A Clown's Log (Part One)

Preface

Joseph Blackburn, in company with Levi J. North, visited the British Isles in 1838. An account of this trip appeared in serialized issues of the New York Clipper. 1 The entries were submitted by Charles H. Day with the elaborate heading: “A Clown’s Log, Extracts from the Diary of the Late Joseph Blackburn, Chronicling Incidents of Travel with Circuses in the United States and England Forty Years Ago, with His Opinions of and Allusions to Professionals of the Period.” According to Day, the excerpts were taken from eleven “passbooks” written in pencil and in a hand that was difficult to decipher. They were given to North by Blackburn’s uncle, Thomas Atkinson of Lexington, KY.

I assume that Day was allowed access to the material by North. Day had interviewed him for an articled about his career which was later carried in the New York Clipper of March, 1880, only a month following Day’s series of “A Clown’s Log.” It may be that the log was obtained or copied at that meeting. In Day’s words:

Some years since, I wrote for the New York Clipper an extended account of [North’s] most brilliant career at home and abroad. It was with much difficulty and only after the most persistent persuasion that I succeeded in securing from his lips the necessary data. . . . Howard or Fontaine of the Herald afterward tried to get from the veteran’s lips the events of his professional career; and although his warm friend, William J. Florence, interceded, the ex-equestrian’s consent could not be obtained. 2
      In presenting “A Clown’s Log,” Day assured his readers that it followed “the identical language of the author, without embellishment or addition by the editor,” and that the omissions from the original text were items “not of general interest to the readers of an amusement journal.” It is unfortunate that Black- burn’s manuscript has not been located at this writing. The omitted passages might indeed be of interest to us and add to our understanding of this intriguing clown. I was informed by Fred D. Pfening III that some years ago Arthur H. Saxon attempted to find the diaries by seeking out the heirs of Charles Day; but, sadly, the effort was fruitless.

Charles H. Day (1842?-1907) was one of the leading press agents and bill writers of his era. Early in his career as agent, he was connected with negro minstrelsy, troupes headed by such luminaries as William Arlington, W. W. Newcomb, Sam Sharpley, and W. S. Cleveland. He joined actress Laura Keene’s dramatic company at the Chestnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, in 1869 and remained in her employ for a tour of the West. In 1871, while with Newcomb & Arlington’s Minstrels, Twenty-Eighth Street near Broadway, N.Y.C., he became New York theatrical correspondent for John Stetson’s Sporting Times and an occasional contributor to the Sunday New York Mercury. 3 That year he placed an advertisement in the New York Clipper: 4

Charles Day
To Managers of First-Class Circuses and Menageries
CHARLES H. DAY
New York Correspondent of the Sporting Times, Author of “Humors of Show Life,” published in the New York Mercury; also “Alice Drayton,” “Jersey Blues,” “Actress and Minstrel,” “Up Hill” and numerous other novelettes, can be secured as
WRITER

for the Tenting Season of ‘72 and ‘73 by any Responsible Management. Five years’ experience as an Advertiser. Two years Agent and Business Manager with Miss Laura Keene. Address care St. Charles Hotel, 648 Broadway, N.Y.

    From this effort, Day was taken on as director of publications by John H. Murray, with whose circus he remained for three years. Circus life seems to have fit his style; for, upon leaving the Murray show, he was employed as agent for L. B. Lent’s Circus (1876), Den W. Stone’s (1878), W. C. Coup’s Equescurriculum (1878), Adam Forepaugh’s (1879-81, 1887), Cooper, Jackson & Co. (1882), Barnum & London (1884), Sells Bros.‘ (1886), etc.

Day, the press agent, was considered by his colleagues to be “a man of energy and resource,” a gentleman of the old school and a congenial, convivial companion. He was noted for his originality of composition, his ability to put on paper that “which oft was thought but ne’er so well expressed.” His couriers were described as “surpassing in range of thought and vividness any published by circuses at that time.” One of his catch lines for John H. Murray, during the season of 1874, was “Refined gold needs no gilding.” In writing opposition bills, he straightforwardly described the shortcomings of rival shows in a frank and convincing manner. While with W. C. Coup, his tactic, relating to the VanAmburgh show that had ventured into Coup’s territory, consisted of thousands of flyers, decorated with large, red stripes through the center, which read: “VanAmburgh Show Dissected! Postmortem of a Galvanized Corpse!” With Forepaugh in 1875, he edited a sixteen-page newspaper handout, The Adam Forepaugh Illustrated Feature Journal, in which he included household hints, recipes, remedies for common ailments, and a children’s department. He is given credit for the idea of Forepaugh’s $10,000 Beauty Contest and the prearranged selection of Louise Montague as the winner, first brought out for the season of 1881, and used as a feature of the street pageant, “Lalla Rookh’s Departure from Delhi,” with Miss Montague paraded atop the famous elephant in all her splendor. 5

As a free lance writer, Day published more than one hundred pieces. Beginning in the 1870s and for the next thirty-five years, he was an occasional contributor to such circus and theatrical publications as the Clipper, Billboard, Sporting and Theatrical Journal, and New York Dramatic Mirror. A series of stories for the Home Magazine began in 1899 with “Tales of the Circus Man.” In 1900, “VanAmburgh, Elephant Performer and Lion Trainer” was serialized in Golden Hours and then turned into book form.

Following his retirement, at the age of fifty-nine, Day married the twenty-three year old Gertrude H. Garvey of New York City on November 29, 1901. He died in New Haven, CT, six years later, October 3, 1907, presumably unprovoked by the spousal age differential, the cause being erysipelas.

Joe Blackburn, the clown and author of these memoirs, was said to have been born in Baltimore by two different sources, T. Allston Brown and Charles Durang. However, the diary confirms his birthplace as England. Still, as Day mentions in his introduction to these extracts, “he was in sentiment and politics a Yankee and a Republican.” When it was once suggested by an English performer that Blackburn’s feet would benefit from a bath, the clown displayed them with pride as he replied, “That’s the land of liberty.”

Durang has suggested that Blackburn was trained for the Catholic priesthood, which may or may not be accurate; but he appears to have had the benefit of some formal schooling. Multi-talented, he was one of a few early circus people to keep a log of his activities, and his letters occasional from England were published in several of the American newspapers. He was the composer of at least one song, “Sich a Gettin’ Up Stairs,” which he probably used in the ring; but the piece was also performed on the New York stage by a variety of comedians around the time of our narrative. 6

It is likely that Blackburn, a clown who juggled on horseback, was a performer of some ability. Durang referred to him as “the most celebrated among racy and droll clowns, combining uncommon humor and visual activity,” an asset which led to his being dubbed the “American Grimaldi.” T. Allston Brown nominated him the clown of the American arena. “He was a man of most extraordinary ability,” Brown wrote. “He possessed a good education and figured as a poet of no ordinary pretensions.” 7 And because of his gentle good humor and affability, he was often referred to as “Gentleman Joe.” During his career, he was connected with various circus organizations from as early as 1825 until his final engagement in 1841.

It is apparent from his writing that, out of the ring, Blackburn was a man of varied interests. He was a frequent theatergoer and a willing judge of actors’ successes or failures. He was an habitual visitor of places where beverages were dispensed and where late night conversation was the featured attraction. His observations throughout his travels suggest an interest in things around him. He apparently loved sports and mingling with men of the sporting world. And, not least, politics and nationalism were elements of concern and often influenced his assessment of people and events.

The brackets within the memoirs contain Day’s insertions. Some alteration of punctuation has been done in editing. Blackburn’s and Day’s text is italicized to avoid confusion with the Slout annotations.

Blackburn’s diary is a unique contribution to the history of the early American circus; but it is more than that, more than a useful historical record. It is a brief revelation of Joe Blackburn as a living, breathing person, one who could be elated, disdainful, surprised, convivial, bemused, and all the other emotional and intellectual responses that are normal to one’s living moments as he encounters the changing elements around him. I was intrigued by this human sampling of early nineteenth century vitality. I wanted to join with Joe and Levi and accompany them on their adventurous trip to England. So I did join them in the only way I could. I followed their travels, got to know the people they met along the way, and envisioned the places they visited. And I enjoyed my literary vacation, every mile of it. Now, I invite you, the reader of this travelogue, to join Joe and Levi and me as we hit the road that takes us from New Orleans to England and back home again. Here’s to a pleasant journey! - William L. Slout

Prologue

Blackburn’s journey begins in New Orleans in 1838, where he and the great rider and tumbler, Levi J. North, were performing with the circus of Noell E. Waring. The city of New Orleans was composed of nearly 100,000 people. Its population encompassed an international spectrum - French, Spanish, Scandinavian, Dutch, English, and, because of the potato famine of the 1830s, Irish by the shiploads. Add to this, Americans from all parts of the continent and the homogeneity is complete. The city was like one huge vacuum cleaner, sucking in humanity from both sea and river. But it was a city of contradiction. On one hand, it was called a pest hole. A major port in a hot, semi-topical milieu, it was susceptible to the pestilence brought in through maritime activity from all parts of the world. Plagues of cholera, small pox, and yellow fever were dreaded catastrophes which recurred nearly every decade. Still, it was a “good time town.” Someone once wrote, “Thank God the French got here first. Can you imagine what New Orleans might have been had the Pilgrims gotten off at Pilottown instead of Ply- mouth?” 8 Art was abundant, and music filled the air, and sporting events electrified the multi-ethnic populous. Dog fights were traditional, and horse racing. In 1837, the Eclipse race course introduced the first all-thoroughbred competitions. Prize fighting had its audience. The city’s first official encounter occurred in 1836 between “Deaf” Burke and Sam O’Rourke, a popular contest of Englishman vs. Irishman. And then there was the traditional Mardi Gras. In our year of 1838, the festival was bigger and better than ever. La Creole reported that “the whole town doubled up with laughter.” 9 Dramatic performances were also capturing a sizable share of public interest. The new St. Charles, the most magnificent theatre in the South, under the management of James Caldwell, first opened its doors for the 1835-36 season. The rival American Theatre, under the guidance of Richard Russell, offered a varied and somewhat lower order of entertainment. Yes, New Orleans was a seamy, steamy, dreadful, boisterous, joyous city when Blackburn and North performed there in 1838.

Nor were circus performances new to the residents of New Orleans. As early as 1821, Victor Pepin brought his troupe there and performed in the converted St. Philip Street Theatre. More recently, it was Brown territory: first J. Purdy in 1833 and 1834, and then Oscar with Brown & Co. in 1836. But it appears that this was a new stand for Waring’s winter circus when the company made a jump there from Natchez and remained from December 23, 1837, through January 22, 1838. 10

Manager Noell E. Waring (d. 1854) was one of the earliest exhibitors of traveling menageries in the United States. He was associated with the firm of Raymond & Waring for several years and remained active in the circus business almost to the time of his death in this very city.

Levi J. North (1814-1885) was born in Newtown township, Long Island. In 1826, he apprenticed to Isaac Quick of Quick & Mead’s circus and toured the South. In the fall of 1828, the management built the Washington Circus on the old York Road, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, where they produced a variety of equestrian dramas. The company traveled to towns in Pennsylvania with the coming of spring; but, by summer’s end and time for the 1829 winter season to begin, the circus troupe returned to the comfort of Philadelphia. North’s apprenticeship was terminated at this point. 11 He then engaged with Welch & Handy for exhibitions in Cuba, the West Indies, and South America, at the sum of thirty dollars a month. On returning to the United States, he joined J. Purdy Brown’s company in 1832, and remained until Brown’s death four years later; after which, Oscar Brown took over the circus for a while and then combined it with Fogg & Stickney. Both Blackburn and North were connected with the company during the 1836 season. North was with it again in 1837. 12 The following winter, he joined a group of performers who were conducting a show on the commonwealth plan in Louisville, KY. But, when the clouds of unfriendly winter faded and kindly spring appeared, North packed his gear and traveled down river to New Orleans and connected with Waring’s troupe. 13 At this point, Blackburn and North met up again and decided to take a professional trip to England. 1414

The two were accompanied on their trans-Atlantic journey by friends Barkham Cony and Master William Blanchard. Cony, often called the “dog star,” was famous for his roles in canine melodramas, which featured his trained dogs, Hector and Bruin. An active and muscular man, he was quite handy as a boxer, yet charitable and good-hearted. He came into prominence in London at the Cobourg Theatre in 1828. This was followed with profitable engagements in the established houses of both England and America. He first introduced his wares to an American audience at the Bowery Theatre, N.Y.C., on May 8, 1836, in “The Forest of Bondy.” Durang called him “a very clever pantomimist of the minor theatre school.” 1515 While visiting the United States for the third time, he died in Chicago, January 1, 1858, at the age of 56.

Young Blanchard assisted Cony in the dramatic pieces, playing second to him. He was described by Ireland as an agile and dexterous performer. 16 In growing into manhood, he became large and stout, unsuitable for the line of roles he was called upon to perform. Yet he remained in the dog acting business until Cony’s death, after which he returned to England where he engaged in performing and producing pantomimes.

“Dog stars” were a popular phenomenon in the first part of the century. They traveled in pairs, one to enact the virtuous character, always accompanied by his faithful canine, and the other the unsavory or villainous role. “The seize,” as it was called, occurred at the climax of the melodrama when, at a given signal, the bowser sprang at the malefactor’s throat and held on until the deserving victim relented or expired. Around this time, an English “dog star,” one Jack Matthews, laid claim to being the only “Dog Hamlet.” The scurrilous half-hour version of Shakespeare’s masterpiece was performed at English booth shows and fairs. In it, the melancholy Dane was followed around the stage by a large black dog, who would “bay the moon” at the sight of the Ghost and throttle the King in the final scene. 17

Early in March, Blackburn and party left New Orleans by boat for a stopover in Mobile, possibly for a Cony and Blanchard commitment at the St. Emanuel Street Theatre, managed by Noah Ludlow. Travel from New Orleans to the port city of Mobile took them along the shoreline of the Gulf into Mobile Bay, a distance of nearly two hundred miles. The bay was formed by the convergence of the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers. Two major sand bars between the port of the city and the lower bay necessitated the cargo of ocean-going vessels to be unloaded onto flat-bottom boats and towed to the Mobile docks; and the same encumbrance inconvenienced passenger travel as well. In spite of this, Mobile was undergoing a decade of boom years. King Cotton had begun its reign. The removal of the Indians to a region west of the Mississippi opened up rich land where acreage was cleared and cotton was planted to become the great staple crop of the area. Along the rivers running to the Gulf there were hundreds of private landings where river boats could take on cargo and carry it to the port of Mobile. Agents from throughout the world opened offices from which to buy the harvest and ship it back to their home countries. Hundreds of boats became crowded along Mobile’s river front, piled high with cotton bales for transport overseas. This new prosperity swelled Mobile’s population during the 1830s from about 3,000 to nearly 35,000. In our year of 1838, it was a bustling, barge-toting, balelifting, enterprising little metropolis, where the theatre was about the only regular amusement Mobilians had. In reality, Mobile and New Orleans were the only cities in the Deep South to have a continuing winter season of theatrical entertain- ment. 18

J. Purdy Brown erected Mobile’s St. Emanuel Street Theatre in 1833 to house his theatrical and equestrian companies, and opened it in the spring of the following year. He engaged three stars as his initial attractions, only to find that after the accounts were settled there was nothing left for himself. “Poor fellow!” Noah Ludlow wrote, “that or a late crab supper killed him, and I rented his building the ensuing fall for dramatic purposes alone, and retained it for five years.” 19

When Blackburn and North arrived in Mobile, Yankee Hill was playing a starring engagement for Ludlow. He had appeared in New Orleans at the American Theatre six weeks earlier, performing his roles in “The Forest Rose“ and “The Yankee Pedlar.” George Handel Hill (d. 1849), a native New Englander, is looked upon as the foremost delineator of the “Yankee” character on the American stage. At this time, at a mere twenty-eight years of age, he was near the peak of his career. He had experienced a stunning success in England only the year before. Even so, Blackburn’s anticipated trip abroad interested Hill and he agreed to join the party for the Atlantic crossing. 20

So decided, Blackburn and North left Mobile for the East Coast. The first leg of their trip took them up the twisting and turning Alabama River to Montgomery. From there they rode the stage over the Fall Line hills and across the full width of Georgia to Augusta, situated adjacent to the South Carolina border.

Stage travel in America was not pleasant. The roads were rough and rutted in the best of weather. Heavy rain and flood water made them nearly unusable at certain times of the year. The coaches, built for durability under such conditions, jarred and jolted the riders about in a manner unimaginable to our generation. The lengthy journey from Montgomery to Augusta must have been unpleasant indeed.

Once they arrived in Augusta, Blackburn and North presumably continued by train on the South Carolina Railroad, which had been completed in 1833. Starting from Hamburg, just opposite Augusta on the Savannah River, the tracks moved southeastward into the coastal plain and on to the port city of Charleston. At a distance of 136 miles, it was the longest passenger steam railroad in the world at that period of development.

One can only estimate how many days had passed from the time Blackburn and North left New Orleans. The circus ended its stand there on January 22. Yankee Hill finished his engagement on February 12 and must have gone directly to Mobile. Blackburn and North’s whereabouts between those dates are unaccounted; but, as the diary begins, after a period of some seven weeks since leaving the circus, Blackburn and North arrived at Charleston in March of 1838.

XXXX IMAGE Levi J. North

Blackburn in America

Charleston, the chief city of South Carolina, was originally located on a narrow peninsula where, it was once said, the Ashley and Cooper Rivers “unite to form the Atlantic Ocean.” As part of what was called the Low Country, the city was situated on a site so low that its sewers were below sea level, which prompted one observer to remark that the odors that filled the summer air were a mixture of “heavy salt, pluff mud, oleanders, and drains.” 21 The population was composed of English, French, Scotch, German, and Irish. Picturesque narrow streets were lined with stately homes of 18th century architecture, tall, slate-roofed, and built flush to the street. At the time of our travelers, the city boasted of the world’s first department store, an extraordinarily large building erected on the corner of King and Market Streets. The Planters Hotel, famous for its food and Planters Punch, was the social center of a city, where industries of rice, cotton, and shipping had created a healthy level of prosperity.

Monday, 19. [After speaking of the Tower of Babel scene at the depot, and the wranglings of the baggage men, omnibus drivers and hotel runners, it says:] Drove for Shelton’s. Brushed and took a drink, which they did not charge for. That made me have a good opinion of the house from the start. After supper, visited the new theatre, under the management of Abbott---one of the most beautiful theatres I was ever in.

The new theatre in Charleston had just opened on December 15, 1837; at which time, the management was applauded by the Spirit of the Times for promoting respectability and quiet within the establishment through abolishing the sale of “ardent spirits.” Obviously, this move was made at considerable sacrifice, for such sales amounted to several thousand dollars a season. The managers were William Abbott and W. H. Latham, who were also lessees of the Washington, Buffalo and Montreal theatres.

Abbott (1760-1843) was born in Chelsea, England. At age seventeen he made his debut at the Bath theatre as Alonzo in “Pizarro,” which led to his being engaged at that place for four years. There followed London appearances at the Haymarket and Covent Garden, and then on to America. As to his acting, Durang wrote that “in parts denominated walking gentlemen, he displayed that acute sense of propriety of emphasis that at times renders the lackadaisical dialogue of modern comedy truly impressive.” 22 Although cumbersome in form, the assessment is made by a man who was for many years a shrewd observer of theatrical endeavor. Abbott was felled senseless by a stroke on May 31, 1843, while performing on the Park stage in Shield’s “The Apostate,” and lingered in a weakened state for a week before he passed on. It is pleasing to report that he was remembered by his friends as a person of cheerful disposition, of polished manners, and a conversationalist of wit and humor. 2323

Latham first appeared on the American stage at the New York’s Park Theatre in September of 1835. Ireland described him as “an excellent comic actor, and a buffo singer of great merit.” 24 He died a year after Abbott.

Booth played Sir Giles Overreach, Flynn---. Booth had just recovered from one of his crazy fits, in which he had broken an iron fire dog over Flynn’s head. A hard head that Flynn has got.

The character of Overreach, from Philip Massinger’s comedy “New Way to Pay Old Debts,” was a standard in Booth’s repertory. His co-star, Thomas Flynn (1798-1849), was another of the many English importations during the early part of the century, and whom Noah Ludlow observed as “a man that effected more extraordinary things in acting and management than any one I ever heard of, with so limited amount of money and talents.” 25

Junius Brutus Booth (1796-1852) and Thomas Flynn were good friends. Nevertheless, while sharing a room with Booth at the Planter’s Hotel in Charleston, Flynn was awakened one night, some time after 1:00 a.m., by a blow to his head. He sprang up to discover Booth standing above him with a raised andiron, ready to swing again. Flynn’s attempt to avoid a second blow was unsuccessful; the cast-iron fire dog was broken as it landed on his forehead, just above the eye. Flynn’s calls brought assistance and Booth was restrained until his temporary derangement went away. 26 But Flynn must have got in a few licks as well. George Stone recalls that Booth’s nose was broken in the fray, which caused a marked nasal sound in his speech ever after. It was generally known, as Stone described it, that liquor would “frequently produce upon him a state of frenzy that was sometimes terrible, and when these fits were on, he would as soon attack friend as foe.” Stone’s version of this confrontation is somewhat different. He has Booth returning from the theatre - perhaps after having stopped for refreshment along the way - still dressed in the stage costume of Iago. As he menacingly approached Flynn, he recited: “Nothing can or shall content my soul ‘till I am even with him, wife for wife; or failing so, yet that I have put the Moor at least into a jealousy so strong, that judgment cannot cure.”

It was at this point that Flynn, in self-defense, hit Booth on the nose, breaking it, with a “fire poker or tongs.” Poor Flynn idolized Booth. Ever after, whenever the subject of the incident was brought up in Flynn’s presence, he would burst into tears. 27

[In another place, he speaks of Booth’s “Richard III“ disparagingly: “Left after the third act,” but adds that Booth played “Othello“ beautifully.]

Nov. 22. 28 [He writes:] Attended the theatre. Saw Booth’s “Lear“---the best acting I ever saw. [During his stay in Charleston, he mentions meeting Booth on the street, and says:] Booth looks debilitated. [Of Washington, what he saw there, and whom he met, he writes:] At the circus saw Charley Barton, Henry Madigan, John Robinson, Frank Willmot and Alex Rockwell.

We don’t know when Blackburn and North arrived in Washington; however, Stuart Thayer has placed the circus there during the time of March 26-28. 29 The men must have taken a boat from Charleston, north past Cape Hatteras and Norfolk, into Chesapeake Bay and up the Potomac River.

In Washington, North and Blackburn connected with Charles H. Bacon’s Circus. Bacon was an eight year old apprentice rider during the initial season at the Lafayette Amphitheatre, N.Y.C., in 1825. Subsequently, he was connected with Price & Simpson, Aaron Turner, William Blanchard, Fogg & Stickney, William Harrington, James W. Bancker, Nathan A. Howes, and finally, in 1837, he became the proprietor of his own company. I cannot identify Charley Barton, but through his association with the others one might assume he was a circus man. There was a general performer named Barton in H. P. Madigan’s company of 1856. Or could the name in Blackburn’s original text have been Charles Bacon, the circus proprietor? Alex Rockwell, equestrian and clown of note, is probably the Master Alexander whom Thayer has listed with the troupe at the time. 3030 Frank Wilmot was a scenic and two-horse rider. Henry Madigan and John Robinson were equestrians who later became prominent circus proprietors.

Henry P. Madigan (1815-1862) was a native of Albany, NY, who became the patriarch of a talented Madigan circus family, consisting of Henry P., his wife Marie, and their children Emma, Ella, Rose, Eggie, James, and Charles. During a career which began as early as 1826 with the Albany Circus, he was considered a daring rider. He went into management for the first time in 1850 as Stone & Madigan’s Great Southwestern Circus. In his unpublished “manuscript,” agent John Dingess said of him: “Whether as ringmaster, equestrian, gymnast, vaulter, pantomimist or brilliant invention, Henry P. Madigan had no superior.... His accomplishment made up an entire encyclopedia of the sports of the circle. . . . His disposition was one of the most amiable character and his habits excellent.”

John F. Robinson (1807?-1888), often called “Old John” to distinguish him from his son, became founder and long-time owner of John Robinson’ Circus and one of the great individuals in circus history. He was a physical giant of a man, with incredible strength in his prime. It was said he had been known to kill an unruly horse with one blow of his fist. Although a person of charitable inclinations, he was profane and quick tempered, described as being impulsive, strongheaded, blunt, laconic, and outspoken. He died leaving an estate valued at over $1,000,000.

Tuesday, 27. After breakfast, saw Bacon and made an engagement for Levi North and myself for four weeks, commencing tomorrow night with “The Seven Living Pictures.” Took a walk to the capital, Jim Wills, Alex Rockwell and myself. Had a pleasant time of it. Visited the House of Representatives, the Senate, and, last but not least, the refectory, where we took a glass of wine each. They did not sell anything stronger. I suppose by that that the heads of the nation must be quite temperate.

Blackburn must have known James Wills for some time. In 1835, for Rad- cliffe’s benefit at the American Theatre, New Orleans, he performed Richmond to Wills’ Richard in a scene from “Richard III.” Shortly after Wills’ Washington residency, on July 18, the actor appeared at the Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia. The following year in Natchez he cut his throat and died.

Went to the theatre [managed by Ward, of whom Blackburn writes: “is a perfect gentleman.”] Mossop’s benefit; played “The Battle of Algiers;” the last scene, panoramic view of the port, very beautiful and effective.

The National Theatre, Washington, DC, was just opened under Thomas Ward’s management on January 1, 1838. Ward was an Englishman, born in Liverpool in 1799. He had been stage manager at the Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, prior to his Washington proprietorship. “Let me assure you that it requires no common patience and perseverance to manage a theatre,” wrote the Spirit of the Times correspondent regarding the opening of the season, “for the drama has two powerful rivals in politics and parties, and the actor who sees the house two-thirds filled may consider himself to have achieved a triumph.” This item was prophetic. A short time later, the paper praised Ward for supporting the drama in Washington, but added, “Each week a new star rises by his perseverance, yet it is seldom that the theatre is crowded.” 31 The Washington season closed on March 31, an indication of the languishing state of the drama in the na- tion’s capital.

George Mossop (1814-1849), a Dublin born actor, was described by Ireland as “a light, trim-built young fellow, and ambitious of a distinction in music and Irish comedy which he never reached.” 32 He was married to Mrs. Harry Knight for a while and later to Mrs. Henry Hunt (Mrs. John Drew). Mossop died in Albany, N.Y.

Wednesday, 28. Played ringmaster to Levi’s riding. He got along pretty well, having a strange horse. Vaulting bad---only about twenty. [While playing in Washington, he made a flying trip to Baltimore, and complains because “the Harrisburg bills, taken at the other end of the line, were refused at the Baltimore depot,” and speaks of the cars being drawn by horses a mile from the depot. 33

In writing of a week’s performance at Fredericksburg, Virginia, the receipts are spoken of as “good” - from $150 to $100 a day - and the company leaving well pleased with the town, and the town well pleased with the company.]

Sunday, (April) 8. Drove twenty-two miles to Bowling Green in a heavy rain. One mile out of town a large wagon we had hired to take part of baggage upset over a bank---a beautiful mess of little boys, trunks, Dutch musicians and other et ceteras piled up together. Nobody hurt. Got wagon up and started. Rain began getting rather damp. Had to bear for eleven mile tavern ahead. Stopped, got liquor, bread and meat, and a good fire. Paid dollar for refreshments for six.

[The next day:] The sun has shown its face once more. Played at two o’clock in the after-noon and again at night. Took in about $150. People well pleased, and a majority well drunk. Only interruption during the night was a squid let off by John Robinson for a lark. 34

[On the same page, without naming the town, he speaks of Levi doing forty-one somersaults.]

Bacon’s circus was working its way from Washington to Richmond. The company was in Alexandria, March 29-31, a few miles down the Potomac. The jump to Fredericksburg for April 2-7 was about fifty miles. The stand in Bowling Green on April 9 was a twenty-five mile move. Thayer found no evidence of a booking between Bowling Green and Richmond. 35 The Richmond dates were April 13-21

Richmond is located nearly 100 miles southwest of Washington at the head of navigation on the James River, bordered by rolling hills to the north and south. A port of entry for Virginia, it was even then the capital, its edifice being constructed between 1785 and 1792. The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad carried its first passengers in 1836. It was a community of iron works, cotton mills, and tobacco warehouses; yet, with a population of under 10,000, a resort of the gay and fashionable.

[Arrived in Richmond, he begins Log No. 2.] Went to the theatre. Mrs. Harry Knight’s benefit, a shocking bad house---about $20. The acting as bad as the house.

13th. Played at night. Full house. Levi did thirty-eight somersaults, and Friday rode only tolerably. Horses too bad.

The tragic Richmond theatre fire of December 26, 1811, which resulted in a great loss of life, left the city with no will to rebuild for several years. In 1818 a list of subscribers, which included Chief Justice John Marshall, funded the erection of a structure on Seventh and Broad Streets. It was some time later, however, before the theatre came into full use. In 1835 the Southern Literary Messenger noted that the place was “only occasionally patronized when the appearance of some attractive star or celebrated performer is advertised.” 36

Mrs. Knight was the daughter of John Kent, a long-time member of the Park Theatre company. Durang thought her to be an excellent general actress in comedy, tragedy and operatic pieces. She supported a fine figure, an expressive face, and always dressed with care and good taste. She married Henry Knight, the son of English actor Edward Knight of the Drury Lane Theatre, London. Unlike his father, Harry’s acting was confined to servant and rustic roles. He met with an accident while en route from Philadelphia to Baltimore in 1839. His train had stopped at some point and Knight had got off for refreshments; but before he could re-board, the train began to move. In his effort to get back onto it, he slipped and fell. One leg was run over by a car wheel. The leg was amputated in an attempt to save his life, but to no avail; he died in agony. The Knights were separated in 1837, but following the fatal accident, Mrs. Knight was at her ex- husband’s side, administering to him through his final hours. She eventually married a Mr. DaCosta, a non-professional, and retired to Philadelphia. 37

Monday, 15. 3838 New arrivals to the company— Levi’s old and particular friend, Ned Derious.

Saturday, 20. Theatre, with Booth as Sir Edward Mortimer and Mossop as Dr. O’Toole, to only about $50.37. The circus, on the contrary, played to a good house. 39

Shortly after his arrival, Edwin Derious purchased a half interest in the circus, which became Bacon & Derious on April 22. 4040 Derious (1808-1888) was born in Philadelphia. Throughout his career he was considered a proficiet vaulter, rider and tight rope performer. Prior to his appearance here, he had been connected with J. Purdy and Benjamin Brown and Joseph D. Palmer’s circuses. He continued as a performer and manager with a variety of companies into the 1880s.

[The engagement of North and Blackburn having ended, he signifies it with:] Packed up one shirt in two sheets of paper, and am ready to start for Baltimore. [Evidently the clown indulged in humor out of the ring as well as in it. Under the same date, he continues:] Went to bed at twelve. Talked to Ned Derious until two o’clock about man-agement, he having bought half of Bacon’s circus this day at $2,500.

[Blackburn left Richmond on board the Thomas Jefferson, and refers to the “celebrated horses, Atlanta and Boston, on board, returning from the Petersburg races.”]

Even at this early time, wealthy planters were breeding racing stock and forming Jockey Clubs, and holding spring and fall races in Richmond and Petersburg. They “came to town in their coaches and four, in their phaetons, chariots and gigs,” accompanied by their wives and daughters beribboned in the newest of spring and fall fashions. Race week was a veritable carnival - streets crowded with equipage, and shops, boarding houses, and taverns beset with frenetic activity. The social high point was the Race Ball, where the belle and beau met in all their finery to cavort through many a minuet and reel.

Richmond and Petersburg are closely situated, adjacent to the James River which spills into the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is located at the navigation head of the Patapsco River, twelve miles from the bay’s northwest shore and about 170 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Altogether, the trip from Richmond to Baltimore is nearly 300 miles by water. A land journey is less than half the distance. Assuming Blackburn’s contract ended with the Richmond stand on April 21 and his arrival at Baltimore was no later than April 24, the first date listed in his diary, he made exceedingly good time.

Baltimore was one of the larger cities in the United States, with a citizenry of about 100,000. The city’s accessibility to western produce made it competitive as a commercial port with New York and New Orleans. During this period, it was undergoing geographic expansion and population growth. Over 55,000 immigrants, mostly German and Irish, poured into the city during the 1830s. At the same time, Baltimore was experiencing an interval of deflation, which began in 1837 and would continue until 1843, making political controversies between Jacksonians and Whigs a lively contest.

[Arrived at Baltimore, at night he visited the theatre, plays being “Mons. Tonson“ and “Kentuckian,” Hackett as Nimrod Wildfire and Mons. Marbleau. Very good acting on his part, but bad house.] 41

Tuesday, 24. Took to the theatre. Plays, “Fazio” and “Jonathan in England;” Mrs. Sharpe as Bianca, excellent; Mr. Lewellan as Fazio, damned bad. Hackett in the last piece as Solomon Swap, almost as bad as Fazio---not nearly as good as Yankee Hill’s.

“Fazio“ was a tragedy by H. M. Milman, performed by Mrs. Sharpe for her opening night in Baltimore. She was the sister to James H. Hackett’s wife. After migrating from England in 1824, she made her New York debut in November of that year at the Park Theatre, where she soon became a favorite. Ireland described her as “a tall, fine-looking woman, with dark eyes and hair, possessed of a good figure,” and “altogether pleasing in her stage bearing.” 42

Lewellan, an Englishman and an actor of little note, made his American debut at the Chestnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia. Blackburn’s observation of his performance is most likely accurate.

“Jonathan in England“ was a comedy altered by Hackett from George Colman’s “Who Wants a Guinea?“ Hackett, of course, was an established star. He was a rival of Hill’s in the portrayal of “Yankee” roles and nine years Hill’s senior. The comedy character of Solomon Swap was in Hill’s repertory as well. Blackburn may have been influenced by his friendship with Hill in condemning Hackett’s performance, even though Hill was the superior “Yankee” actor.

Monday, 25. 4343 Election for Representative to Congress; Jim Wills’ vote challenged by a Greek. Born in the ward and living twenty-three years in it, he thought it best to get naturalized, and possibly he might vote then without being insulted. His vote was finally taken.

[Next day North arrived from Richmond, and he showed him about the town. Again quoting the diary:] Went to the theatre. Took the whole family. Hackett’s benefit, good house. Plays, “Mons. Mallet” and “Perfection,” 44 in which Mrs. Sharpe appeared. And “Henry IV;” Hackett as Sir John only tolerable.

[The next day he sailed for Philadelphia, and on arriving took up quarters at the United States Hotel.]

In all probability, Blackburn’s boat trip from Baltimore to Philadelphia followed a route from Chesapeake Bay through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and up the Delaware River. Situated on the confluence of the Delaware and the Schuylkill, fifty miles inland from the head of Delaware Bay and 100 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, the city maintained the features drafted by its founder, William Penn - proportionately regular, conforming to the checkerboard or gridiron pattern, with Market and Broad streets as the main thoroughfares. Frontage on the Delaware River accommodated foreign and domestic water-borne freight. At this time Philadelphia had lost its position as the largest municipal center in the nation to New York; yet from the outset the city was noted as a leading cultural center, possessing various societies of art and science, sustained by a population of approximately 70,000 or more. The Chestnut Street and Walnut Street Theatres were the main sources of dramatic activity, comparable to the best of New York playhouses; and the city had a tradition of circus performances dating back to Richetts’ Amphitheatre in 1793.

Met with Mr. Needham of Cooke’s company, a good fellow; also Mr. Woolford, Mr. Cole, and Gossin. Took a glass or two together. Walked down to Walnut Street Theatre. Introduced to old Cooke. Looked at his new stud of horses; rather shy. 4545 Met with Jim Burt, who had just returned from the West Indies. Went to supper, then visited the theatre; plays, “Napoleon“ and “Two Gregories,” Mr. Foster playing the Emperor very well, and Bill Gates playing Gregory in the last piece funnily enough. After play, went behind. Introduced to Foster and Williams, the clown. Saw them rehearse part of “The Cataract of the Ganges,” and left at twelve in company with John Gossin.

This is the first American reference I find of Henry Needham. There is a Needham listed in Andrew Ducrow’s company at Astley’s Amphitheatre in 1835. If this is the same man, it is likely that he, too, came over with Cooke. He worked with various organizations in the United States until at least through 1847, when he was ringmaster for Spalding’s North American Circus.

George Woolford, Thomas Taplin Cooke’s son-in-law, was primarily a horse drama performer who came with the troupe from England. He had made his London arenic debut in the summer of 1825 with Andrew Ducrow’s company. In 1836, he moved into Cooke’s stable, just prior to leaving for America. His daughter, Louisa, was destined to be the second wife of Andrew Ducrow.

William H. Cole, posturer, clown, and contortionist, was another son-in- law, his wife being the former Mary Ann Cooke. The couple remained in the United States when the Cooke troupe returned to England. Their son, born in 1847, became the famous American circus proprietor, William Washington Cole.

John Gossin was a Pittsburgh born clown, first listed by Thayer with Sickles & Co. in 1832. 46 He was popular in the 1830s and 1840s, until he became dissipated and broken in spirit and died of yellow fever in Natchez.

James Burt was an acrobat and clown. Thayer has listed him as a member of the just-formed Bacon & Derious circus. Either his engagement was a brief one or the circus was off the road for a few weeks. Thayer has given no routing from April 22 until June. 47

The play that Blackburn attended was “Napoleon Bonaparte,” by J. H. Amherst. Performances were offered from April 23 through the 27. “The Two Gregories, or Luck in a Name, or Where Did the Money Come From?” was a popular musical farce by T. J. Dibdin. It was presented at the Walnut Street Theatre on April 26 and 27. 48

Joseph C. Foster, an English clown, came with Cooke’s troupe. He was with Ludlow & Smith’s equestrian company at the American Theatre, New Orleans, 1840-41. The following year, he went into circus partnership with John Robinson for two seasons.

William F. Gates (d. 1843), an American, was a low comedian, one of the most popular ever to play the Bowery Theatre, N.Y.C. Ludlow seemed to recall that he began in the circus business. Indeed, Thayer listed a single item of a W. Gates & Co., a presumed successor to Frost & Co. in 1838. 49 Ludlow remembers Gates as “a quiet, unpretending man, of sound mind and manly nature, genial and well disposed to all mankind.” 50

The clown Robert “Bobby” Williams (1805?-1870), another member of the 1836 Cooke entourage, remained in the United States and connected with various circuses - among them Howes & Mabie, Rockwell & Stone, June & Titus, Spalding & Rogers, etc. He performed again with Cooke’s circus on its return to America in 1860 at Niblo’s Garden, N.Y.C. This was followed by engagements with Sands’, Madigan’s, Wheeler’s and other organizations through the 1860s.

“Cataract of the Ganges; or, The Rajah’s Daughter,” a melodrama by William Thomas Moncrieff, was one of the most popular pieces used in horse dramas, first performed at Drury Lane under Robert Elliston’s management on October 27, 1823. The pseudo-historical plot, based on the recent abolition of female infanticide amongst the tribe of the Jarejahs in India, involved the concealment of the sex of his daughter by the Rajah of Guzerat. While he was away at war, a powerful rival, the Grand Brahmin of Mokarra, arranged the marriage of this bogus “Prince” to the daughter of the Emperor of Delhi. This leads to the melodramatic sequences of an equestrian bridal procession, the revelation of Zamine’s true sex, and her being carried off by Mokarra with intentions of sacrificing her at the temple of Juggernaut, etc. etc. 51

Blackburn’s “old Cooke” was Thomas Taplin Cooke (1782-1866), the son of Thomas Cooke, the English circus pioneer. He brought his circus to America in 1836, which included forty members of his family - seven sons, five daughters, and a parcel of grand-children. James and George Cooke were the principal equestrians; William Cooke, the gymnast and leaper; Alfred Cooke, the slackrope performer; Henry Cooke, the acrobat and tightrope walker; Thomas Cooke, Jr., the ringmaster. The troupe also included Woolford and Cole, Mary Anne Cole, the clowns John Wells and Robert Williams, and a Polish Brothers act. There was a stud of thirty or forty of the finest horses ever imported to this date - some full-blooded Arabians and a number of small Burmese ponies.

It was inevitable that the Cooke company would be compared to that of James West’s, who brought his circus from England in 1816. Durang thought that the Cooke performances lacked the “grand effects” of West’s repertory of “Timour the Tartar,” “Cataract of the Ganges,” etc. 52

Cooke’s performances were better suited for juvenile amusements. He introduced dramatic scenes on horse-back. The old English nursery tales were represented by children and their guardians, and there were many other little conceits of that kind. These entertainments were of a novel character, and pleased the respectable order of our society, who made the arena for a season quite a fashionable resort.

Cooke’s equestrian company, which Ireland assessed as “the most complete and extensive affair of the kind yet seen in America,” arrived in New York City on November 20, 1836, on the chartered ship Roger Stewart. 53 Four days later, they opened an engagement at Vauxhall Garden, Broadway and Grand Street, where they performed until mid-February. They then moved to the Bowery Theatre for manager William Dinneford.

After the old Bowery burned in 1836, Thomas Hamblin had leased the ground on which it stood to Dinneford, who replaced and refitted the building, and opened it to the public for the first time, January 2, 1837. It was there where Cooke’s company performed for some twenty nights, before closing on March 15 and making an initial appearance at the National Theatre (formerly the Italian Opera House) on March 25. Following their New York appearances, the company went to Boston, and then moved back to the Bowery for another twenty nights before their Philadelphia stand. In Philadelphia, Cooke erected an amphitheatre on Chestnut Street, east of Ninth, a building of stone and brick that seated 2,000, Cooke’s Extensive Equestrian Establishment and New Arena. It was completed and opened to the public on August 28, 1837. The season continued until December 20; after which, the company moved to the Front Street Theatre, Baltimore, and opened on December 28. The engagement went well for about six weeks until the early hours of February 3, when the building was demolished by fire. Everything was lost, including the fine stud of horses which Cooke had brought with him from England. Having no insurance, he was ruined.

The entertainment world was shocked by the disaster. Thomas Hamblin, who had undergone a similar conflagration, gave Cooke his spotted horse, Mazeppa. The proprietors of Fogg & Stickney’s circus in Cincinnati gave him a free benefit; as did Charles H. Bacon, whose troupe was also performing in Baltimore at the time.

Somewhat recovered, Cooke returned to the amphitheatre in Philadelphia on March 12 with a stud of American horses and an added dramatic corps, but remained there only until the 26th. For whatever reason, the company moved to the Walnut Street Theatre and opened on April 2, 1838. The run came to an end on May 5. After an unfortunate year and a half since he sailed from Greenock, Scotland, on September 8, 1836, Thomas Taplin Cooke returned to his native England.

I met with quite an adventure coming out of the back door. Found two women standing there, very mysteriously waiting for two of the grooms. Was quite astonished to find that one of them was the wife of a particular friend of mine, an equestrian in the South. She vanished very quickly on finding that I was in the party. This verified the old adage of “when the cat’s away the mice will play.” O woman! woman! you are damned queer furniture. Called at a tavern and had a snorter and a long talk. Gossin made up his mind that he would accompany us to England, and join us for that purpose to-morrow. 54

[The ensuing day he departed for New York, and at “Brad Jones’” in the Bowery, he met Cony and Blanchard, whom he designated as “the committee;” also Jack Whittaker and Levi. They “drank champagne, in the evening visited the Franklin Theatre, where Cony and Blanchard were playing.” Sunday, Buckley & Rockwell’s Circus had arrived in town, and he mentions as members of the company Alex Downie, Howard Sanford and John Nathans.]

Blackburn probably means John Whittaker (d. 1847), the rider, who made his debut with Price & Simpson in 1824. I believe this is the same man who was with Winfield Scott’s army in Mexico in the battle of Vera Cruz, March 29, 1847. While recovering from a wound, he died of yellow fever contracted in the camp. His last words were reported to have been, “Boys, I’ve rode my last act. It was my best engagement and my last. Give always your horse a loose rein, but never desert your flag.” It sounds like a curtain line from a bad melodrama.

Downie and Nathans are well recognized circus performers. Alexander Downie (1806-1843) was an experienced rider, clown, and trampoline performer at this time. With Aaron Turner’s circus in 1820 he executed the feat of somersaulting from a horse going at full speed. A very popular entertainer, he once threw eighty somersaults without stopping. John J. Nathans (1814-1891) was one of the first to carry a child above his head as a four-horse rider. He continued to perform or be connected with circuses in one capacity or another almost until his death.

I only find Howard Sandford as a single entry by Thayer. He was a singer of comic songs with the Yeaman Circus, 1833. Thayer indicates that Matthew Buckley and Henry Rockwell were equestrians with Cooke’s 1837-38 winter season. After which, with menagerie proprietor H. Hopkins, they formed Buckley, Rockwell, Hopkins & Co. Poughkeepsie was their opening date, May 1-2. 55

[On Monday, April 30, he engaged passage for himself and North for England on board the ship Hibernia, Captain Cobb.] A fine ship and a good fellow. Took a stroll. Saw Buckley & R.’s company off for Poughkeepsie. Visited Museum; saw the Irish Giant O’Clancy, White-haired Lady, also Mr. Davison, glass-blower, all of whom Mr. Page brought out from Liverpool. 56

Tuesday, May 1. Great day in New York for moving; everybody out of doors, bed and baggage. Afraid of being run over by carts hurrying to and fro.

[On Thursday, May 3, the ship sailed, and he then writes:] Got aboard about ten a.m., in the stream about eleven, and under way for old England at twelve. Here we are, very comfortable: Mr. and Mrs. Cony, Bill Blanchard, Levi North, Mr. Price---a gentleman and writer with whom I became acquainted in Cincinnati, Mr. Stevens, Ferguson and myself.

[Out at sea the next day is the significant entry:] No one at dinner but the Captain and myself.

Sunday, May 6. Mr. Price read prayers to the steerage passengers. Shaved Cony; only cut him in two places. Shaved myself with same success.

Friday, May 11. Made a visit to the steerage passengers. Cooking process rather slow, but they made it up in eating fast.

Sunday, May 13. Ten a.m. All hands called to prayers, the steerage passengers attending, with the exception of the Catholic portion, who had objected to the form of service. Mr. Price played the parson, and Mr. Stevens the clerk, to admiration. The cabin passengers, becoming quite moral, gave a full attendance on this occasion. One black sheep in the flock, a sacrilegious dog, stole raisins out of the pantry during prayers. * * * * New recipe for mending black stage stockings by Mr. Price - mending them with court plaster. 57

Thursday, May 17. A row in the steerage last night between an English widow and an Irish ditto. One kicked the other out of bed. They referred the case to the captain this morning, and he decided that if they did not agree he would be obliged to put a man in bed with each of them.

* * * * A quarrel between Doctor, the black cook, and Thomas, the second steward, the cook getting the best of it. “Niggers are getting ripe, by darn,” vide Major Jack Downing.

Downing was a character from Jonas B. Phillips’ extravaganza, “Life in New York.” It was first mounted at the Bowery Theatre in 1834 with Gates portraying the Major. Its popularity necessitated the adding of scenes, including an appearance by T. D. Rice, the famous delineator of Negro songs and burlesques, as “Jim Crow.”

* * * * Ten p.m. Third mate Mr. Cony came below. Blanchard inquired if he had clewed up the mizzen-mast.

Tuesday, May 22. One of the Irish steering passengers saw a crow, a black crow, as he said. * * * * Cony and black David cleaning out the dog kennels. Good chance for fleas to exercise themselves. * * * * In removing a bale of cotton, the sailors found a rat’s nest with eleven young ones, whose bodies were committed to the mighty deep. They must have thought this treatment rather salty from perfect strangers. After dinner myself and Bill Blanchard hove the log with Cony’s water bucket, one pound of lead, fish hook, and part of a line. So much for dabbling in nautical affairs.

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Notes

Prologue

1 New York Clipper, February 14, 21, 28, 1880.
2 North died in Brooklyn, N.Y., July 6, 1885, age 71.
3 Circus buffs will recognize John Stetson as the second husband of the beautiful Katherine Stokes, equestrienne daughter of Spencer Q. Stokes.
4 Day, “Taking One’s Own Medicine”; 6.
5 Butler, “Circus Bill Writing”; 10.
6 E. Harper sang the number at the Richmond Hill Theatre, N.Y.C., August 31, 1836; T. D. Rice at the Bowery Theatre, N.Y.C., September 11, 1837; and J. Sanford (or Sandford) at the Franklin Theatre, N.Y.C., on October 30, 1838. [Odell, Annals of the New York Stage, IV; 169, 232, 306.]
7 Durang, “The Philadelphia Stage from the Year 1794 to the Year 1855,” Vol. III, Chap. 44; 259.
8 Carter, The Past as Prelude; 233.
9 Ibid., 347.
10 Thayer, Annals, II; 230.
11 Day, “The Eventful Career”; 393.
12 Thayer, II, op. cit.; 210.
13 Day, “The Event Career,” op. cit.; 393.
14 In a communication with Day, North stated that his salary with Brown in 1835 was fourteen dollars a week. Weeks & Waring, on their way to New Orleans, offered him a bonus of $500 and a salary of twenty-five dollars a week to join them. North declined, opting to honor his contract with Brown. For this gesture of loyalty, J. Purdy raised his weekly compensation to equal the twenty-five dollar offer of Weeks & Waring. [Day, “The Eventful Career,” op. cit., p. 393.] The circumstances here are questionable. I have found no record to confirm Weeks & Waring exhibiting in New Orleans in 1835, nor have I found any indication of a management partnership of Weeks & Waring.
15 Durang, op. cit., Vol. III, Chap. 44; 128.
16 Ireland, Records, II; 123.
17 Baker, History of the London Stage; 316-317, 391.
18 Delaney, The Story of Mobile; 71-96.
19 Ludlow, Dramatic Life as I Found It; 344.
20 Hill did not make the crossing with Blackburn and North, but he followed shortly after.

Blackburn in America

21 Molloy, Charleston, a Gracious Heritage; 1-2.
22 Durang, op. cit., Chap. 42; 123.
23 Spirit of the Times, June 3, 1843; 168.
24 Ireland, II, op. cit.; 99.
25 Ludlow, op. cit.; 327.
26 Spirit of the Times, March 24, 1838; 41.63
27 Stone, “Dramatic Papers, No. II, Theatrical Reminiscences of George Stone”; 357.
28 Blackburn or Day has made an error in indicating the date of November 22. It must be March 22.
29 Thayer, II, op. cit.; 256.
30 Ibid.; 255.
31 Spirit of the Times, January 20, 1838, 385; February 3, 1838, 401.
32 Ireland, II, op. cit.; 257.
33 The journey to Baltimore today would be only a matter of some thirty miles.
34 The term “squid” refers to a small firework that burned with a hissing sound.
35 Thayer, II, op. cit.; 256.
36 Virginia, a Guide, etc.; 170.
37 Durang, op. cit., Chap. 17, 56; Brown, Brown’s History of the American Stage, 208.
38 The Monday referred to was April 16. The date of Blackburn’s next entry is also wrong. April 20 fell on a Friday.
39 The play was “The Iron Chest,” by George Colman, the Younger, in which evidence of murder by the villainous Mortimer, who had been acquitted of the charge, was contained in an iron chest.
40 Thayer, II, op. cit.; 256.
41 “Monsieur Tonson“ was a farce by William Thomas Moncrieff. “The Kentuckian“ was a revision of “The Lion of the West,” a comedy by J. A. Stone.
42 Ireland, II, op. cit.; 429.
43 The reference to Monday is wrong. Monday fell on April 23. Could Tuesday have been election day?
44 “Monsieur Mallet“ was another comedy by Moncrieff; “Perfection; or, the Maid of Munster,” a comedy by T. H. Bayly.
45 Blackburn uses the expression, “shy,” in assessing Cooke’s stable of American trained horses. It was a favorite of his. Day explains its meaning as “queer” or “dizzy.”
46 Thayer, II, op. cit.; 22.
47 Ibid.; 256.
48 Wilson, A History of the Philadelphia Stage; 190.
49 Thayer, II, op. cit.; 93.
50 Ludlow, op. cit.; 326.
51 Saxon, Enter Foot and Horse; 97.
52 Durang, op. cit.; 150.
53 Ireland, II, op. cit.; 199.
54 Gossin did not accompany North and Blackburn to England. This may have been a barroom promise which was reconsidered in soberer moments.
55 Thayer, II, op. cit.; 91, 168, 255.
56 This would be the American Museum. The “White-haired lady” Blackburn mentions was Miss Shore, an Albino. Other attractions around this time were an ourang-outang and Signor Blitz, the magician. 64
57 I can’t explain the asterisks in the text, other than to assume that Day was unable to decipher Blackburn’s handwriting, since he has already established a convention for omissions.


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William L. Slout and Circus Historical Society, Inc.