Thomas a'Becket (March 17, 1808 – January 6, 1890) was a male actor and musician credited with writing the music and the words, in 1843, to "

Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" (originally "Columbia, the Land of the Brave") is an American patriotic song which was popular in the U.S. during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Composed 1843, it was long used as an unofficial national anthem ...

". Born in

Chatham, Kent Chatham ( ) is a town within the Medway unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham. In 2020 it had a population of 80,596. Th ...

, England, a'Becket travelled to the United States in 1837 and spent much of his life in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. At one time, he served as the stage manager of the actor Edwin Forrest and for many years was the director of the

Walnut Street Theatre Walnut Street Theatre, founded in 1808 at 825 Walnut Street, on the corner of S. 9th Street in the Washington Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia, is the oldest operating theatre in the United States. The venue is operated by Walnut Str ...

, in Philadelphia, where he also had a long acting career. During his early years in the United States, he gave music lessons and sang in operas. He died in Philadelphia from heart failure and was buried in the Fernwood Cemetery, west of the city. His diaries are on deposit at the

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:a'Becket, Thomas 1808 births 1890 deaths Burials at Fernwood Cemetery (Lansdowne, Pennsylvania) English emigrants to the United States Male actors from Philadelphia Musicians from Philadelphia People from Chatham, Kent