Edward Loomis Davenport

Background

Edward Loomis Davenport was born on November 15, 1815 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States; the son of an inn-keeper, Asher Davenport, and his wife, Demis Loomis.

Education

In 1854 he was again in the United States, appearing in Shakespearian plays and in dramatizations of Dickens's novels. As Bill Sikes he was especially successful, and his Sir Giles Overreach, a role he played at Daly's Fifth Avenue Theatre in 1869, and Brutus were also greatly admired.

Career

In his youth Davenport drifted from one commercial position to another, nursing an increasing desire to go on the stage.

In spite of his father’s aversion to such a career, he made his theatrical debut, under the transparent name of “Mr. Dee” (Davenport), at the old Lion Theatre, or Brick Circus, in Providence, playing Parson Willdo in A New Way to Pay Old Debts to Junius Brutus Booth’s Sir Giles Overreach.

His first ten years in the theatre were devoted to playing every variety of character in the exhaustive and exhausting routine of the stock companies, and at the end of that decade he emerged a finished actor, in a position among the foremost young leading men of his time.

He had headed companies in Boston, Philadelphia, and New York, and had toured with success throughout the country.

In 1847 he went to England as leading man for Anna Cora Mowatt, with whom he played Claude Melnotte in The Lady of Lyons, Clifford in The Hunchback, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, and other standard roles.

When Gustavus Brooke joined the company, Shakespeare’s Othello was revived, and Davenport and Brooke alternated in the roles of Othello and Iago.

Brooke, whose style was somewhat robust, had two years before made something of a sensation for himself as Othello, yet one critic, in writing of Mrs. Mowatt’s revival, said that “when he Davenport plays Iago to Mr. Brooke’s Othello, Iago is the ruling spirit of the piece; but when the cast is reversed Iago sinks to the level of a truculent ruffian, and Othello rises into the dignity of a brave, honorable and injured man. ”

There were other comments in favor of “the American actor’s superior discrimination, intelligence and good taste”.

During his six years in England, Davenport added Shylock, Virginius, Hamlet, Richelieu, Wolsey, Brutus, Ingomar, and King Lear to his English repertoire, and, in spite of his many comedy and romantic characters, he became known as “the American tragedian. ”

One of his successful comedy impersonations was William, in Douglas Jerrold’s Black Eyed Susan, sacred in London’s esteem to their popular comedian, T. P. Cooke.

In this role he followed Macready’s season at the Haymarket Theatre, with a first night’s audience which included Charles Dickens, William M. Thackeray, Mark Lemon, and the author, Douglas Jerrold, himself.

The performance was acclaimed with the same enthusiasm as London had already shown for his tragic characterizations.

Davenport returned to America in 1854. His health began to fail about 1874, and during the ensuing three years he acted infrequently, spending most of his time at his home in Canton, Pennsylvania, where he died.

From the long list of roles associated with his career those which emerged finally as the favorites were Shakespeare’s Brutus and Sir Giles Overreach in Massinger’s A New Way to Pay Old Debts.

Achievements

• Davenport is best known for his roles as ‘Hamlet', ‘Brutus' in "Julius Caesar", and ‘Sir Giles Overreach' in "A New Way to Pay Old Debt"s.

Personality

Temperamentally Davenport had a natural dignity without austere reserve and was known for a genial, courteous disposition. Though his early education was limited he later in life became distinguished as “a scholarly actor. ” His wide versatility made it difficult to define his manner of acting, but he was acclaimed for his penetration and force in tragedy, his vigorous impulsive style in romantic rôles, and his intelligence in acting every character that he attempted.

Connections

While in England, in 1849, Davenport married Fanny Elisabeth Vining (Mrs. Charles Gill), a popular English actress. She was the daughter of Frederick Vining who, at the time of her birth (in July 1829), was the manager of the Haymarket Theatre, London. Her mother was the daughter of the Irish comedian, John Johnstone, and was a first cousin to Lester Wallack. Fanny Vining was carried on the stage as a baby in arms; she made her debut at the Haymarket Theatre in 1847, as Juliet to the Romeo of Gustavus Brooke. After her marriage to E. L. Davenport, she acted with her husband as long as he acted, always in America after her debut in New York, March 2, 1855. Her last appearance was made at the Globe Theatre, Boston, April 7, 1890, as Lady Macbeth. She died at her home, Canton, Pennsylvania, July 20, 1891. The Davenports had nine children, seven of whom lived to grow up and adopt the stage as a profession. Of these, Fanny Lily Gypsy Davenport was the eldest and became the most celebrated.

Father:

Asher Davenport

inn-keeper

Mother:

Demis Loomis

Wife:

Fanny Elisabeth Vining

actress

Daughter:

Fanny Lily Gypsy Davenport

References

• Edward Loomis Davenport: a biography