This New Brunswick theatre collapsed as it says in the print, “the Fall”. A structural fault I think. I happen to know because an ancestor of mine, Mr. Saker, a music hall artist, one of many in that family, was having a drink in a pub across the road when it collapsed killing a number of people. It was prior to a performance so it was not full. Apparently Saker had decided to give up the bottle but had gone across to a pub to have one last final drink of his life before his performance. If he hadn’t he would have been in the theatre. Ever afterwards according to one reference he “used to expatiate on the great advantage of having a drink before a performance.” He never gave up drinking!
That’s fascinating and prompted me to do a little more research.
There’s an account of the collapse of the roof on February 28, 1828 written by Charles Dickens here.
A photo and lengthy report in Blackheath: being a brief historical review of some leading circumstances connected with seamen’s societies, since a residence on Blackheath in 1825, volume 1, written by the Rev G C Smith here.
And another photo and account in The Portfolio of Entertaining & Instructive Varieties in History, Literature, Fine Arts, Etc. volume 4, published by J Duncombe here.
This is great. Any pics of Hackney, Waltham Forest? I did search but could not find.
This New Brunswick theatre collapsed as it says in the print, “the Fall”. A structural fault I think. I happen to know because an ancestor of mine, Mr. Saker, a music hall artist, one of many in that family, was having a drink in a pub across the road when it collapsed killing a number of people. It was prior to a performance so it was not full. Apparently Saker had decided to give up the bottle but had gone across to a pub to have one last final drink of his life before his performance. If he hadn’t he would have been in the theatre. Ever afterwards according to one reference he “used to expatiate on the great advantage of having a drink before a performance.” He never gave up drinking!
That’s fascinating and prompted me to do a little more research.
There’s an account of the collapse of the roof on February 28, 1828 written by Charles Dickens here.
A photo and lengthy report in Blackheath: being a brief historical review of some leading circumstances connected with seamen’s societies, since a residence on Blackheath in 1825, volume 1, written by the Rev G C Smith here.
And another photo and account in The Portfolio of Entertaining & Instructive Varieties in History, Literature, Fine Arts, Etc. volume 4, published by J Duncombe here.