Note C — AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF MRS. JOHN DREW WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY HER SON

Joseph Jefferson, first of that name, the son of the comedian of Garrick's company, Thomas Jefferson, and grandfather of our Joe, was born in Plymouth, England, in 1774. Tired of the Plymouth stage, with which he had been connected from childhood, he came, at the suggestion of Manager Powell of Boston, to America at the age of twenty, and played with Hodgkinson and Hallam at the John Street Theatre, New York, until Dunlap opened the Park in 1798. For five years he there essayed comic and old men's characters until, in 1803, he was fortunately and permanently engaged at the then leading theatre of the country, the Chestnut Street, in Philadelphia. There he practically remained until his death, in August, 1832, the favorite and popular comedian of the American stage. Of the two hundred characters he essayed, many are unknown to the playgoer of the present day, but his versatile talent was greatly commended in Polonius, Jeremy Diddler, Touchstone, Bob Acres, Dominie Sampson, Mawworm, Captain Copp, Dogberry, Scaramouch and Solus in "Every One Has His Fault," a comedy by Mrs. Inchbald.

Only careful and clear-headed readers of William Winter can form an idea of the comic genius involved in the name of Jefferson on the American stage. One of its most promising members, who died when but twenty-three, was John Jefferson, third son of Joseph. His last performance was in 1831, at Lancaster, in "The School for Scandal."—The cast was as follows:

Sir Peter Teazle Joseph Jefferson, Sr.

Sir Oliver Surface John Jefferson

Rowley Joseph Jefferson, Jr. (Father of Our Joe.)

Lady Teazle Mrs. S. Chapman (Elizabeth Jefferson, John's sister, a celebrated and popular Park Theatre actress.)

Mrs. Candour Mrs. Joseph Jefferson, Jr.

Lady Sneerwell Jane Jefferson Anderson (Daughter of John's sister Euphemia and mother of Effie Germon.)

Maria Miss Mary Anne Jefferson