William Birch (February 1831 – 21 April 1897) was a minstrel performer in the United States. An 1889 obituary referred to him as one of the oldest, best known, and most popular of the "Negro Minstral fraternity".

Early life

Birch was born in Utica, New York, and began performing at age 13.

Career

He performed with others at gold mining camps in California. He was on the ship ''Central America'' and was rescued at sea. He then performed in New York City before returning to California as his career waned. He performed in

blackface Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...

along with others in San Francisco in a theater where the Pacific Stock Exchange was later located. His performances in San Francisco included free-wheeling improvisation on current events. He was on the ship ''

SS Central America SS ''Central America'', known as the Ship of Gold, was a sidewheel steamer that operated between Central America and the East Coast of the United States during the 1850s. She was originally named the SS ''George Law'', after George Law of ...

'' and was rescued by the ''S.S. Ellen'' before it sank. His wife was also rescued and managed to tuck away her pet canary and take it to safety as well.

Death

Birch died at home on 21 April 1897 from to paralysis of the brain and chronic Bright's disease.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birch, Billy Blackface minstrel performers 1831 births 1897 deaths