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Charles Saint Thomas Burke was born on March 27, 1822 as the son of Thomas Burke, an actor of some repute, and Cornelia Frances Thomas, a capable actress of French ancestry who, after the death of her first husband, became the wife of the second Joseph Jefferson and the mother of the third and most celebrated actor of that name.
Burke's career on the stage began in infancy, his early childhood experiences in the theatre culminating in his appearance at the National Theatre, New York, on September 3, 1836, as the Prince of Wales to the Richard III of Junius Brutus Booth. Later in the same season he was seen as Prince John in Henry IV with James H. Hackett as Falstaff, and as Irus in Talfourd's tragedy Ion with George Jones.
At this time he began the singing of comic songs in a manner that gained him an added popularity throughout his career.
He returned to the east in 1847, and the rest of his short life was passed mainly in the theatres of New York and Philadelphia, notably in association with William E. Burton. Joseph Jefferson refers to them as "these two great artists, " and in the course of his Autobiography mentions Burke again and again in the most affectionate terms.
Burke acted many of the favorite heroes of comedy, including Paul Pry in John Poole's comedy, Dickory in The Spectre Bridegroom, Ichabod Crane, Solon Shingle, Touchstone, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Bob Acres, Caleb Plummer, and Rip Van Winkle.
He died in New York in his thirty-third year, almost at the outset of what might have been a great career.
Charles Burke's major achievement was that he made his own version of the Washington Irving story, and portions of it were later utilized by Joseph Jefferson, who at one time acted Seth the innkeeper to his half-brother's Rip. The famous line, "Are we so soon forgot when we are gone?" is Burke's. He had many of the appealing physical and mental attributes of the comedian.
He was a typical example of the born actor to whom the stage is a world of reality as well as of illusion, and the results of whose work come from intuition rather than from study.
His figure was slender, graceful, and lithe, and his features though plain were notably expressive.
Quotes from others about the person
His aunt, Elizabeth Jefferson, says of him during this period that "he grew up to be one of the best actors we ever had, " that "as a boy he was full of promise, " and that "a more talented and kind-hearted man never lived. "
William Winter says that his "art concealed every vestige of effort. "
He was twice married, first to Margaret Murcoyne of Philadelphia, and upon her death to Mrs. Sutherland, who survived him. A stepdaughter, Ione Sutherland, took his name, and had a brief career on the stage as Ione Burke.
actor
actress
Toward the end of 1837, Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson, accompanied by their family, began journeys through the west and south which gave Burke intimate acquaintance with the life and hardships of the wandering actor.
