Louisa Drew Mendum
Louisa Drew Mendum | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Louisa Mendum(l) with Ada Rehan and James Lewis in Shakespearean scene. | |
| Born | Louisa Eliza Drew December 7, 1851 Albany, New York, US |
| Died | May 17, 1889 (aged 37) |
| Spouse |
Charles Albert Mendum
(m. 1872) |
| Children | 3, including Georgie Drew Mendum |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives |
|
| Family | Drew family |
Louisa Drew Mendum (December 7, 1851 – May 17, 1889) was an American socialite. She was a member of the prominent Drew acting family that still continues today.[1]
Biography
[edit]Louisa Eliza Drew was born on December 7, 1851, in Albany, New York.[2] She was the oldest child to actors John Drew Sr. and Louisa Lane. The entirety of her family were a part of an acting dynasty.[3] Her maternal grandparents were Frederick Lane, an actor and theatre manager, and Eliza Trentner (1796–1887), a singer and actress. Her aunt, Georgiana Kinlock, was also a stage actress. While her younger siblings, John Jr. Georgie, and Sidney were all popular stage and film actors, as were their children.[4] It is believed Drew had one more sister, Adine, from an affair between her father and Aunt Georgiana; this sister was also an actress.[5]
Her father died in 1862 when she was just 10 years old.[6]
In 1872, Drew married Charles Albert Mendum, the manager of her mother's theatre The Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia, before he was fired.[7][8][9] He also served as manager to actress and socialite Lillie Langtry.[10] They then moved to Boston where Mendum worked as a banker.[11] They had three children - John Albert, Edmund, and Georgie Drew Mendum. Edmund would become an author, while Georgie became a stage actress.[12] John died on July 27, 1874, at eight months old due to cholera infantum.[13]
In 1888, Drew became paralyzed. She died on May 17, 1889, in Boston, Massachusetts. Her cause of death was cited as a result from Bright's disease.[14] Her funeral was two days later at St. Anne's Church and she was buried in the family lot at Forrest Hills.[2]
References
[edit]General references
[edit]- Barrymore, Ethel (1955). Memories: An Autobiography. Harper. ISBN 978-1299688919.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - Kelly, Rivka (2014). THE DUCHESS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF LOUISA LANE DREW (PDF). Scholarworks: University of Vermont.
- Lane Drew, Louisa; Taylor, Douglas (1899). Autobiographical sketch of Mrs. John Drew. New York, New York: C. Scribner's Sons.
References
[edit]- ↑ "Photo Family Tree of Drews, Barrymores, and Costellos". Immortal Ephemera. October 8, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
- 1 2 "Louisa E. Mendum Dead". Newspapers.com. The Boston Globe. May 19, 1889. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
- ↑ Lane Drew & Taylor 1899, p. 106.
- ↑ "Our Foremost Actress. A Reminiscence of Mrs. John Drew and the Arch Street Theatre - Sixty Years on the Stage". Newspapers.com. The Philadelphia Times. 26 Jan 1890. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ Kelly 2014, p. 26.
- ↑ Lindsay, Suzanne Glover (September 5, 2019). "The Drews and Barrymores: A Theatrical Dynasty at St. Stephen's!". www.ststephensphl.org. St. Stephens Episcopal Church. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ↑ "Mar 21, 1880, page 5 - The Philadelphia Times at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Charles A. Mendum Held. Former Theatrical Manager Charged with Misusing the Mails". Newspapers.com. New York Herald. September 10, 1910. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
- ↑ Kelly 2014, p. 27.
- ↑ "Charge Fraud to C.A. Mendum". Newspapers.com. The Boston Globe. October 14, 1910. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
- ↑ Barrymore 1955, p. 4.
- ↑ Barrymore 1955, p. 4-5.
- ↑ "Deaths". Newspapers.com. Boston Evening Transcript. July 28, 1874. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Death of Mrs. Mendum". Newspapers.com. The Philadelphia Times. May 20, 1889. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
External links
[edit]- portrait of Louisa Mendum, erroneously thought to be her sister Georgie Drew Barrymore