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197:, became the partner of the German Reeds' son, Alfred German Reed (1847-1895), who shared the management of the company with his mother from 1871. Over twenty-five years, Grain wrote between fifty and sixty entertainments for the company, consisting of social sketches and songs with piano accompaniment. His songs included "The Masher King of Piccadilly" and "The Four-Horse Sharrybang". His private performances of comic sketches also remained fashionable throughout his career. His last sketch was
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Grain was a large man with exceptionally large and expressive hands. On occasion he took part in comediettas or other dramatic performances, but he claimed that he did not enjoy acting and was not very good at it.
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and was later issued as a book in 1888. He died of "epidemic influenza" on 16 March 1895, at his home in
Marylebone, London. His death, six days after that of Alfred German Reed, ended the
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178:. At the same time, Grain entertained privately, performing his comic musical sketches at the piano for fashionable parties and other venues.
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on 30 April 1866. For a while he practised law on the
Western Circuit. However, he had theatrical leanings, and sang and acted in private.
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138:. Grain received what he referred to as "an average middle-class education". In 1858, at the age of 14, he attended school in
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Deciding to give up a legal career and try his hand on the stage, on 16 May 1870 Grain joined what was known as the
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439:, vol. II, no. 13, pp. 16–21 (Autumn/Winter 1998; The Gilbert and Sullivan Society).
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Men-at-the-bar: a biographical hand-list of the members of the various inns of court
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disagreed, asking him to perform in his absurdist comedy with the German Reeds,
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until the end of his life and, after the death of another German Reed stalwart,
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Walters, Michael "A Brief
Overview of the Life of Rutland Barrington" in
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Corney Grain (left) and Alfred German Reed (right) portrayed in
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The German Reeds and Corney Grain; records and reminiscences
92:(26 October 1844 – 16 March 1895), known by his stage name
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Corney Grain - a series of press cuttings from the 1880s
411:"St George's Hall, Langham Place, Regent Street, London"
360:Watson, M. "Alfred German Reed and Corney Grain",
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96:, was an entertainer and songwriter of the late
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290:, which had been popular for forty years.
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265:performer and fellow sketch-artist,
208:Richard Corney Grain as depicted by
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512:19th-century British male singers
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527:19th-century English male actors
391:. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
387:Dictionary of National Biography
118:in 1895, the year they both died
437:The Gilbert & Sullivan News
427:Williamson, David, ed. (1895).
522:19th-century British composers
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339:, Read Books (2007), p. 170
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374:Knight, John Joseph (1901).
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377:"Reed, Thomas German"
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288:German Reed Entertainments
168:German Reed Entertainments
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454:National Portrait Gallery
450:Portraits of Corney Grain
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461:Corney Grain, by Himself
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172:Gallery of Illustration
83:entertainer, songwriter
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431:. London: A.D. Innes.
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195:Priscilla German Reed
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492:English entertainers
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90:Richard Corney Grain
25:Richard Corney Grain
16:British entertainer
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187:John Orlando Parry
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517:English humorists
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283:Murray's Magazine
236:A Sensation Novel
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69:(1895-03-16)
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487:1895 deaths
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382:Lee, Sidney
362:The Theatre
322:Foster, J.
215:Vanity Fair
476:Categories
421:References
49:1844-10-26
170:, at the
132:barrister
124:Teversham
115:Entr'acte
104:Biography
57:Teversham
248:Ages Ago
122:Born at
452:at the
384:(ed.).
259:Pierrot
218:in 1885
144:Britain
140:Germany
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162:Career
74:London
380:. In
294:Notes
210:'Spy'
341:ISBN
272:His
251:and
64:Died
43:Born
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156:Bar
148:Law
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