Sir Henry Irving

The actor. The first actor to be knighted. D.Litt. Dublin; D.Litt. Cambridge; LL.D Glasgow; born at Keinton, near Glastonbury; educated at Dr Pinches', George Yard, Lombard Street. Enterered the dramatic profession in 1856.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Irving

GEDCOM Note

Notes from Joshua J Behenna, Waldon Cottage, The Square, Sheepwash, Benworthy, Devon England, EX21 5NE in 1990. (Address in 2004 is 3 Chantry Hill, Slapton Kingsbridge TQ7 2QY. Tel: (0158) 581157.)
THE SIR HENRY IRVING CONNECTION

A famous name in the Victorian world of acting is related to the Behenna family of St. Ives.

In January 1808, Mary, one of the fourteen children of great great grandfather, Thomas Behenna and his wife Catherine, was born on their farm at Boskerris between St. Ives and Lelant. Here she grew up and in her late twenties met and married a travelling salesman named Samuel Brodribb, whose family had resided for many generations at Clutton in Somerset, nine miles from Bristol. Mary and Samuel set up home in the Somerset village of Keinton Mandeville, a straggling place on a ridge overlooking Glastonbury Tor on the main road between Somerton and Castle Cary. Here on 6th February 1838 was born their only son, John Henry Brodribb.

When John Henry was aged four his parents decided to move to London to seek greater fortune as the prosperity of Somerset was on the decline. In Keinton Mandeville these changes were reflected in the falling trade of the once prosperous general store which employed Samuel Brodribb as a salesman. Mary, described as a "charming gentle mother" with "unflinching self-sacrifice" decided that London was no place for her young son and arranged that he should be brought up in the country with her sister, Sarah. Sarah and her husband, Isaac Penberthy, lived in the village of Halsetown, just outside St. Ives, with their three children. Isaac was a mine captain in four mines in the neighbourhood of St. Ives.

In 1849 Isaac Penberthy suddenly died in his 54th year. His death was a tragedy for his devoted family and a calamity' for the tin-mining industry which owed much of its prosperity to his' skill and judgement. Over 2000 miners attended his funeral. When Mary heard of her sister's loss, she decided that it was then the time for John Henry to join them in London.

Nearly fifty years later John Henry (then Sir Henry Irving) gave his impressions of his early life in Cornwall to the Cornish Magazine. In speaking of his uncle and aunt he said "I have a prominent mental view of them all and of the place and the neighbours. My uncle was a big man, bearded, broad in the shoulders, perhaps a bit rough and possessing the Celtic temper. He was a man born to command and to be loved. I can hardly describe how dominating was his personality and yet how loveable. My aunt was a woman of severe simplicity in dress, the straight lines of her dress are before me now, and deeply religious in character. It was the time of great religious revival in Cornwall. My aunt was a teetotaller and Methodist and her whole life was coloured by her convictions. Perhaps the stern asceticism of the daily routine imposed by my aunt may have jarred upon us youngsters but it was tempered by strong affection. At any rate, the angles have worn off that recollection. My aunt inspired both respect and affection among us and I have no doubt the discipline imposed upon us was good and healthful.

I recall Halsetown as a village nestling between sloping hills, bare and desolate, disfigured by slack from the mines. It was a wild and weird spot, fascinating in its own peculiar beauty and taking more definite shape in my youthful imagination by reason of the fancies and legends of the people. We took the legends naturally; they seemed to fit in with the solitudes and character of the Cornish people and never clashed in our minds with the scriptural teachings which were our daily portion at home. These fairy stories and legends have remained with me but vaguely. I was too young, but I remember the guise dancing when the villagers went about in masks entering homes and frightening children. Halsetown gave me a good physical start in life at any rate, whatever else I owe it. I attribute much of my endurance of fatigue in my life to the free and open healthy years I lived at Halsetown and the simple food and regular routine ordained by my aunt. We rambled much over the desolate hills or down to the seashore and the rocks. I know the sea had a potent attraction for me. I was a wiry youth as I believe when the time came for me to join a London school.

On leaving school John Henry became a clerk but soon threw up this safe job to take up an engagement at a theatre in Sunderland, much against his mother's wishes who associated the stage with the devil. This was the start of a lifetime spent in the theatre, fulfilling an ambition that had been stirring within him from the time of his early years spent at Halsetown.

In 1856, at the age of 18, he took the name of. Henry Irving as he doubted the effectiveness of his former name on a playbill. Thirty-nine years later, on 18th July 1895, he became Sir Henry Irving when he was knighted at-Windsor Castle by Queen Victoria, the first actor to receive this recognition.

A number of books have been written about his career as actor-manager, but it suffices here to quote part of an article, by St. John Irvine on the occasion of the publication of the book "Henry Irving" in 1956 written by his grandson, Laurence Irving.

He was one of the greatest' actors in the history, of the English stage, the equal in genius of all the great actors who adorned the theatre throughout the world. His methods of production and performance still pervail and it is certain that the majority of "Hamlets and Shylocks are acted largely in the way these parts were played by him,

But his influence was not restricted to production and performance. He changed the whole position of actors and actresses in Great Britain. He found the stage in some disrepute, and he raised it to great dignity. Plays were poor in quality and had been for the best part of the century. Irving brought men of quality, such as Tennyson, back to the stage from which they had been excluded too long: and he improved enormously, the whole business of production."

When Sir Henry died on 13th October 1905, flags throughout the kingdom were flown at half-mast. The pillars of the Lyceum Theatre, the scene of so many of his 4riumphs, were hung with crepe and every London cab driver tied a black bow upon his whip. On 20th October his ashes were laid to 'rest in' Westminster Abbey_ at the feet of the statue of his beloved Shakespeare in the presence of a vast congregation.

LATER INFORMATION FROM JOSHUA BOHENNA published in a genealogy magazine in 1990.

The life and career of Actor-Manager, Sir Henry Irving, has been well documented in a number of books and publications, so here it is only necessary briefly to remind ourselves of the reason for his fame. Born John Henry Brodribb, he became a Clerk I when he left school, but soon gave up this safe job to take an engagement at a theatre in Sunderland. This was to be the beginning of a lifetime spent in the theatre, fulfilling an ambition that had been stirring within him from the time of his early years spent at Halsetown with his aunt, Sarah Penberthy.

Brought up in a. devout Methodist family, his move into acting was much against his mother's wishes as she associated the stage with the devil. Yet, in 1856, at the age of 18, he took as his stage name that of a celebrated Preacher as he doubted the effectiveness of his true name on a playbill. Thirty-nine years later, on 18th July 1895, he became Sir John Henry Brodribb Irving when he was knighted at Windsor Castle by Queen Victoria - the first actor to receive this recognition, having raised the acting profession to a level of respectability it had never previously enjoyed.

In the words of St John Irvine "He was one of the greatest Actors in the history of the English stage, the equal in genius of all the great actors who adorned the theatre throughout the world. His methods of production and performance still prevail, and it is certain that the majority of Hamlets and Shylocks are acted largely in the way these parts were played by him. But his influence was not restricted to production and performance. He changed the whole position of Actors and Actresses in Great Britain. He found the stage in disrepute, and he raised it to great dignity. Plays were poor in quality and had been for the best part of the century. Irving brought men of quality, such as Tennyson, back to the stage from which they had been excluded too long: and he improved enormously the whole business of production. "

Sir Henry died on 13th October 1905, shortly after completing a performance of Becket at the Theatre Royal, Bradford. He had been suffering from emphysema for some time. When the news was broken to the public, flags throughout the kingdom were flown at half-mast. The pillars of the Lyceum Theatre, the scene of so many of his triumphs, were hung with crepe and every London Cab Driver tied a black bow upon his whip. On 20th October, his ashes were laid to rest in Westminster Abbey at the feet of the statue of his beloved Shakespeare in the presence of a vast congregation.

After his death, a telegram from Buckingham Palace was received by his sons, which read as follows: "I am commanded to convey to Sir Henry Irving's family His Majesty's and the Queen's sincere sympathy on poor Sir Henry's death. Their Majesties say he will indeed be a great loss to the profession of which he was such a distinguished ornament. "A telegram was also received from President Roosevelt of the USA, as follows: "President greatly regrets sad news."

What do we know of Sir Henry's Cornish ancestry? Unfortunately in the published works on his life there are many omissions and errors about his Cornish connections. For example, in one book his mother's name is given incorrectly and in others the number of his mother's sisters range from two to six. In one biography, one of his aunts is named Victoria. This again is incorrect, no such be: person existed, although we are able to guess at a possible reason for this mistake when we learn that one of his aunts married a Reverend Victor! Also, there is some confusion regarding the identity of his Cornish grandparents and great grandparents. Obviously, to set the record right, these errors need correcting, and what' better medium could there be than through our own Journal.

When John Henry was aged four, his parents decided to move to London to seek greater prosperity. Trade had been falling in the once prosperous general store in Keinton Mandeville, which employed Samuel Brodribb as a travelling Salesman. Mary, described as a "charming gentle mother" with "unflinching self-sacrifice" decided that London was no place for her young son and arranged that he should be brought up in the country with her sister Sarah. She and her husband Isaac Penberthy, lived at Halsetown, just outside St Ives, with their three children, Isaac, Sarah Catherine and John.

Isaac Penberthy was a respected mine Captain in four mines in the neighbourhood of St Ives, but in 1849 tragedy struck when he suddenly died in his 54th year. The local tin-mining industry owed much of its prosperity to his skill and over 2,000 Miners showed their appreciation by attending his funeral. When Mary heard of her sister's loss, she decided that it was a suitable time for John Henry to join them in London.

Nearly fifty years later, John Henry (then Sir Henry Irving) gave his impressions of his early life in Cornwall to the Cornish Magazine. In speaking of his uncle and aunt, he said "I have a prominent mental view of them all and of the place and the neighbours. My uncle was a big man, bearded, broad in the shoulders, perhaps a bit rough and possessing the Celtic temper. He was a man born to command and to be loved. I can hardly describe how dominating was his personality and yet how loveable. My aunt was a woman of severe simplicity in dress, the straight lines of her dress are before me now, and deeply religious in character. It was the time of great religious revival in Cornwall. My aunt was a teetotaler and Methodist and her whole life was coloured by her convictions. Perhaps the stern asceticism of the daily routine imposed by my aunt may have jarred upon us youngsters but it was tempered by strong affection. At any rate, the angles have worn off that recollection. My aunt inspired both respect and affection among us and I have no doubt the discipline imposed upon us was good and healthful. I recall Halsetown as a village nestling between sloping hills, bare and desolate, disfigured by slack from the mines. It was a wild and weird spot, fascinating in its own peculiar beauty and taking more definite shape in my youthful imagination by reason of the fancies and. legends of the people. We took the legends naturally; they seemed to fit in with the solitude and character of the Cornish people and never clashed in our minds with the scriptural teachings which were our daily portion at home. These fairy stories and legends have remained with me but vaguely. I was too young, but I remember the guise dancing when the villagers went about in masks entering homes and frightening children. Halsetown gave me a good physical start in life at any rate, whatever else I owe it. I attribute much of my endurance of fatigue in my life to the tree and open healthy years I lived at Halsetown and the simple food and regular routine ordained by my aunt. We rambled much over the desolate hills or down to the seashore and the rocks. I know the sea had a potent attraction for me. I was a wiry youth as I believe when the time came for me to join a London school."

Sir Henry visited St Ives and Halsetown for the last time in the year before his death. His visit was reported in the SI Ives Weekly Summary of 13th August 1904. He then travelled on to Penzance to visit his cousin 'Kate' Kinsman, nee Sarah Catherine Penberthy, with whom he had spent many happy hours playing in Halsetown.

Ending on a personal note, I first became aware of the family connection to Sir Henry Irving when I was taken by my parents on the train from St Ives to London to attend the Henry' Irving Centenary Matinee held on 23rd May 1938, in the presence of Queen Mary at Irving's old theatre, the Lyceum. Appearing on the stage with more than 300 of the most distinguished Actors and Actresses of the day, was my nine-year old sister Gwen, who was already showing some acting ability by her performance in pantomime back at St Ives. I like to think that Irving's acting ability came from the Cornish side of his ancestry. His memory is kept alive in the family with the name of my son, Richard Irving Behenna.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Irving

Sir Henry Irving, as Hamlet, in an 1893 illustration from The Idler magazineJohn Henry Brodribb (February 6, 1838 – October 13, 1905), knighted in 1895, as Sir Henry Irving, was one of the most famous stage actors of the Victorian era.

Life and career
Irving was born at Keinton Mandeville in the county of Somerset. His elder son, Harry Brodribb Irving (b. 1870), usually known as "H. B. Irving", became a famous actor and later a theatre manager.[1] Sir Henry Irving had two sons. His other son, Laurence Irving (b. 1872), became a dramatist.

Early career
After a few years schooling, he became a clerk to a firm of East India merchants in London, but he soon gave up a commercial career and started as an actor. On 29 September 1856 he made his first appearance at Sunderland as Gaston, Duke of Orleans, in Bulwer Lytton's play, Richelieu, billed as Henry Irving. This name he eventually assumed by royal licence.

For ten years, he went through an arduous training in various stock companies in Scotland and the north of England, acting in more than five hundred parts. By degrees his talent gained recognition, and in 1866 he obtained an engagement at the St. James's Theatre, London, to play Doricourt in The Belle's Stratagem. A year later he joined the company of the newly-opened Queen's Theatre, where he acted with Charles Wyndham, J. L. Toole, Lionel Brough, John Clayton, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Wigan, Ellen Terry and Nelly Farren. This was followed by short engagements at the Haymarket Theatre, Drury Lane, and the Gaiety Theatre. At last he made his first conspicuous success as Digby Grant in James Albery's Two Roses, which was produced at the Vaudeville Theatre on the 4 June 1870 and ran for a very successful 300 nights.

In 1871, Irving began his association with the Lyceum Theatre by an engagement under Bateman's management. The fortunes of the house were at a low ebb when the tide was turned by Irving's sudden success as Mathias in The Bells, a version of Erckmann-Chatrian's Le Juif Polonais by Leopold Lewis. The play ran for 150 nights. With a Miss Bateman, Irving was seen in W. G. Wills' Charles I and Eugene Aram, in Richelieu, and in 1874 in Hamlet. The unconventionality of this last performance, during a run of 200 nights, aroused keen discussion and singled him out as the most interesting English actor of his day. In 1875, again with a Miss Bateman, he was seen as the title character in Macbeth; in 1876 as Othello, and as Philip in Alfred Lord Tennyson's Queen Mary; in 1877 in Richard III; and in The Lyons Mail.

Peak years
In 1878, Irving entered into a partnership with the actress Ellen Terry and re-opened the Lyceum under his own management. With Ellen Terry as Ophelia and Portia, he revived Hamlet and produced The Merchant of Venice (1879). His Shylock was as much discussed as his Hamlet had been, the dignity with which he invested the Jew marking a departure from the traditional interpretation of the role, and pleasing some as much as it offended others. It is this portrayal which is the origin of the practice of naming Jewish boys "Irving".

After the production of Tennyson's The Cup and revivals of Othello (in which Irving played Iago to Edwin Booth's title character) and Romeo and Juliet, there began a period at the Lyceum which had a potent effect on the English stage. The Lyceum stage management, and the brilliance of its productions in scenery, dressing and accessories, were revelations in the art of mise-en-scene.

Henry Irving (pictured) was friends with Abraham "Bram" Stoker who tailored the mannerisms of his character Dracula for Irving, in the hope he would play the villain on stage, but he never did.Much Ado about Nothing (1882) was followed by Twelfth Night (1884); an adaptation of Goldsmith's Vicar of Lakefield by W. G. Wills (1885); Faust (1886); Macbeth (1888); The Dead Heart, by Watts Phillips (1889); Ravenswood by Herman, and Merivales' dramatic version of Scotts Bride of Lammermoor (1890). Fine portrayals in 1892 of the characters of Wolsey in Henry VIII and of the title character in King Lear were followed in 1893 by a striking and dignified performance of Becket in Tennyson's play of the same name. During these years, too, Irving, with the whole Lyceum company, paid several successful visits to America, which were repeated in succeeding years.

Later years
The chief remaining novelties at the Lyceum (luring Irving's sole manager (the theatre passed, at the beginning of 1899, into the hands of a limited liability company) were Joseph Comyns Carr's King Arthur in 1895; Cymbeline, in which Irving played Iachimo, in 1896; Sardou's Madame Sans-Gene in 1897; Peter the Great, a play by Laurence Irving, the actor's second son, in 1898; and Arthur Conan Doyle's Waterloo (1894) (see King, Henry Irving's 'Waterloo'). The new regime at the Lyceum was signalized by the production of Sardou's Robespierre in 1899, in which Irving reappeared after a serious illness, and in 1901 by an elaborate revival of Coriolanus. Irving's only subsequent production in London was as Sardou's Dante (1903), a spectacularly staged drama, at the Drury Lane.

Irving died in the lobby of the Midland Hotel whilst on tour in Bradford on 13 October 1905, aged 67, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. There is a statue of him near the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Irving as an innovator
Both on and off the stage, Irving always maintained a high ideal of his profession, and in 1895 he received the honour of knighthood, the first ever accorded an actor. He was also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Dublin, Cambridge, and Glasgow. His acting, apart from his genius as a presenter of plays, divided criticism, opinions differing as to the extent to which his mannerisms of voice and deportment interfered with or assisted the expression of his ideas. So strongly marked a personality as his could not help giving its own colouring to whatever part he might assume, but the richness and originality of this colouring at its best, and the spirit and intellect which characterised his renderings, was conceded by even his critics, as was his versatility in roles so widely different as Digby Grant and Louis XI, Richard III and Becket, Benedick and Shylock, Mathias and Dr. Primrose.

Irving was supposedly the inspiration for Bram Stoker's literary villain, Dracula.

References
Irving, Laurence, Henry Irving: The Actor and His World, published in 1989.
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Irving"

http://www.theirvingsociety.org.uk/

‘THE KNIGHT FROM NOWHERE’

Sir Henry Irving 1838-1905
by Michael Kilgarriff

Henry Irving’s knighthood in 1895, the first bestowed upon an actor, was the climax of a lifetime’s tireless proselytising for recognition of his ‘beloved calling’. His suzerainty of the Lyceum Theatre in London (1878-1902) is one of the glories of our theatrical history, and the whole notion of a National Theatre and acceptance of public subsidies for the theatre is due to Irving’s messianic zeal for the drama as an improving, civilising and uplifting aspect of our cultural life. Such was the distinction of his bearing and appearance that it was said he would have become eminent in any walk of life. I don’t agree: it had to be the theatre.

The honour and awe in which Irving was held, his dignity and integrity, his electrifying personality both on and off the stage, his generosity and the respect in which he was held by all classes, from Queen Victoria to the galleryites, bespeak a very exceptional character. After Gladstone, he was the most celebrated Englishman of his time. So how did a boy from the humblest of backgrounds, with no theatrical hinterland, rise to become The Elevator of the Stage, revered and feted by the literati and cognoscenti of the civilised world? No wonder, when he died a century ago, Max Beerbohm called him The Knight from Nowhere.

Every February a wreath is laid at the feet of Irving’s statue in Charing Cross Road—the only statue of an actor in London—by members of The Irving Society. That the society exists at all is a tribute to the enduring fascination of H.I., and the brief ceremony is a reminder of his uniqueness and of his legacy. A few words are spoken in the open air against passing traffic; a ladder is placed against the huge plinth, the wreath is laid and three cheers are given to celebrate the immortal memory of the mighty Irving.

Henry Irving was a tall, slender figure—about 6' 2"—with hair worn longer than was customary, a clean-shaven chin—again unusual for the times—a long, strikingly sensitive face and a dominant, rather sardonic, presence which both fascinated and intimidated. The actor had first impressed the London theatre-going public in the 1860s in comic parts; by the 1890s he was the most Eminent Tragedian of his age.

An only child, John Brodribb was born in1838 in Keinton Mandeville, a nondescript Somerset village; his father was a travelling salesman for the local general store. The family moved to Bristol but, fearful for his health, his parents sent him to cousins in Cornwall. When his father obtained a job in the City the ten year old Johnnie at last rejoined them in the Metropolis. The emergence of the boy’s vocation for the theatre remains mysterious, but it would not be gainsaid, despite his provincial vowels and his ungainliness. A few teenage years as a clerk were spent testing his ambition in amateur productions, in swimming in the Thames to build up his physique, on fencing lessons and on acting lessons. A legacy of £100 from an uncle enabled him to buy the wherewithal essential for an actor in those pre-union days—tights, swords, wigs, boots, period coats and hats.

His acting teacher helped find him his first engagement, at Sunderland in 1856 when he was 18. Having changed his name to Henry Irving in deference to his mother’s fervent Methodism, his first line as a professional actor was prophetic: ‘Here’s to our enterprise’. And what an enterprise it was to be. Years of grinding toil, disappointment, despair and abject poverty at last led to his growing acceptance as an actor of unusual technical ability, personal appeal and the essential gentlemanliness. But always he held on to that dream, that goal, that the drama should be regarded as a force for good. For this callow young man’s goal was breath-taking: it was, no less, to raise the status of the stage to that of her sister arts.

His triumph in 1871 as the haunted burgomaster in The Bells was followed by further blazingly memorable characterisations such as King Charles I, Eugene Aram and Richelieu. His 1874 Hamlet astonished the town with its psychological acuity and confirmed him as the leader of his profession . Subsequent roles underlined his uncanny ability to carry audiences with him and to defy convention by not making the customary ‘points’. The intellectuality of his work was revelatory, and numerous contemporary reviews show the overwhelming effect of Irving’s vision. As a régisseur he was also innovative, being hugely admired for his handling of crowd scenes, his use of incidental music, and above all his use of lighting, always gas—he always disliked electric stage lighting.

In 1878 Irving took over the lease of the Lyceum, inaugurating his legendary reign with a revival of Hamlet, this time with a new leading lady. This was the numinous Ellen Terry, one of the few actresses whose Pre-Raphaelite beauty, no less than her strength of personality, could match up to Irving’s dominance of a stage. Whether there was a love affair is still debated; her autobiography shows her affection and admiration for him, also her awareness that she was only an adjunct to his ‘work’.

Irving’s love life seems confined to a romance with a girl who died young, and an unhappy marriage to Florence O’Callaghan, a sour-tempered young woman who came to despise the theatre. They separated on the opening night of The Bells (‘Are you going on making a fool of yourself like this all your life?’) and never spoke again. Their two sons, H.B. and Laurence, were brought up by Florence with a jaundiced view of their father, though as adults they came to enjoy a close and affectionate relationship with the Antique, as they called him. Both became charismatic actors, Laurence even writing two plays for Irving.

As well as his Lyceum seasons and his provincial tours, H.I. undertook eight tours of North America, transporting his entire London productions, including key technicians and musicians, something never before attempted. America was flattered, and from the very first night of The Bells in New York Irving’s magnetic appeal never lost its grip. In the US he was admired no less than in Britain, becoming a welcome and regular guest at the Universities, Academies and the White House itself.

Despite demands on his stamina and time he never missed an opportunity to preach the word everywhere and anywhere. At civic receptions, banquets, institutions, universities, dedications, he was indefatigable. Gradually his message became accepted, and both church and state came to his way of thinking that the theatre should be admitted into the pantheon of the arts.

In his farewell tour at the Theatre Royal Bradford in 1905, Irving’s health was giving cause for alarm. His long-serving manager Bram Stoker, fearful of the strain on the actor’s increasing fragility, had packed up the Bells scenery and sent it back to London without the Guv’nor’s permission. But it was too late. On Friday, 13 October, less than two hours after appearing as Becket, Irving collapsed in the foyer of the Midland Hotel and died. He was 67.

As we’ve seen, his first line on the stage, spoken nearly half a century before, was ‘Here’s to our enterprise’. Henry Irving’s last line to his public was similarly apt: ‘Into thy hands, O Lord. Into thy hands.’

Irving was a supporter of masonic charities, making regular donations to the two masonic schools and to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
Initiated: 27 April 1877
Passed: 24 November 1882
Raised: 12 January 1883
Jerusalem Lodge No. 44, London
Treasurer: 1887
Savage Club Lodge No. 2190, London
Honorary member: 1904
St Martin’s Lodge No. 2455, London
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Source : United Grand Lodge of England rolls, London. Austin Brereton, The Life of Henry Irving. London: Longmans Green & Co., 1908. vol. 1. p. 234.