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| The era of the theatre |
| This research is what got me started at Colindale, doing my own Family History research. The marriage certificate of my great-great grandfather, James Lewis Elliott, stated he was an actor. Initially I checked out the local papers for the date I knew but without success. While researching for journals associated with the theatre I discovered one entitled The Era. |
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| The Era is an unusal publication. It hsa reports and information on a number of subjects - Horse racing results and forecasts, parliamentary reports, issuing of licenses for licensed victulars, and London and provincial theatres. Each Saturday this journal was published and gave reports from their theatical agents. It was through The Era that I was able to trace the journies of James Elliott. |
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| Local agents were responsible for sending in reports each week. Unfortunately this did nit always happen so there are gaps. The quality of the reports also varied, sometimes giving a full report with the names of the plays and actors, and other times the briefest of statements. It is a pity that the names of the agents who wrote the reports are not given. You can see examples of report here - Norwich, 21st April 1867; and Oldham, 11th December 1870.
| | OK, as we all know family history is not that simple. Almost from day one I was interested in two people. James Elliott, my acknowledged ancestor, and a certain Lewis Sinclair. Lewis kept appearing in theatres where I expected to find James. The reason I kept an eye on Lewis Sinclair was that James's first born, and my great grandfather, was named Nathan Lewis Sincalir Elliott. |
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| I was able to trace, via The Era, the trail of James/Lewis to the locations of his marriage and the birth of his children - Leicester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Dundee, Warrington and St Helens. It was far later that I managed to confirm that my James and the mysterious Lewis Sinclair were the one and same person. This was partially through newspaper reports and partially through an entry in the 1871 census. |
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| I am now slowly filling in the gaps which means checking each location for a mention of his name. In 1865 he was in Bolton and Leicester. In 1867 he travelled from Norwich, to Stockton-on-Tees, through Sheffield and Leeds to Richmond. The next year he appeared in Leicester and South Shields. I have also found him in Hull, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead, Dundee, Swansea, St Helens and Warrington. |
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