Mary Jeffreys Lewis (abt. 1852–1926) known professionally as Jeffreys Lewis was a British-born American actress whose career lasted long after her popularity as a leading lady had faded.

Early life

Mary Jeffreys Lewis was born in London, England, on 25 October to Irish parents of Welsh descent.1880 US Census RecordsThe actors' birthday book: an authoritative insight into the lives of the ... By Johnson Briscoe (1907''The New York Times'' – April 29, 1926 Some sources give her birth year as 1855 or later, though if correct, early US census indicate she was most likely born around 1852. Lewis attended elocution classes at the Birkbeck Institute (now

Birkbeck, University of London , mottoeng = Advice comes over nightTranslation used by Birkbeck. , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £4.3 m (2014) , budget = £10 ...

) and made her first stage appearance at the Theatre Royal in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was brought to America in 1873, probably with her mother, May, and sisters, Catherine and Constance, with veteran British actor Thomas C. King to perform on the New York stage. Her Broadway debut came on the 11 September 1873, at the New Lyceum Theatre on 14th Street and 6th Ave., playing Esmeralda opposite King's Quasimodo in ''Notre Dame'', a failed dramatic adaption of

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

's '' The Hunchback of Notre-Dame''. Jeffreys-Lewis002

Career

Lewis’ work in ''Notre Dame'' caught the eye of

John Lester Wallack John Johnstone Wallack (January 1, 1820, New York City – September 6, 1888, Stamford, Connecticut), was an American actor-manager and son of James William Wallack and Susan Johnstone. He used the stage name John Lester until October 5, 1858, ...

and before year's end she was playing Miss Grantham in

Samuel Foote Samuel Foote (January 1720 – 21 October 1777) was a British dramatist, actor and theatre manager. He was known for his comedic acting and writing, and for turning the loss of a leg in a riding accident in 1766 to comedic opportunity. Early l ...

's comedy '' The Liar'' at

Wallack's Theatre Three New York City playhouses named Wallack's Theatre played an important part in the history of American theater, as the successive homes of the Repertory theatre, stock company managed by actors James William Wallack, James W. Wallack and hi ...

on Broom Street and Broadway. Lewis stayed with Wallack for a season appearing in ''The Rivals'' by

Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Irish satirist, a politician, a playwright, poet, and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He is known for his plays such as ''The Rivals'', ''The Sc ...

, ''Central Park'', by John Lester Wallack, ''The Veteran'', ''The School'' by

T. W. Robertson Thomas William Robertson (9 January 1829 – 3 February 1871) was an English dramatist and stage director. Born to a theatrical family, Robertson began as an actor, but he was not a success and gave up acting in his late 20s. After earning a m ...

, ''The Shaughraun'' by

Dion Boucicault Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (né Boursiquot; 26 December 1820 – 18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the ...

and ''Rafael'', an adaptation of the French play ''Les Filles de Marbres'' by

Théodore Barrière Théodore Barrière (1823 – 16 October 1877), French playwright, was born in Paris. He belonged to a family of map engravers which had long been connected with the war department, and spent nine years in that service himself. The success o ...

. The following few seasons were spent with Augustin Daly's company and as a stock player at the

Broadway Theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

on Broadway and 30th Street before touring the West with Daly's company and finding success in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. In the mid-1880s she embarked on a tour of Australia and possibly New Zealand for a seasons or two. Upon her return she gained popularity appearing in big cities and small as Beatrice in ''La Belle Russe'' an adaptation of a story by

May Agnes Fleming May Agnes Fleming (pseudonyms, Cousin May Carleton, M. A. Earlie; November 15, 1840 – March 24, 1880) was a Canadian novelist. She was "one of the first Canadians to pursue a highly successful career as a writer of popular fiction." Biography M ...

, Martha Moulton in ''Forget-Me-Not'' by Herman Merivale, the Countess Clothilde in ''Clothilde'', an adaption of a play by Victorien Sardou, the Countess Zieka in ''

Diplomacy Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...

'' by Victorien Sardou and as Muriel in '' The Sporting Duchess'' by Sir Augustus Harris,

Cecil Raleigh Cecil Raleigh was the pseudonym of Abraham Cecil Francis Fothergill Rowlands (27 January 1856 – 10 November 1914, London, England), an English actor and playwright. Personal life Abraham Cecil Francis Fothergill Rowlands was born on 27 Janu ...

and Henry Hamilton. Jeffreys Lewis’ career began to wane in the late 1880s as she continued to play roles that audiences deemed inappropriate for someone approaching middle age. Eventually, though, she adjusted and became a character actress playing supporting roles, a move that extended her career well into her later years.

Marriage

Jeffreys Lewis married actor John Adolf Maitland (aka A. J. Maitland) in San Francisco on 14 August 1878. This marriage ended in divorce nine years later amid charges of infidelity and cruelty. On 13 March 1887 she married actor Harry Mainhall in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

. Their son, Harry Mainhall Jr., who inherited his mother's cleft chin, would go on to be a Hollywood actor and writer active in the early years of the silent era.Silent film necrology: births and deaths of over 9000 performers,- Eugene Michael Vazzana (1995) Harry Mainhall Sr. died in Los Angeles on 7 November 1902 after battling tuberculosis.''Boston Daily Globe'' Sunday, November 9, 1902

Death

Mary Jeffreys Lewis died on 28 April 1926 in New York City. Her last appearance on stage was in October of the previous year playing Mrs. Schenck in Crane Wilbur's play ''Easy Terms'' at New York's National Theater. She was survived by her son, who would follow her in death five years later. Jeffreys Lewis was interred at the

Kensico Cemetery Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, Westchester County, New York was founded in 1889, when many New York City cemeteries were becoming full, and rural cemeteries were being created near the railroads that served the city. Initially , it was ...

Valhalla, New York Valhalla is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the New York City metropolitan area. Its population was 3,162 at the 2010 U.S. Census. The name was in ...

Sources

External links

* *
portrait gallery
NY Public Library/ Billy Rose Collection)
Jeffreys Lewis: ''North American Theatre Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Jeffreys 1852 births 1926 deaths American stage actresses Actresses from London Burials at Kensico Cemetery