John Drew (September 3, 1827 – May 21, 1862) was an Irish-American stage actor and theatre manager.

Early life

Born Jonathan Henry Drewland in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, to Thomas L. Drewland and Louise Kanten, he was the fifth of six children. He lived in Templeogue, a poor Irish village in County Dublin during the 19th century. In 1832, John Drew emigrated to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

with his family to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. As a child he spent most of his life living in Boston. This is where he first got into acting. A younger brother, Frank Drew (1831–1903), also became an actor.

Career

After moving to the United States, Drew got a job in the theatrical company of Joseph J. Johlen (the theatre manager). He appeared in a number of Johlen's plays, including ''Uncle Mutch'', ''The Barber Man'', ''Canterbury of Livingston'' and ''The Progrist''. Drew made his first

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

appearance in 1846. He played Irish and light comedy parts with success in many American cities, and was the manager of the

Arch Street Theatre The Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the 19th century, was one of the three main Philadelphia theaters for plays; the other two were the Walnut Street Theatre and the Chestnut Street Theatre. The Arch Street Theatre opene ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Personal life

John married Louisa Lane in 1848 this being her third marriage and his first. They had three children, Louisa (1852–1888), John Jr. (1853–1927), and

Georgiana Georgiana is a Catalan, English, Greek and Romanian name. It is the feminine form of the male name George and a variation of the female names Georgina and Georgia. It comes from the Greek word Γεώργιος, meaning farmer. A variant spellin ...

(1856–1893), the latter two of whom were accomplished actors (Georgiana married

Maurice Barrymore Herbert Arthur Chamberlayne Blythe (21 September 1849 – 25 March 1905), known professionally by his stage name Maurice Barrymore, was an Indian-born British stage actor. He is the patriarch of the Barrymore acting family, father of John, Li ...

in 1876, begetting the Barrymore family; this makes John Drew a great-great-grandfather of actress Drew Barrymore). Drew died at his home in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

at the early age of 34, after tripping, falling and fatally hitting his head during a party for daughter Georgiana. He was buried in Glenwood Cemetery in Philadelphia, which was later closed, and his remains were moved to Mount Vernon Cemetery. After his death, his wife Louisa took over the management of the Arch Street Theatre. The Arch Street survived until 1936 when it was demolished.

Publications

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...

, ''Famous Actor-Families in America'' (New York, 1906)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Drew, John 1827 births 1862 deaths 19th-century American male actors American theatre managers and producers John Drew (actor) Burials at Glenwood Cemetery/Glenwood Memorial Gardens Burials at Mount Vernon Cemetery (Philadelphia) Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923) Irish male stage actors Male actors from Philadelphia 19th-century theatre managers 19th-century American businesspeople Male actors from Boston