| I am indebted to Barbie Handley
for the following account of the Hammone family: Sources referred to in the text: (WJ): Douglas Jerrold Dramatist and Wit by Walter Jerrold (1914) Hodder & Stoughton (WBJ): The Life of Douglas Jerrold ): William Blanchard Jerrold, Bradbury, Evans & Co., London, 1870. (MS): Douglas Jerrold: A Life (1803-1857): Michael Slater, Duckworth 2001 (Tony Hammond) of the Peruvian branch of the Hammond Family. Michael Young THE HAMMOND FAMILY William John Hammond was born in 1797 or 1799 (MS some conflict). He was well known in the Liverpool theatre world, as a comedian and theatre owner, and played in strong comedy and burlesque. In 1838 the fanzine Actors by Daylight called him ‘this favourite son of Momus’ and praised his ‘agreeable quaintness’. He owned the Liver theatre in Liverpool and at one time managed the York circuit. W.J. Hammond was a close friend of personalities such as Charles Dickens and his brother-in-law the famous Victorian journalist and playwright, Douglas JERROLD. His most acclaimed performance was held at the Strand Theatre in London on July 10, 1837, where he played the role of Sam Weller in The Pickwickians, a dramatization of Charles Dickens The Pickwick Papers (Tony Hammond). Douglas JERROLD spent a few weeks with his brother-in-law, Hammond at Doncaster in 1833-34 (WBJ). In 1836 William, like his brother-in-law joined the freemasons at the Bank of England Lodge. William and Douglas JERROLD went into partnership at one stage, taking over the lease of the little ‘New Strand Theatre, which stood on the site of the present day Aldwych tube station. The theatre was licensed to perform burlettas but not straight drama; however they got around this by calling everything a burletta! They opened the theatre on 25th April 1836 with ‘an entirely original burletta of serious interest’, a play by Douglas, The painter of Ghent, with Douglas in the leading role. On 30th May Rent Day was performed as ‘Mr Jerrold’s original domestic burletta’. The Strand audiences were unrefined and wanted light hearted programs so revivals of earlier comedies or new burlettas were performed. William also acted as Othello in Othello (According to an Act of Parliament), an ‘operatic burlesque burletta’; he had previously played in this role (the Moor of Venice, formerly an independent nigger from Hayti) in Liverpool in 1834. The New Strand Theatre was described as ‘the most comfortable theatre in London’. It was small but William and Douglas increased its capacity by converting the upper circle boxes into a gallery. The leasing of the theatre appeared to be a successful venture but by 1838 William seems to have taken over as soul manager of the theatre and possibly the partnership only lasted a few months. In 1837 the theatre began cashing in on the success of Dickens Pickwick Papers by staging a dramatisation The Pickwickians in which William very successfully played Sam Weller. However the Theatre began to fail; they tried plays (The painter of Ghent) and ballet to no avail. It would appear that it was at this time that Kate was born (1840) and business difficulties could explain the six month delay in registering her birth. In 1841 Douglas lodged with them at Essex Street on his return from visiting his children at school in Boulogne. One Hammond daughter, Jane Matilda, at least was schooled with Douglas’s daughters at the Dames Frévilliez in Boulogne. The family were back in Liverpool by December 1842 (WBJ). In a letter written by Douglas Jerrold from Boulogne to Blanchard on Christmas Day 1842 he reports the death of Hammond’s daughter in Boulogne: ‘….sudden and dangerous illness of Hammond’s second child, the little, plain, affectionate thing you saw at Essex Street and to whom you likened to Malibran… .died and coffined in my house and laid in a French grave Thursday last.’ He dreaded the arrival of Hammond. ‘I dread to hear from Liverpool, knowing the intense feelings of the mother and her peculiarly nervous susceptibility. I thank God she has a baby of some weeks to divert her misery’. (WBJ). ‘Douglas returned from Boulogne at the end of 1842 in low spirits for he had just buried a niece who was almost a daughter to him’. 1847: Douglas wrote to his older sister, Elizabeth Copeland proposing to visit Chester races and then a few days in Wales, in which case he would visit them. He says that Hammond ‘tells me you are flourishing’ (WJ). William seems to have roved around the country in pursuit of his acting career. When looking at the places of birth of his children it would appear that in 1825 he was in Hull, 1827 and 1829 back in Liverpool, 1831 in York, 1833 and 34 in Doncaster, 1840 in Strand, London and 1842 back again in Liverpool! He died of dysentry in New York in 1848 whilst on theatre tour (Tony Hammond); a letter written by Jane’s brother, Henry, in March 1849 reports his death; (WJ). His obituary in London Illustrated News of 1848 says: ‘This well known actor died recently in New York, leaving, we are sorry to say, his wife and family of seven children perfectly destitute. Mr Hammond was known through the country as one of the best low comedy actors of his day, and as a manager. In London he directed the Strand Theatre in its more palmy era and afterwards for a brief season, Drury Lane. A subscription, we understand, has been set on foot at Liverpool for the relief of his family; we trust the example may be followed in the metropolis’. His son, Henry Holbrey, a mining engineer in Peru took it upon himself to take financial care and support of his mother and younger siblings (Tony Hammond). Henry, having seen the financial hardship associated with an acting career strongly discouraged his children from entering the entertainment business. A portrait of William appearing as Sam Weller is held by the Dickens museum in London. Links: Jerrold Pages Family Trees Links Page Home Page Silent People |