Henry Francis Southwell  (1798–1841)

In 1821 Henry Southwell made his first appearance on any stage as a member of the Corps de Ballet at Wigan, Lancs under the assumed name ‘Francis’ under the management of Howard. In 1825 he appeared as Gésier in a production of William Tell on the Dublin stage alongside Macready. In 1825 he moved to London and made his debut as Romeo at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London on 3rd October 1826. In 1827 he appeared at the Surrey Theatre, having followed Elliston, the theatrical director there. Soon afterwards he was recruited by Weymss to join his theatre company at the Chestnut Theatre in Philadelphia. He sailed to Philadelphia in the Montezuma with his wife (first name not given) and a son Frederick. The ship arrived in Philadelphia on 22 October 1827.

He made his first appearance on the stage of the Chestnut Theatre, Philadelphia as Romeo in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ on 29 October 1827. In 1839 he made his first appearance in New York at the Bowery Theatre, acting the character of Feargus M’Ivor in ‘Waverley’. Soon after this he left America for the West Indies to set up his own theatrical company there. He died in Antigua in 1841.

RETURN