgoer’.
*He obtained this sobriquet from having written an interesting book called “The Old Playgoer” in which he stood up for the Kemble school of acting. He was originally a schoolmaster, and wrote several educational works, and also contributed to periodical literature. His good companion was Mr Caulfield, the author of “Wonderful and Eccentric Characters”.
8th
January 1864
The Princess of Wales has a son at 9pm.
26th
January 1864
During a walk to Gad’s Hill meet Charles Dickens on my way, pedestrianizing like myself and mutual recognicians.
17th
September 1864
Heavy thunderstorms.
1st
October 1864
Terrific
explosion of the poder mills near Belvidere at 7am, startling London
and the
country for miles around.
*These were the Messrs Hall’s powder mills at Low-wood and those of Messrs Daye, Barker and Co; 104,000 lbs. of powder exploded; the river embankment was blown up and fatigue parties of soldiers were employed to construct a fresh one. Panes of glass were broken in Erith and Gravesend, and not one was left in Woolwich. The shock was felt all over London, and the report heard as far off as Aylesbury. Two barges were blown to pieces, several houses destroyed and some lives lost while numerous people were injured. The loss to the mills alone was £200,000.
Destruction
by fire of Theatre Royal, Edinburgh.
*This was built on the site of the Adelphi Theatre, which was also burned down, May 1853, and was situated at the head of Leith Walk. Several lives were lost.
30th
January 1865
Hear Surrey
Theatre is being burned down and rush back to chambers for dates of
history
etc.
*The fire
occurred at twenty minutes to twelve on the night of Monday. By
twelve o’clock the theatre and its
contents were nearly burned out, so rapid was the spread of the
conflagration.
The ballet girls,
children, and those employed on the stage, could only escape in the
light
costumes in which they had been appearing, there not being time to even
procure
a cloak, and had to turn out in the snow.
Messers Shepherd and Anderson were the lessees; they suffered to the extent of some £10,000. Numerous benefits were given in aid of the sufferers. The proprietors of The Daily Telegraph gave £50, and opened a list. William Batty, £20; George Vining, £10.10s and a subscription list was opened at The Era office. Much more loss of life would have occurred but for the coolness and presence of mind of Rowella the clown, Evans the pantaloon, Vivian the sprite and Green the stage-manager.
31st
January 1865
My opinion is, the Surrey, with no loss of life, is not a thing to be deplored.
1st
February 1865
Go and look at the ruins of the poor old Surrey; meet Chaplins and Vokes, who appear quite distracted.
15th
February 1865
Cardinal Wiseman dies this day.
22nd
March 1865
The Daily Telegraph this day published extra half sheet, the largest size it has yet attained.
25th
March 1865
Destruction of Surrey Theatre at Sheffield.
26th
April 1865
Startled by American mail bringing intelligence of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination by Junious W Booth; the actor, can think of nothing else.
31st
May 1865
Derby Day: off to course per South Western Railway. Gladiateur, the French horse winning, amid great excitement; the road very crowded returning.
10th
August 1865
The Prince and Princess of Wales depart in Osborne Royal Yacht for Germany. I go in boat on river with “Gentleman Joe Martin”, the pilot.
28th
October 1865
St James
Hall to see French giant, Anak the Anakim.
*This was a Frenchman named Jean Joseph Brice, who was born on January 26th 1840. Was 8 ft high, weighed 30 stone, 54 inches around chest, 25 inches across shoulders. He appeared as a Brobdingnagian, supposed to have been overcome by some Lilliputians.
19th
January 1866
All day
writing with a sad heart the memoir of poor G.V Brooke, drowned in the London
steamer, on 11th
instant.
*Gustavus
Vaughan Brooke was born on April 25th
1819 at Hardwick Place in
Dublin.
…….After
considerable work in the provinces he appeared as Othello at the
Olympic
theatre January 2nd
1848 and was at once acknowledged as one of the
greatest tragedians of the age……
G.V Brooke
was tall, dignified and graceful; his features eminently expressive and
on
stage his walk and presence were majestic.
As a tragic artist he stood
at one time in the highest rank. His
style was perfectly natural, from no
school but from the hand of nature. He
possessed a voice of great power which he used effectively. He
was almost absurdly generous.
The unfortunate steamer London, had left Plymouth on January 6th and had been battling fearful weather until the 11th, when she went down with two hundred and twenty souls. Only sixteen of the crew and three passengers survived. Gustavus V Brooke set an example of courage and fortitude to all on board – working at the pumps; and appears to have accepted his coming doom with resignation. The last words he was known to have uttered were, “If you succeed in saving yourselves, give my farewell to the people at Melbourne.”
21st
January 1866
Meet Kingston and Avonia Jones (widow of poor G.V Brooke), and with her fruitlessly go in search of E.Gardener, that she might hear poor Brooke’s last words.
24th
March 1866
A fire at the Daily Telegraph office; suspicion of incendiarism.
9th
April 1866
First night at Surrey of Theodora: Avonia Jones (Mrs G.V Brooke) was Theodora; no great success. As I sit in the stalls, a thumping bundle of bread and cheese plumps down from the gallery nearly on my head – a narrow escape.
16th
May 1866
Derby Day, and Lord Lyon, the favourite, come in the winner; go down by South Western Railways; weather cloudy but fine; spend on the course four dreary wretched hours, all alone; then meet Mr Lawson and the Phillipses (sons of Lord Mayor), and kindly provided with a sitting room and refreshments.
22nd
October 1866
Standard
Theatre burnt down yesterday morning.
*It was situated in High St Shoreditch and built some years previously by Mr Douglas. On the same ground had been a theatre originally built by Mr Gibson. This building was erected on the site of the little Curtain Theatre, in which Grimaldi once performed. The theatre now burnt down, was calculated to hold some four thousand people. The place was entirely gutted and not a shred of scenery, dresses or anything else was recovered, except a carroty wig belonging to Brittain Wright, the comedian. The fire began at 6am on Sunday morning.
19th
November 1866
To Her
Majesty’s:
Oonagh, a long-winded
five-act
drama by Falconer.
*Oonagh was played by Miss Fanny Addison. The play dragged its weary length along til past two in the morning, when the carpenters took the law into their own hands, pulled the carpet from under the actors’ feet and lowered the curtain. The play was never finished for it was never seen again.
26th
December 1866
To
Haymarket: see clever troupe of performing children.
They were
called “The Living Miniatures”, were trained by Mr
Coe of the Haymarket Theatre
and appeared in a sketch called Littletop’s
Christmas Party, and in a
burlesque written by Reginald Moore, entitled Sylvius;
or The Peril! the
Pelf! and the Pearl!!!
The names
of these children appear to have been mostly noms de guerre.
31st
December 1866
See at Drury morning performance. Duke of York’s boys in attendance.
1st
January 1867
Fine frosty day.
15th
January 1867
Sad
accident on the ice at Regent’s Park; hear of thirty lives
lost.
*Some fifteen hundred people were on the ice formed on the ornamental water opposite Sussex Terrace, when it suddenly gave way, and all the people were precipitated in the water. It happened about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Nearly fifty lives were lost.
2nd
April 1867
Alfred
Mellon buried this day at Brompton Cemetery; nearly a thousand people
attend.
Was born at Birmingham in 1822, the youngest of fifteen children and was the only one who showed any inclination for music….married Miss Woolgar. Died 24th March 1867.
13th
April 1867
See the Oxford and Cambridge boat race. Oxford again the winner – seventh time in succession.
6th
May 1867
The Day newspaper died, after short seven weeks’ struggle.
7th
May 1867
Forage for
memoir of my old friend John Povey who died last Thursday age
sixty-nine; and
Madame Persiani, whose death is recorded.
*John Povey
was born at Birmingham in 1799; was the son of James Povey, known as
the
“Warwickshire Incledon”. Went
with his
sister, the well-known ballad singer to America where he remained for
twenty
years.
From his straightforward
conduct
was known as Honest John Povey.
Was
buried beside his sister who died in 1861.
Fanny
Persiani was the daughter of distinguished tenor Tacchinardi, and was
born at
Rome October 4th
1818. Married the composer Persiani. Came to London
1837, was an operatic star here for ten years. Retired from
professional life
in 1849.
22nd
July 1867
To
Spectroscope at St James’s Hall.
*This was an invention by M. Gompertz, and by it’s means extraordinary optical illusions were produced, such as the sudden appearance of ghosts etc.
10th
Aug 1867
Death
of
Ira Aldridge this day recorded.
*He died on
August 7th,
at Lodz in Poland; having been born in 1804. Was
the son of a chief in Senegal, and was
intended for the pulpit.
Was not
allowed to appear in New York for long on account of his colour, as his
appearance
produced disapprobation; but in 1833 he made his debut in London under
the name
of Keene, at the Victoria Theatre.
He made a splendid continental reputation and was well liked in the provinces. Was decorated by the Emperor of Russia. His last appearance in London was in August 1865 at the Haymarket.
6th
December 1867
Hear
of Her
Majesty’s Theatre being burned down. Write history for Daily
Telegraph.
*The fire
was discovered at five minutes to eleven; by one o’clock the
theatre was gutted
and the whole of the Arcade at the back was destroyed, nothing was
saved.
Mr Mapleson who had the
theatre, was not
insured for a single farthing.
E.T Smith
held the lease for five years from 1861 when it came into
Mapleton’s
hands.
La Scala excepted, it was the
largest theatre in Europe.
It changed
its name from the King’s to Her Majesty’s in 1837.
13th
December 1867
Terrible
account of Fenian explosion at House of Correction in evening paper.
*Deaths and injuries to fifty-seven people occurred through this wanton act, which it was imagined was perpetrated with a view to freeing Colonel Burke and Casey, members of the brotherhood, who were detained there. Timothy Desmond, Jeremiah Allen, and Ann Justice were first charged with being concerned. Dr Kenealy defended.
27th
December 1867
Hear of Lyceum Pantomime being all in a state of confusion with alarm of fire.
22nd January 1868
Charles
Kean died 8.30pm
*Charles
John Kean was born January 18th
1811 at Waterford in Ireland and was
the son of the celebrated Edmund Kean.
The only time he acted in
London with his father was on 25th
March 1833 at Covent Garden, when he played Iago to his
father’s Othello and to
the Desdemona of Ellen Tree.
Edmund
Kean was so ill that he had to be led off the stage by his son in the
third act
and never appeared again. He died May 15th
1833.
Charles
Kean married Ellen Tree, January 29th
1842 in Dublin and on the day
of their wedding they appeared together in The Honeymoon.
His mother
died March 30th
1849 at Horndean in Hampshire, where her son had
established her in comfort for some years.
In July
1863, the Keans sailed for Australia.
They took leave of the
Melbourne stage April 20th
1864 then
visited California, the United States and Canada and reappeared at the
Princess’s theatre May 1866.
On 29th
May 1866 a medical certificate was issued stating that he relinquish
his
profession for some considerable time.
It was heart disease from
which he was suffering, and he never
completely rallied.
He was a good son,
a good husband and a good father. His
acts of charity were numerous, but unostentatious; he raised the
character of
the stage, and did much for the welfare of those who at various times
were
members of his company, and was, in the best acceptation of the term, a
gentleman.
He was buried at Catherington, near Rowland’s Castle Station in Hampshire, in the same grave where reposed the remains of his mother. The esteem in which he and Mrs Kean were held by Her Majesty was proved by the Queen writing to the widow, a long letter of nearly five hundred words in her own hand, commencing, “My dear Mrs Kean”.
10th
February 1868
Murray tells
me the Oxford theatre was burned down today.
*The fire really occurred at an early hour on Tuesday morning and by it the hall was almost entirely destroyed. It was the property of Mr Charles Moreton and cost £23,000 in building and decoration. Would seat about 1,800 people; was insured for £16,000
16th
April 1868
Sorry to
hear of Mrs Almond’s (Emma Romer) death last Tuesday aged
fifty-four.
*Born in 1814. Made her first appearance on any stage as Donna Clara in The Duenna, Covent Garden October 16th 1830. Married Mr George Almond in 1836. Retired from the stage at the end of 1852. One sister married Mr Mark Lemon; another, Robert Brough, and a cousin of hers, William Brough.
25th
April 1868
At Arundel to sup, and meet Algernon Swinburne, the poet – short, nervous little fellow, with bright fun.
27th
May 1868
Derby
Day:
Bluegown winner – an event which brings no profit to me as
usual.
12th
June 1886
Rig up telescope and get a very fine view of Saturn’s ring.
18th
July 1886
Start at 11 from North Woolwich, in a barge kindly lent by Worth (of firm Worth and Dowson), with Wicks (of the Times), Stone, Braham, the Deanes, Courtney, Captain Stuart, Green, Rose, etc to Southend. Very hot day, but a success. Five of us stop at Terrace Hotel, Gravesend, see a great fire in West St and no sleep til after 2am.
December 17th
1868
Frederick Ledger tells me this day (Thursday) he has bought for £4,000 an estate at Balham: then the Era does pay, after all!!!
4th
February 1869
Detained in
town to write memoir of Robert Keeley for Era
and Daily Telegraph.
*Born in
1793 at 3, Grange Court, Carey St, Lincoln’s Inn Fields. He
was one of a family of 16.
Began life as a compositor in
Hansard’s
office.
In 1813 he joined the
Richmond
Theatre company.
Married Miss Goward in 1822, she having made her first appearance as Rosina at the Lyceum Theatre, July 2nd 1825. He left two daughters – Mary, married to Albert Smith and Louise to Montague Williams.
21st
May 1869
Dramatic Authors’ Society meeting: terrible discoveries about the clerk, Horne; found to have disappeared and defalcation serious.
5th
June 1869
Arthur Sketchley and Clement Scott drop in unexpectedly; I take them through Rosherville Gardens, and to tea at the Leather Bottle. Beautiful June weather, and I think a success.
9th
June 1869
Go with Stone, Deane, and Foster through Old London, back slums, back lanes, Cloth Fair, Charter House, which we go all over; seeing Thackeray’s bed on which he died, bequeathed to the head monitor.
19th June 1869
Opening of Charing Cross Theatre. The act-drop, representing the
Mall in St James's Park in Charles II's time was painted by J.E Meadows.
17th
August 1869
Great discussion at this time respecting the moral tendencies of Boucicault’s drama of Formosa.
11th
September 1869
Prince of
Wales opening season, the theatre brilliantly embellished.
*It was at this date that the theatre was known as The Prince of Wales’s, and for the first time, the orchestra played from beneath the stage.
29th
November 1869
Pouring
rain.
