Edward Ebley's Theatre of Varieties 1859-1915
by Clifford Horton
Preamble: Clifford Horton details his research of his ancestors, the Ebley family, who owned a portable theatre which toured Wales. His research involved interviews with family members and internet research, which was at times frustrating. The Ebley family archive is held at Swansea University and the NFA hold information regarding other portable theatres including the archive of the Hodgkins family.
My father visited his ageing aunt, Christina (Tina) Routledge 'nee' Horton in the 1980's
who began telling him of his family history. Tina had been a Music Hall Actress in the days when such a career was frowned upon, and so had been discreet on previous visits. One high point was being a tour with Max Miller. Curious as to she had become involved with theatre she explained to my Father that his Grandparents, the Horton's, had worked in Travelling Theatre.
Alfred Horton, her Father, had originated from Lincoln. He was a musician and later a professor of music as was his father before him. (In this context a professor would have been the stage manager) They had performed in orchestras associated with Travelling Theatres.
Alfred had met Sophia, my father's grandmother, whilst touring with an acting company in South Wales. Sophia's father was an Actor known as Edward Ebley, who was believed to be from a privileged background but had left home to join the travelling troupes without his parent permission.
The census for 1891 lists Alfred and Sophia living in Pullmans in Ystradyfodwg in the Rhondda Valley. This was one of the wintering grounds for travelling people and included Edward (Ted) Ebley, William Ebley, the Garrett's (a theatrical family), a couple with a shooting gallery, the Danter family, a Showman from Boston, America and an engine driver.
Sophia's father, Edward Ebley was at Lion Hill, Stourport Worcestershire, another wintering ground. Edward's profession is listed as being the Manager of a Travelling Theatre.
Portable Theatres were large tarpaulin tents like a circus tent only rectangular with a stage, gallery, seating, including heating and lighting. This could be erected dismantled and transported easily. The performers would generally have to stay in lodgings while the proprietor and his family stayed in comfort of their own caravan which was very luxuriously furnished.
Through the summer season they would follow the fairs and in the winter they would erect the booth more substantially and try to obtain a license to perform in the town for as long as possible.
The 19th century saw Rapid development in manufacturing techniques for Cloth, Timber and Ironmongery. Railways and Roads expanded and movable dwellings were invented. Legislation in 1843 specifically excluded portable theatre from requiring a license to perform at fairs and festivities.
The first record I can find for Edward Ebley's Travelling Theatre is unfortunately the death certificate of his first wife Clara dated 14th Aug 1859 Halstead, Essex. Six weeks later, on 27th Sept 1859 he married Sophia Raynor, a milliner, who must have been an ideal partner as she would have had the skills to make and mend costumes and been a trustworthy cashier.
They had 4 Children:-1861 Edward (Ted), 1864 William, 1868 Sophia and in 1872, Francis. They were all born in the Essex area and were all child actors and comedians.
By 1879 Cecil Price (1955) records in his journal they had arrived in Mid Wales. Judging by an advertisement for performers in the Era theatrical newspaper they are a confident professional company. They were known as "Edward Ebleys Theatre of Varieties" and travelled the Welsh border.
Portable's followed the fairs and after a week or so they where obliged to move on. In the Ebley's case they would stay for as long as circumstances would allow which could be months or years. They found with the coal working populations of South Wales constsntly expanding, an ever growing audience was coming to them. There was no need to move on.
The Ebley's put on a full evening of entertainment of Variety song, comedy, farce and drama with a repertoire of some 150 different plays common to the period. Most of the actors would have been brought up on the plays and schooled in the parts.
Cecil Price (1955) states that there was opposition and prejudice where ever they went particularly towards actresses. The Church was known to excommunicate attendants of the Theatre which was conceived as lowering the moral tone of the district. Sometimes the congregation would hold open air service outside the Theatre for the sinners inside, therefore it was essential that the company's conduct was exemplary to establish a future reference and overcome this prejudice.
In answer, Edward Ebley printed the following: "Mr Ebley wishes to impress upon his patrons that every play which he produces has been personally supervised by him and that anyone visiting the Theatre will find that every feature of vulgarity has been eliminated from the text which be calculated to displease the most fastidious mind His only wish is to place before the public Plays not only appeal to men's hearts but will leave a lasting impression upon them If he only succeeds in making one bad man think, will then be worthy to join the ranks of those apostles who by their purity teaching ,help to keep the universe together"
As permanent theatres became sustainable in the provincial towns and populations increased, objections would be raised with the Council against the portable theatres who were not paying rates. Cecil Price (1955) mentions that the Ebley's were successful in fighting a claim that the portable theatre was a permanent structure.
The Ebley's arrived in Glamorgan, South Wales in 1881 and over the coming years became well loved and respected through out the towns of South Wales. There was great anticipation whenever they returned.
Around 1885 a new Theatre was formed known as Edward Ebley's Olympic Theatre This was probably Ted and William's as the census for 1891 shows their Father had his own Theatre. This new theatre performed mainly in South Wales where they established an affinity with public and officials alike. In the early years the performers were paid a share of the takings. After a week or so the owner, who had the biggest outlay, would stage a benefit evening. These were special occasions in which there was a great deal of effort in the presentation. The owner kept the proceeds or he would donate them to charity such as widows and orphans of pit disasters or soldiers and sailors in serving in overseas wars. One such donation included paying the food bill for a whole Valley of Miners during a week long lock out.
Edward and Ted are considered to have been Actors of character with considerable merits and skill. Ted received a Royal Humane Society Medal for saving the life of a young boy who had fallen into the river at Abergavenny. He would step down from the stage to deal with rowdy pit workers disrupting his performance by banging their heads together or ejecting them, then coolly resume his part. In one report from Senghenydd the theatre seating must not have been assembled correctly and began to collapse. It was Ted who rushed from the stage to hold up the structure so that no one was hurt.
Ted and William eventually parted. On the 1891 census Ted's occupation is an actor, William's a photographer. Photography was a sideline of the show and there are many old photographs stamped Edward Ebley's Photographic Art Studio. Their division could have been due to prolonged miners strikes or the introduction of Cinematography around 1895, an early form of moving pictures which William would have been aware of.
The Showmen recognised Cinematography's potential to draw in the crowds and it became an instant Fairground sensation. The Ebley's certainly used Cinematography for entertainment. Tina thought they were the first to introduce it in Wales, but further research shows this to be credited to William Haggar and his Bioscope show.
I've been able to piece together that in 1891 Alfred Horton was employed by John Noakes as a Professor of Music. Noakes came from a family whose history was steeped in Theatre management. He too owned a Portable at the time which had just had a good winter season in Llanelly and because of this he announced that he was going to build a Permanent Theatre in Llanelly. In response Ted, a passionate actor proud of the travelling tradition, was quoted as saying, "Our line is not bricks and mortar but rags and sticks",(The Era, 25/4/1891.)
Despite this John Noakes built his theatre which he called the Royalty. William Haggar eventually took this over and converted it into a cinema.
Ted's Grandson William Edward had a very special story to tell: "I was told the story of one occasion where they were not allowed to use their usual site in Aberavon which would have been in the centre of town roughly where the old municipal building and market stood Instead they were given a site out of town ,on a field behind the Railway station . My Grandfathe,r who was a very astute Showman, advertised the fact that there would be dancing on the green every night before the show went on. He then organised his Orchestra to play in the centre of town and like the Pied Piper of Hamlin , lead the people away from the shops to the out of town site . After a week the Trades people made such an outcry that the town council sent delegates to persuade my Grandfather that a terrible mistake had been made and the town centre had become available. I think the Councillors and Burgesses of Aberavon forgave my Grandfather, because many years later they presented him with an illuminated address and a Gold Watch for the services rendered to the town."
Ted's commitment to Portables finally had to concede when in 1915 his actors joined up to fight the War. They were the last of the historic strolling players an Ancient Tradition going back before Shakespeare. Fortunes were not made, they didn't become rich and famous they just gave inspiration, humour, humanity, and liberty to exploited and often abused working class people.
- Francis married Harry Dunham a comedian/actor they both played in theatres in the North East for many years
- William opened photographic studio in Blackwood Monmouthshire 1910
- Ted and his son Lord Robert built a cinema near Port Talbot out of "Bricks and Mortar"
- Alfred Horton is reputed to have taught music at Bristol University. He helped the Ebley's set up their first Bioscope cinema around 1904. He died in 1906 working Theatre in Grangemouth, Scotland
- Sophia Horton married Alfred Thomas in 1907 whose brother in law was Charles Butt Stanton a militant miner's leader who succeeded Kier Hardie as MP for Merthyr Tydfil / Aberavon in 1915
- And of Old Man Ebley? When Sophia died in 1887 he married Emily MacDonald formally Miss Crane an Actress on the Welsh Circuit.
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