George C. Howard
Encyclopedia
George C. Howard was a Nova Scotian-born American actor and showman who is credited with staging the first theatrical production of Harriet Beecher Stowe
's Uncle Tom's Cabin
.
and ship chandler
business until it was consumed in a devastating fire and his contracts with the British Navy were lost to competitors.
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
and within a few years was playing major roles at the Boston Museum (theatre)
. He was the first there to play Claude Melnotte in Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s The Lady of Lyons
; Sir Thomas Clifford in Victor Hugo
’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame
; and Romeo and Orlando in William Shakespeare
’s Romeo and Juliet
and As You Like It
.
In the mid 1840s he formed the company, Howard and Foxes, with the Fox troupe, a family of actors from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and toured throughout the Northeast. Caroline “Caddie” Emily Fox, the talented fifteen year-old daughter of George and Emily Fox, married Howard on October 31, 1844. At one time or another, her brothers George L. Fox (1), James Augustus Fox
and Charles K. Fox would perform with Howard over the following years.
's anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin
. The play debuted on September 27, 1852 at Peale’s Museum in Troy, New York
with a cast largely made up of family and friends of Howard's that included his four-year-old daughter, Cordelia. The play was a great success and ran for over three months. Quite an achievement for a small town theater.
Aiken’s original script, which ran over three hours, ended with little Eva's death, Later that year he wrote a sequel that brought the story to a proper end which he soon merged with the original script to create the six act play known today. The following year the play opened at Alexander H. Purdy’s National Theatre in the Bowery neighborhood of lower Manhattan and was well received. The play was directed by George L. Fox, who had become a local favorite there, and retained many of the original players from the first production. Uncle Tom’s Cabin would remain in continuously production somewhere in the United States well into 1930s, an incredible accomplishment for any time.
Cordelia Howard was born on the first of February, 1848 at Providence, Road Island and after a successful career as a child actor left the stage and married on June 23, 1871, Edmund J. MacDonald, a native of Scotland who worked for MacDonald and Sons as a bookbinder. She died on August 8, 1942 at Cambridge.
Arthur Lincoln Howard was born on October 20, 1865 at New York City and later became a prominent Boston lawyer after graduating from Harvard. He married Emily Stewart in 1895 and became the father of a daughter and two sons. Arthur died in 1929 on January 19 at Cambridge.
Walter Scott Howard was born on June 26, 1868 at New York City and later became an actor with Joseph Jefferson
’s company before going on to play in a number of Shakespearean productions. He was a member of several New York stock companies and at one time he served as actress Ada Rehan
’s manager. In 1897 Walter married actress Minnie Parker and soon became the father of a son. In later life Walter passed up an opportunity to direct in Hollywood and returned to Massachusetts where wrote about current events and published children’s books and works of poetry. In the mid 1920s Walter became involved in local government and served for a number of years as chairman of selectman for the town of Bourne, Massachusetts
. Walter Scott Howard died there on November 12, 1954 at the age of 86.
Caroline Emily Fox Howard was born on May 10, 1829 at Boston, Massachusetts. She continued to play Topsy in various productions of Uncle Tom’s Cabin until her husband’s death in 1887. Caroline Fox died in Cambridge on the 8th of October, 1908.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
's Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
.
Early life
George Howard Cunnabell was born on January 6, 1818 at Halifax, Nova Scotia, the son of John Henry and Mary Ann (née Nevon) Cunnabell. Howard’s father was originally a carpenter who later operated a successful tallowTallow
Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.In industry,...
and ship chandler
Ship chandler
A ship chandler is a retail dealer in special supplies or equipment for ships.For traditional sailing ships items that could be found in a chandler might include: rosin, turpentine, tar, pitch , linseed oil, whale oil, tallow, lard, varnish, twine, rope and cordage, hemp, oakum, tools A ship...
business until it was consumed in a devastating fire and his contracts with the British Navy were lost to competitors.
Career
Howard’s first performances were as a choirboy at Catholic services in Halifax and later in amateur theater. He tried his hand at several trades, the last being tailoring, before leaving for Boston in 1836 to pursue an acting career. He made his professional debut in 1838 as George Cunnabell Howard at the Chestnut Street TheatreChestnut Street Theatre
The Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the first theater in the United States built by entrepreneurs solely as a venue for paying audiences.-The New Theatre :...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and within a few years was playing major roles at the Boston Museum (theatre)
Boston Museum (theatre)
The Boston Museum , also called the Boston Museum and Gallery of Fine Arts, was a theatre, wax museum, natural history museum, zoo, and art museum in 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts...
. He was the first there to play Claude Melnotte in Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s The Lady of Lyons
The Lady of Lyons
The Lady of Lyons; or, Love and Pride, commonly known as The Lady of Lyons, is a five act romantic melodrama written in 1838 by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton...
; Sir Thomas Clifford in Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is a novel by Victor Hugo published in 1831. The French title refers to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, on which the story is centered.-Background:...
; and Romeo and Orlando in William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
’s Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
and As You Like It
As You Like It
As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
.
In the mid 1840s he formed the company, Howard and Foxes, with the Fox troupe, a family of actors from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and toured throughout the Northeast. Caroline “Caddie” Emily Fox, the talented fifteen year-old daughter of George and Emily Fox, married Howard on October 31, 1844. At one time or another, her brothers George L. Fox (1), James Augustus Fox
James Augustus Fox
James Augustus Fox was a Massachusetts lawyer and politician who served on the Board of Aldermen and as the Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts....
and Charles K. Fox would perform with Howard over the following years.
Uncle Tom's Cabin
In 1852 Howard hired Caroline's cousin George L. Aiken to adapt for the stage Harriet Beecher StoweHarriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
's anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
. The play debuted on September 27, 1852 at Peale’s Museum in Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
with a cast largely made up of family and friends of Howard's that included his four-year-old daughter, Cordelia. The play was a great success and ran for over three months. Quite an achievement for a small town theater.
| George Howard | Augustine St. Clare |
| Caroline Howard. | Topsy |
| Cordelia Howard | Eva |
| George Aiken | George Harris. |
| Charles K. Fox | Phineas Fletcher, Gumption Cute |
| William J. Le Moyne William J. Le Moyne William J. Le Moyne was a prominent American actor who is credited with playing Deacon Perry in the first stage adaption of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin.-Early career:William J... |
Deacon Perry |
| Greene C. Germon | Uncle Tom |
Aiken’s original script, which ran over three hours, ended with little Eva's death, Later that year he wrote a sequel that brought the story to a proper end which he soon merged with the original script to create the six act play known today. The following year the play opened at Alexander H. Purdy’s National Theatre in the Bowery neighborhood of lower Manhattan and was well received. The play was directed by George L. Fox, who had become a local favorite there, and retained many of the original players from the first production. Uncle Tom’s Cabin would remain in continuously production somewhere in the United States well into 1930s, an incredible accomplishment for any time.
Later years
In 1857 George C. Howard became the manager of the Troy Adelphi Theatre, but returned to the road after box office receipts did not meet expectations. In 1861 Howard filled in as manager of Fox's New Bowery Theatre, while his brother-in-law George L. Fox served in the Civil War. After the war Howard would return to the stage only on occasion.Death
George Cunnabell Howard died at his residence in Cambridge, Massachusetts on January 18, 1887. He was survived by his wife Caroline. The Howards had eight children, of which, only three survived their parents. Adelia Ann Howard was born on May 10, 1846 and died five months later on 24 October. George Cunnabell Howard Jr. was born on November 9, 1849 and died the following year on the 1st of February. John Green Howard was born on March 18, 1851 and died at age 12 on the 5th of December. James Fox Howard was born on November 10, 1853 and died on April 7, 1855. Charles Lafayette Howard was born on May 10, 1856 and died at sea on June 12, 1884 while on a cruise to Europe.Cordelia Howard was born on the first of February, 1848 at Providence, Road Island and after a successful career as a child actor left the stage and married on June 23, 1871, Edmund J. MacDonald, a native of Scotland who worked for MacDonald and Sons as a bookbinder. She died on August 8, 1942 at Cambridge.
Arthur Lincoln Howard was born on October 20, 1865 at New York City and later became a prominent Boston lawyer after graduating from Harvard. He married Emily Stewart in 1895 and became the father of a daughter and two sons. Arthur died in 1929 on January 19 at Cambridge.
Walter Scott Howard was born on June 26, 1868 at New York City and later became an actor with Joseph Jefferson
Joseph Jefferson
Joseph Jefferson, commonly known as Joe Jefferson , was an American actor. He was the third actor of this name in a family of actors and managers, and one of the most famous of all American comedians....
’s company before going on to play in a number of Shakespearean productions. He was a member of several New York stock companies and at one time he served as actress Ada Rehan
Ada Rehan
Ada Rehan was an American actress.-Biography:She was born as Ada Crehan in County Limerick, Ireland, and brought to the United States at about the age of six years....
’s manager. In 1897 Walter married actress Minnie Parker and soon became the father of a son. In later life Walter passed up an opportunity to direct in Hollywood and returned to Massachusetts where wrote about current events and published children’s books and works of poetry. In the mid 1920s Walter became involved in local government and served for a number of years as chairman of selectman for the town of Bourne, Massachusetts
Bourne, Massachusetts
Bourne is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,721 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Bourne, please see the articles on Bourne , Buzzards Bay, Monument Beach, Pocasset, Sagamore, and Sagamore...
. Walter Scott Howard died there on November 12, 1954 at the age of 86.
Caroline Emily Fox Howard was born on May 10, 1829 at Boston, Massachusetts. She continued to play Topsy in various productions of Uncle Tom’s Cabin until her husband’s death in 1887. Caroline Fox died in Cambridge on the 8th of October, 1908.