Edward O'Connor Terry (10 March 1844 – 2 April 1912) was an English actor, who became one of the most influential actors and comedians of the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...

Early life and career

Terry was born in London, allegedly the illegitimate son of

Feargus O'Connor Feargus Edward O'Connor (18 July 1796 – 30 August 1855) was an Irish Chartism, Chartist leader and advocate of the Land Plan, which sought to provide smallholdings for the labouring classes. A highly charismatic figure, O'Connor was admired ...

, Irish Chartist leader and advocate of the land plan. The younger Terry made his debut in 1863 as Wormwood in ''The Lottery Ticket''. He began his stage career in small companies in the provinces playing in Shakespeare with the young

Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ( ...

and sometimes in pieces employing his singing talents."Edward Terry Dead; Noted English Actor; Comedian, with Career of 49 Years"
''The New York Times'', 3 April 1912, p. 13

Peak years

In 1867, Terry played for a season at London's Surrey Theatre in both comedy and drama. Between 1868 and 1875, he was the leading comedian at the

Royal Strand Theatre The Royal Strand Theatre was located in the Strand in the City of Westminster. The theatre was built on the site of a panorama in 1832, and in 1882 was rebuilt by the prolific theatre architect Charles J. Phipps. It was demolished in 1905 to ...

in London. He reached the peak of his popularity after he joined

John Hollingshead John Hollingshead (9 September 1827 – 9 October 1904) was an English theatrical impresario, journalist and writer during the latter half of the 19th century. After a journalism career, Hollingshead managed the Alhambra Theatre and was later th ...

's company at the

Gaiety Theatre, London The Gaiety Theatre was a West End theatre in London, located on Aldwych at the eastern end of the Strand, London, Strand. The theatre was first established as the Strand Musick Hall in 1864 on the former site of the Lyceum Theatre, London, Lyc ...

in 1876, starring in the musical burlesques produced there during the next eight years. With

Nellie Farren Ellen "Nellie" Farren (16 April 1848 – 28 April 1904"Death of Nellie Far ...

Kate Vaughan Kate Vaughan (1852 – 21 February 1903) was the stage name of Catherine Alice Candelin, a British dancer and actress. She was best known for developing the skirt dance and has been called the "greatest dancer of her time".St Johnston, pp. 170� ...

and E. W. Royce, he made the fortune of this house, his eccentric acting and singing creating a style which had many imitators. Some of the roles in which he appeared there included Mephistopheles in ''Little Doctor Faust'' (1878). In 1887 he went into

management Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a Government agency, government bodies through business administration, Nonprofit studies, nonprofit management, or the political s ...

, opening Terry's Theatre, built on the site of the old

Coal Hole A coal hole is a trapdoor, hatch in the pavement (sidewalk, in US usage) above an underground coal bin, coal bunker. They are sometimes found outside houses that existed during the period when coal was widely used for domestic central heating, h ...

public house and music hall on the Strand. There, he produced and starred as Dick Phenyl in

Arthur Wing Pinero Sir Arthur Wing Pinero (24 May 1855 – 23 November 1934) was an English playwright and, early in his career, actor. Pinero was drawn to the theatre from an early age, and became a professional actor at the age of 19. He gained experience as a ...

's ''

Sweet Lavender ''Sweet Lavender'' is a play in three acts by Arthur Wing Pinero, first performed in 1888. The sentimental and gently humorous story concerns the romance of Lavender Rolt and Clement Hale, and the complications impeding the course of true love. ...

'', which was perhaps his greatest success, running for 670 nights. He then revived Pinero's '' The Magistrate'' and ''The Times''. In subsequent years, he was only occasionally seen at his own theatre and made many tours in the British provinces and in Australia, North and South America, South Africa and India. He returned to Terry's in 1890, producing and starring in ''King Kodak'', ''The Blue Boar'' and several other notable productions. Terry brought four plays to New York in 1904. In this, his only

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

engagement, he and his

touring company Touring may refer to: Travel Vehicles * Touring cars, an open car * "Touring", the estate/wagon version of Ford cars * Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, Italian automobile coachbuilder Tourism * Bicycle touring, self-contained cycling trips ...

played the former Princess Theatre on West 29th St. for eight weeks from December 1904 to February 1905, in ''The House of Burnside'', ''Sweet Lavender'', ''Love in Idleness'', and ''The Passport''.

Personal life and death

Terry married twice; his first marriage was to Ellen Deitz in 1870. He married his second wife, Florence, Lady Harris, widow of

Augustus Harris Sir Augustus Henry Glossop Harris (18 March 1852 – 22 June 1896) was a British actor, impresario, and dramatist, a dominant figure in the West End theatre, West End theatre of the 1880s and 1890s. Born into a theatrical family, Harris brief ...

, in 1904.Taylor, C. M. P
"Terry, Edward O'Connor (1844–1912), actor and theatre proprietor"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004. Retrieved 12 May 2020 Off the stage, he was a

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

and served on the councils of many charities and of public bodies. Terry died of

neuritis Neuritis (), from the Greek ), is inflammation of a nerve or the general inflammation of the peripheral nervous system. Inflammation, and frequently concomitant demyelination, cause impaired transmission of neural signals and leads to aberrant ne ...

at his home in

Barnes Barnes may refer to: People *Barnes (name), a family name and a given name (includes lists of people with that name) Places United Kingdom * Barnes, London, England ** Barnes railway station **Barnes Bridge railway station ** Barnes High Stree ...

, England, at the age of 68.

Notes

References

*Hollingshead, John.
''Gaiety Chronicles''
(1898) A. Constable & co.: London *Hollingshead, John. ''Good Old Gaiety: An Historiette & Remembrance'' (1903) London:Gaity Theatre Co * Mantle, Burns and Garrison P. Sherwood, eds., ''The Best Plays of 1899-1909'', (Philadelphia: The Blakiston Company), 1944. *

External links

Photograph of the young Terry
*
Edward O'Connor Terry
at

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Terry, Edward O'Connor English male stage actors 1844 births 1912 deaths 19th-century English male actors Actor-managers English Freemasons