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demanded to be housed and supported in exchange for keeping quiet about his
American family. After some years, this arrangement became financially untenable, and Booth stopped sending his wife money so regularly. This prompted Adelaide to send their son, now 25, to Baltimore. For three years, Booth somehow fooled him into believing that he lived alone, but eventually Richard discovered the truth. He sent word to his mother, who arrived in Baltimore in December 1846 and confronted Booth when he returned home from touring in March. After living the requisite three years in Maryland, she was able to divorce him in February 1851.
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of the character he represented. He seemed to be possessed by the characters, losing his own identity." Such subjective judgments are perhaps too facile, as Edwin Booth's later comment about his father certainly was: "Great minds to madness closely are allied." In any case, from
February 1817 onward, Junius Booth played almost 3,000 performances. Booth brought a romantic, natural acting style to America, which he pioneered in the hearts of American audiences.
40:
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545:, where torrential rains not only closed the theatres, but also seriously depleted food supplies. Inflation skyrocketed, and the Booths returned to San Francisco without having made a penny. On 1 October, he left San Francisco without either of his sons. (Junius Jr. had previously established his home there, and Edwin struck out on his own, acting in various venues in northern California.)
431:
470:, Booth suddenly left the scene he was playing with Ophelia, scurried up a ladder, and perched up in the backdrops crowing like a rooster until his manager retrieved him. He was once booked for a sold-out performance in Richmond, then disappeared from town for several days. Eventually, he was found with "ragged, besotted wretches, the greatest actor on the American stage."
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307:, gave birth to a son, William. Called before a magistrate in March 1812, she stated that "one Junius Brutus Booth who resides at his Father's No. 1 Dove Row in the said Parish of St Leonard Shoreditch Gentleman... is the true and only Father of such Child." She repeated this as sworn evidence in 1813, when the child became chargeable on the parish under the
300:. While he was growing up, Booth's father tried to settle his son in a lengthy succession of professions. Booth recalls of his childhood, "I was destined by my Controllers first for the Printing office, then to be an architect, then to be a sculptor and modeler, then a lawyer, then a sailor, of all of these I preferred those of sculptor and modeler."
322:. She followed him to London where they eventually married on 17 May 1815, soon after his 19th birthday. Their first child, Amelia Portia Adelaide Booth, was born 4 months, 2 weeks and 4 days later, on 5 October 1815, but died 7 July 1816. Their only child to survive infancy was Richard Junius Booth (1819–1868).
357:, who was at the time the foremost tragedian in Britain. Partisans of the two actors, called Boothites and Keanites, would occasionally start rows at venues where the two were playing together. This did not stop the two from performing in the same plays; Kean and Booth acted in several Shakespearean productions at the
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Some historians and critics have claimed that reality could become overwhelming for Booth, so he would flee into alcoholism and the roles he played. One critic said of Booth that the "personality of the actor was forgotten, and all the details seemed spontaneous workings and unconscious illustrations
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in
Washington, DC, has two playbills from the production and both are in French. Booth's daughter Asia wrote that her father spoke fluent French and cited a review on the subject. The review was not oblivious to the fact that Booth's French pronunciation was less than perfect, however. In 1823, Booth
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Booth was quickly hired to play
Richard III. In less than a year, Booth became the most prominent actor in the United States. Critic William Winter said, "He was followed as a marvel. Mention of his name stirred an enthusiasm no other could awaken" (Smith 23). He embarked upon a 30-year acting career
548:
Booth had told his first wife, at the time of his initial departure from
England, that he would be touring the United States for several years, but would send her money to support her and his young son, Richard, but Booth's sister and brother-in-law later arrived with their children from England and
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on the
President early that year, the letter was believed to be a hoax, until a handwriting analysis of a letter written some days after the threat concluded that the letter was, in fact, written by Booth. Booth apologized to Jackson, though since he and Jackson were friends, the "threat" likely was
484:
Booth soon became so unreliable that he had to be locked into his hotel rooms with a guard standing watch. Often, he would still find ways of escaping to drink at a nearby tavern. Once, when a theatre manager locked Booth in his dressing room before a performance, Booth bribed a stage hand to go out
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To help him maintain a modicum of stability and also to ensure that he sent his earnings home to the family, Junius and Mary Ann chose their son Edwin to accompany him as his dresser, aid, and guardian. This was an exhausting job because Junius Brutus could go without sleep for very long periods of
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In 1825–1826 and 1836–1837, Booth made tours of his native
England. He took his whole family with him for the second of these. During their stay in England, one of his children, Henry Byron, succumbed to smallpox. By 1831, he had become the manager of the Adelphi Theatre in Baltimore. His acclaim
488:
Booth's violent behavior offstage was notable as well. In
Charleston, in 1838, Booth was so intoxicated that he attacked a friend, Tom Flynn, with a fireplace andiron. To defend himself, Flynn hit Booth in the face, breaking his nose and forever altering the actor's profile and voice.
601:
340:. The prospects of fame, fortune and freedom were very appealing to young Booth. He displayed a talent for acting from an early age, deciding on a career on stage by the age of 17. He performed roles in several small theatres throughout England, and joined a tour of the
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from 1817 to 1821. Kean then saw Booth as a threat and orchestrated a way for the two of them to perform those roles yet again, planning to outperform his opponent. Kean's long-standing presence contributed to Booth's neverending comparisons to his rival.
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and concludes: "Therefore, I consider the story of Mr. Booth having performed
Orestes in the French language, on the French stage, altogether a mistake arising from his having acted that character in the
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In 1821, Booth emigrated to the United States with Mary Ann Holmes, a flower girl, abandoning his wife and their young son. Booth and Holmes claimed to be married that year and settled in 1822 near
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A persistent story, but apocryphal according to some sources, is that Junius Brutus Booth was acclaimed for performing
Orestes in the French language in New Orleans. Theatrical manager
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cause, and Jane Elizabeth Game. His paternal grandfather was John Booth, a silversmith, and his paternal grandmother Elizabeth Wilkes was a relative of politician and journalist
414:
of New Orleans in 1822, but in the English language." However, Stephen M. Archer notes that Ludlow was in Mobile, Alabama, in 1828, so was not present for this performance. The
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of modern times." Although his relationship with Holmes, his supposed wife, was relatively happy, four of their children died, three in the same year (1833), when epidemics of
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374:. For years they lived in a log cabin Booth bought, moved to his 150 acres, and whitewashed. Just before his death, he began building a much grander house which he named
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Booth's alcoholism also caused him to become increasingly unpredictable and reckless. He would drop lines, miss scenes, and cause chaos onstage. During a performance of
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and buy a bottle of whiskey. As the stage hand stood outside the door, Booth stuck a drinking straw through the keyhole and sipped whiskey from the bottle.
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the actor playing the Earl of Richmond fled the stage when Booth became too aggressive during their dueling scene. One night, when Booth was appearing as
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Booth's alcoholism and violent nature often caused problems onstage during his performances. On several occasions, when he played the title character in
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in 1852, Booth developed a severe fever, presumably from drinking impure river water. No physician was on board, and he died aboard the steamboat near
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the actress playing Desdemona had to be rescued by other cast members when Booth tried to genuinely suffocate her with a pillow.
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On 10 May 1851, with the youngest of their 10 children now 11 years of age, Booth finally legally married Mary Ann Holmes.
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In August 1814, Junius met Marie Christine Adelaide Delannoy while boarding at her mother's home in
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898:"Letter threatening Jackson's life determined to be written by father of man who killed Lincoln"
572:, on 30 November 1852. Booth's widow, Mary Ann, traveled to Cincinnati alone to claim his body.
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in 1817 at the Covent Garden Theatre. Critics compared his performances favorably with those of
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252:(1 May 1796 – 30 November 1852) was an English-born American actor. He was the father of actor
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1064:"26 Elected to the Theater Hall of Fame; 26 From Broadway Voted into Theater Hall of Fame"
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Booth gained national renown in England with his performance in the title role of
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687:(2023), which was performed at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C.
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Lincoln's Assassins: A Complete Account of Their Capture, Trial, and Punishment
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Booth's interests in theatre came after he attended a production of
1131:"The Brothers Booth share more than blood in new musical 'Tyrants'"
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Thom Sesma portrayed Junius Brutus Both in the original musical
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in 1814, returning the following year to make his London debut.
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921:"Library Helped Finger Another 'Would-Be Assassin' Named Booth"
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American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies
764:"The Voluntary Examination and Information of Sarah Blackbeard"
748:"The Voluntary Examination and Information of Sarah Blackbeard"
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that made him famous throughout the country. Booth traveled to
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Booth's clumsy attempt at a joke. Decades later, Booth's son,
766:, 18 August 1813, ancestry.co.uk, accessed 14 December 2020
750:, 7 March 1812, ancestry.co.uk, accessed 14 December 2020
871:
The Civil War: The Assassination – Death of the President
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Junius Brutus Booth was posthumously inducted into the
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did the role in New York in the English adaptation by
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On 26 September 1811, Sarah Blackbeard, a woman from
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English expatriate male actors in the United States
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447:continued to grow throughout the rest of his life;
1038:(2 ed.). Cambridge University Press. p.
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843:. St. Louis: G. I. Jones and Co. pp. 230–232.
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1005:Booth Clarke, Asia (1999). Alford, Terry (ed.).
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311:, giving Booth's address then as Queen Street,
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607:Visitors to the Booth family plot often leave
437:Booth's sons, John, Edwin, and Junius Jr. in
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463:, which had an effect on the entire family.
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1187:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography
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500:In 1835, Booth wrote a letter to President
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856:Junius Brutus Booth: Theatrical Prometheus
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734:Junius Brutus Booth: Theatrical Prometheus
672:portrayed Junius Brutus Booth in the play
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1009:. Univ. Press of Mississippi. p. 9.
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525:In 1852, Booth was involved in a tour of
1240:Actors from the London Borough of Camden
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459:occurred. In addition, he suffered from
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957:. McFarland & Company. p. 14.
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16:English-born American actor (1796–1852)
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816:"National Register Information System"
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725:
1129:Stoltenberg, John (10 October 2023).
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1007:John Wilkes Booth: A Sister's Memoir
980:"Booth Family Story Rivaled Fiction"
978:Saunders, Katherine (8 March 1980).
821:National Register of Historic Places
380:National Register of Historic Places
276:, an actor and theatre manager, and
808:
13:
896:Freeman, Katie (25 January 2009).
873:. Time-Life Books. pp. 14–16.
14:
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1245:English male Shakespearean actors
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660:portrayed Junius Brutus Booth in
648:portrayed Junius Brutus Booth in
272:of the mid-to-late 19th century,
154:Marie Christine Adelaide Delannoy
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506:actual attempt of assassination
451:described him as "the grandest
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1255:People from St Pancras, London
1034:The Cambridge Guide to Theatre
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264:. His other children included
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1070:. 3 March 1981. pp. C9.
919:Raymond, Matt (7 July 2009).
718:
641:Portrayals in popular culture
635:American Theatre Hall of Fame
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45:
1181:"Booth, Junius Brutus"
1030:Banham, Martin, ed. (1995).
784:Michael W. Kauffman (2004).
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854:Archer, Stephen M. (2010).
841:Dramatic Life As I Found It
732:Archer, Stephen M. (2010).
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407:Dramatic Life As I Found It
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416:Folger Shakespeare Library
19:For the jazz bassist, see
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1235:English male stage actors
937:PBS, History Detectives,
858:. SIU Press. p. 305.
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513:, assassinated President
366:Move to the United States
359:Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
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1190:. New York: D. Appleton.
925:Library of Congress Blog
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284:Early life and education
1220:Male actors from London
951:Roy Z. Chamlee (1990).
768:(subscription required)
752:(subscription required)
736:. SIU Press. p. 7.
651:The Farmer Takes a Wife
378:. It was listed on the
274:Junius Brutus Booth Jr.
443:
941:, season 7, episode 3
869:Clark, Champ (1987).
839:Ludlow, Noah (1880).
826:National Park Service
762:Sir William Parsons,
619:, on the monument of
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338:Covent Garden Theatre
280:, a poet and writer.
227:Edwina Booth Grossman
1167:at Wikimedia Commons
984:The Lewiston Journal
593:Green Mount Cemetery
577:Green Mount Cemetery
570:Louisville, Kentucky
564:from New Orleans to
167: 1815;
109:Green Mount Cemetery
97:Louisville, Kentucky
1165:Junius Brutus Booth
1109:Concord Theatricals
908:on 2 February 2009.
575:Booth is buried in
560:While traveling by
250:Junius Brutus Booth
74:St. Pancras, London
60:Junius Brutus Booth
32:Junius Brutus Booth
1068:The New York Times
794:. pp. 88–89.
623:'s father, Junius.
444:
290:St Pancras, London
288:Booth was born in
1163:Media related to
663:Prince of Players
621:John Wilkes Booth
591:Booth's grave at
412:Théâtre d'Orléans
372:Bel Air, Maryland
309:English Poor Laws
278:Asia Booth Clarke
254:John Wilkes Booth
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287:
258:assassinated
249:
248:
87:(1852-11-30)
25:
1210:1852 deaths
1205:1796 births
511:John Wilkes
403:Noah Ludlow
355:Edmund Kean
350:Richard III
298:John Wilkes
266:Edwin Booth
131:Stage actor
120:Nationality
49: 1850
21:Juini Booth
1199:Categories
1140:18 October
1114:18 October
1089:26 January
990:25 January
886:Clark14-16
719:References
676:(1994) by
566:Cincinnati
543:Sacramento
535:Junius Jr.
527:California
521:Later life
461:alcoholism
376:Tudor Hall
313:Bloomsbury
305:Shoreditch
260:President
205:Junius Jr.
128:Occupation
70:1 May 1796
66:1796-05-01
1176:Fiske, J.
1084:424071678
1076:0362-4331
637:in 1981.
562:steamboat
388:Baltimore
382:in 1973.
270:tragedian
234:Signature
223:Relatives
139:1814–1852
113:Baltimore
76:, England
44:Booth in
1080:ProQuest
902:KnoxNews
691:See also
666:(1955).
654:(1935).
479:Othello,
453:histrion
396:New York
320:Brussels
200:Children
93:vicinity
1105:"Booth"
685:Tyrants
617:obverse
615:on the
613:Lincoln
609:pennies
457:cholera
336:at the
333:Othello
294:Patriot
193:
185:
173:
161:
157:
144:Spouses
123:British
1082:
1074:
1046:
1013:
961:
798:
629:Legacy
468:Hamlet
394:, and
392:Boston
326:Career
256:, who
99:, U.S.
674:Booth
556:Death
531:Edwin
423:with
209:Edwin
187:(
183:
163:(
159:
1142:2023
1116:2023
1091:2023
1072:ISSN
1044:ISBN
1011:ISBN
992:2013
959:ISBN
796:ISBN
541:and
533:and
217:John
215:and
213:Asia
169:div.
82:Died
56:Born
1040:116
95:of
1201::
1184:.
1174:;
1133:.
1107:.
1078:.
1066:.
1042:.
982:.
923:.
900:.
879:^
824:.
818:.
790:.
774:^
680:.
517:.
398:.
390:,
315:.
211:,
207:,
189:m.
165:m.
111:,
46:c.
1144:.
1118:.
1093:.
1052:.
1019:.
994:.
967:.
927:.
804:.
68:)
64:(
23:.
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