A History Of Liverpool Thespians - Edward Askew Sothern

Edward Askew Sothern was born on the 1st of April 1826 at The Priory, St Michaels in the Hamlet, Liverpool, the son of John Southen who was born in Worsley, Greater Manchester and Mary Southern, born in Cefnmine, Caernarfon. His father John was a coal and salt merchant, a ship owner and builder. Edward began studying medicine, and his parents hoped that he would become a minister, but he decided against pursuing those professions. He initially worked as a clerk in a shipbroker's office and married Frances Emily 'Fannie' Stewart around 1847. Acting as an amateur in 1848, his first stage appearance was in 1849 at the St Helier Theatre in Jersey under the name of Douglas Stuart as Claude Melnotte in 'The Lady of Lyons'. Having played in various English companies without particular success, he travelled to America in 1852 and his first American appearance was in September 1852 at the National Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts with John Lacy's company, playing Dr. Pangloss in 'The Heir at Law'. In the early part of his career, his wife Fannie often performed with him. He was a member of Wallack’s company in New York from the 9th of September 1854, at which point in his career he changed his name to Sothern. He had played many light comedies at Laura Keene’s Theatre in New York by 1856 but finally gained attention at Wallack's Theatre in New York starring as Armand in 'Camille'. It was here on the 12th of May 1858 that he first appeared in the role for which he is best remembered, Lord Dundreary, in Tom Taylor’s 'Our American Cousin', a farcical comedy whose plot is based around the introduction of an awkward, boorish American to his aristocratic English relations. Edward's character became famous for his exaggerated sideburns ('Dundreary whiskers') and for his ‘Dundrearyisms’, twisted aphorisms such as 'birds of a feather gather no moss'. The play’s most notorious performance was on the 14th of April 1865 at Ford’s Theatre, Washington DC during which Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. With Edward gradually expanding the role by adding gags and business, it became the central figure of the play. The play ran for 150 nights, which was very successful for a New York run at the time.
 

as Lord Dundreary in 'Our American Cousin'

He made his debut as Dundreary in London at the Haymarket Theatre on the 11th of November 1861, earning rave reviews and played the part there for 496 performances. The Atheaeum wrote, "it is certainly the funniest thing in the world... a vile caricature of a vain nobleman, intensely ignorant, and extremely indolent." In 1864, he created the title role in Tom Robertson's 'David Garrick' at the Haymarket Theatre. The play was a great success with The Times praising Edward's acting in the Act II scene where he depicted "the most extravagant form of drunkenness... perpetually brought into contact with the real agony of mind which is now on the point of casting aside the mask of debauchery." His first Paris outing as Lord Dundreary was on the 8th of July 1867. He continued to act mostly in London until 1876 when he left England once more to tour in America. At the height of his career he was earning a phenomenal £235 a week, and though he played many other roles during his career, including the title role, Fitzaltamont, in a hit revival of Byron's 'The Crushed Tragedian' (1878) at the Haymarket, he will always be remembered as Lord Dundreary. 

A sturdy stone cross in Southampton Old Cemetery with a simple inscription on the base

Edward and his wife had four children, all of whom became actors: Lytton Edward, Edward Hugh (E.H.), George Evelyn Augustus T. and Eva Mary. E. H. Sothern became prominent on the American stage. Edward Sothern's house in Kensington, London was a resort for people of fashion, and he was as much a favourite in America as in the United Kingdom. He died on the 21st of January 1881 aged 54 at his home, 1 Vere Street, Cavendish Square, London and was buried on the 27th of January at Southampton Cemetery.at his own request, but his only known link with the town was his sister, Mary Cowan, who lived here and was later buried in the same grave as her brother. Her inscription is on the other side of the tomb. A will made shortly before his death made Mary Cowan his principal beneficiary but a previous will had left most of his estate to his wife and children. Emily Sothern contested her husband’s will but lost and it can only be conjectured that an irrevocable gulf had opened up between Edward and his family.

Born on April Fool's day, he was such a notorious practical joker that many of his friends missed his funeral, thinking it was a joke. He would often falsely announce the death of a friend or send people on fool's errands.

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2023/06/a-history-of-liverpool-thespians-frank.html