Sorry if this is a bit long and I hope you can all stay with me as I really need some assistance and input on this one. Afraid it's my theatricals again which is either a help or a hindrance.
My 5 x great grandfather is George Alfred Hodson, born Dublin Ireland in the 1790s
I recently found an report of the death of his wife in 1844 at the Bower Saloon, Lambeth which finally gave me a first name for her of Catherine Mary.
Last night I found on ancestry a marriage between George Alfred Hodson and Catherine Benson at St Nicholas (with St Leonard) in Bristol. 15 September 1815
The family has really strong links with Bath and Bristol and the Theatre Royals which is why the marriage jumped out at me as a very strong possible.
The descendants of George and Catherine are all pretty successful in the theatre so there has always been plenty of info to be found about them online - but the accuracy of it varies.
The one that I have never been able to prove is that Catherine was related to the much more famous Kemble family (and the actress Sarah Siddons nee Kemble). This tends to only be mentioned in biographies of George Musgrove, Australian theatre producer (grandson of George and Catherine) so thought it may be a fib he had told which turned into a "fact".
Tonight I have been searching like mad on Gale and have found an acting family called Benson who performed with the Kemble and Siddons at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. I thought I was on a wild goose chase really but I think I may have something:
The Hull Packet and Original Weekly Commercial, Literary and General Advertiser (Hull, England), Tuesday, August 23, 1814
On Monday se'nnight, at Clifton, Mrs Benson, widow of Mr Benson, formerly of Drury Lane theatre, and sister of Mrs Stephen Kemble, well known in the theatrical world.
There's a more complex story involved with Mr Benson as he appears to have committed suicide by jumping from the roof of the Drury Lane theatre - but that's something to look at when the connection looks more likely.
Can anyone offer any help at all on this? This is the best nugget I have got on this line for ages and I think I really may be on to something but I'm beginning to struggle as I'm unable to expand my thinking to know what to search for next.
Thanks in advance
Zoe
My 5 x great grandfather is George Alfred Hodson, born Dublin Ireland in the 1790s
I recently found an report of the death of his wife in 1844 at the Bower Saloon, Lambeth which finally gave me a first name for her of Catherine Mary.
Last night I found on ancestry a marriage between George Alfred Hodson and Catherine Benson at St Nicholas (with St Leonard) in Bristol. 15 September 1815
The family has really strong links with Bath and Bristol and the Theatre Royals which is why the marriage jumped out at me as a very strong possible.
The descendants of George and Catherine are all pretty successful in the theatre so there has always been plenty of info to be found about them online - but the accuracy of it varies.
The one that I have never been able to prove is that Catherine was related to the much more famous Kemble family (and the actress Sarah Siddons nee Kemble). This tends to only be mentioned in biographies of George Musgrove, Australian theatre producer (grandson of George and Catherine) so thought it may be a fib he had told which turned into a "fact".
Tonight I have been searching like mad on Gale and have found an acting family called Benson who performed with the Kemble and Siddons at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. I thought I was on a wild goose chase really but I think I may have something:
The Hull Packet and Original Weekly Commercial, Literary and General Advertiser (Hull, England), Tuesday, August 23, 1814
On Monday se'nnight, at Clifton, Mrs Benson, widow of Mr Benson, formerly of Drury Lane theatre, and sister of Mrs Stephen Kemble, well known in the theatrical world.
There's a more complex story involved with Mr Benson as he appears to have committed suicide by jumping from the roof of the Drury Lane theatre - but that's something to look at when the connection looks more likely.
Can anyone offer any help at all on this? This is the best nugget I have got on this line for ages and I think I really may be on to something but I'm beginning to struggle as I'm unable to expand my thinking to know what to search for next.
Thanks in advance
Zoe
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