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- [S30] Suffolk County News, Sayville, Islip, NY, 22 August 1902, p. 3.
SAD NEWS FROM ENGLAND
BESSIE BONEHILL DIED YESTERDAY MORNING
A Popular Actress and Greatly Beloved Resident of Sayville who Passed Away After a Long Illness—Sketch of Her interesting Career.
Mrs. William Seeley, better known by her stage name, Bessie Bonehill, died yesterday morning at Portsea, Borough of Portsmouth, England. A brief cablegram received here yesterday morning conveyed the above sad but not unexpected message and caused deep and genuine grief throughout this village and her almost world-wide circle of admirers.
Bessie Bonehill was a native of England where she was born about 45 years ago. She early became a footlight favorite, appearing in male costume and singing English coster songs*. Her fame preceded her and when she first came to this country in 1889 and appeared at Tony Pastor's Theatre in Fourteenth street, her success was immediate and her male impersonations were the theatrical sensation of the winter. Her beauty, cheerful personality and her entire freedom from vulgarity were new then in male impersonation. Miss Bonehill was the first person to sing "Comrades." Attired as a newsboy she sang that ballad from one end of the country to another.
After filling her engagement at Tony Pastor's Miss Bonehill returned to England. But she was back in America the following season and for the next ten years she spent most of her time in the United States. For a while she ceased to appear in vaudeville and was the star of "Little Christopher" while that play was in its long run a Wallack's. After that she traveled at the head of her own vaudeville company. She finally settled in this country and members of her family came here. Her father died in New York about a year ago.
Accompanied by her husband and son who are also vaudeville performers, doing a musical comedy act and known as Seeley & West, she went to South Africa two years ago and she had long engagements in the principal cities of Great Britain and on the continent. She was much sought after and although beginning in a modest way she acquired the reputation of earning the largest salary every paid to any singer in vaudeville, and her engagements were booked months ahead. Accompanied by her husband and son, Jack, she went to England last fall intending to return about July 1st and go this year to Australia, where she had a long series of engagements for next season. She was taken ill during the winter and was obliged to cancel her dates for a considerable period and to take a rest. Later it was reported that she was suffering from a tumor and had been obliged to undergo an operation and then came the sad news that she had an incurable disease, cancer of the stomach, and tat despite her wish to return to her Long Island home it had been decided that she could not undertake the journey. Word was accordingly cabled to her two daughters and to Miss Lillian Rogers of this village, who was the fiancé of "Jack Seeley" urging them to come to England. They sailed on June 23 and on July 10, Jack Seeley and Miss Rogers were married in accordance with the wishes of the dying woman.
Mrs. Seeley had been married twice and had two daughters known as Lena Hilbou and Dappa Gray who have been with Webar & Fields and the Frohmans for the past two or three years. Besides her son, Jack, who was lately married she had a young son by her second husband and this lad, Willie, who has been living most of the time with an aunt in Boston, is now in England with the family. Mrs. Seeley was a devoted mother, idolized by her husband and children and was one of the most respected and highly esteemed women on the American stage.
The family came to Sayville six or seven years ago and purchased what was practically an abandoned farm, about two miles north of here, which they called Deer Hill Farm and which they have greatly improved and beautified. The old-fashioned farm house has became a very comfortable and charming furnished home, but it was the intention to have built this season a fine modern residence on the place. Miss Bonehill was immensely popular here, for she was always overflowing with good humor and took a lively interest in all local affairs and the welfare of our people, and she was extremely charitable and sympathetic. She was much in the plan to build an Opera House here and contributed her services for several benefit performances in aid of the building fund and was proud of her election to honorary membership in Sayville Hose Co. No. 1. Bessie Bonehill was a good, pure and true woman who did more for the American stage than some whose pretensions were far greater, and her death is mourned sincerely by members of the profession generally and especially by the people of Sayville.
* One who hawks about fruit, green vegetables, fish, etc.
- [S23] article, Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn, Kings, NY,,, 11 July 1902. p. 7.
See main entry, Bessie Bonehill.
- [S24] article, New York Times, New York, NY, 28 June 1902.
BESSIE BONEHILL'S ILLNESS.
The Actress in London Sends for Her Daughters—Her Son's Fiancee Will Accompany Them
SAYVILLE, L.I., June 27.—Misses Marion and Lena Seely (sic), daughters of Bessie Bonehill, received a cablegram that announced their mother's serious illness and requested them to sail immediately for Europe, as she wants them near her when she dies. The daughters left Sayville for New York today. They will sail in the Umbria for Europe to-morrow.
They will be accompanied by Miss Lillian Rogers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. T. Rogers of Sayville, whose engagement to Bessie Bonehill's son, John Seely, was announced some time ago. The actress expected to return from Europe in time for the wedding next month. It is understood that the marriage is to be at the bedside of the stricken mother in London.
The report at one time was that Bessie Bonehill was suffering from a cancer, but that was denied, and the growth was referred to as a tumor. The cablegram today was taken to mean that the case is one of cancer.
- [S30] Suffolk County News, Sayville, Islip, NY, 27 Jun 1902. p. 3.
Bessie Bonehill Cannot Return.
The announcement made two weeks ago that Mrs. William Seeley, known on stage and all over the world as "Bessie Bone," was dying of cancer in London, proves too well founded. It was then hoped that she would be able to return to America and to her home in Sayville; and the arrangements had been made to sail yesterday, but it now appears that she has failed so rapidly as to make this impossible, for on Wednesday the Misses Seeley received a cablegram urging them to sail for England on the first steamer. At the same time "Jack" Seeley cabled to his fiancé, Miss Lillian Rogers of this place, saying "Mama is sinking. Come to England." Mr. Seeley and Miss Rogers were intended to be married here next month. She has gone to New York today with the sisters of her intended husband and they are to sail in company to-morrow at 11 a. m. on the Cunard line steamship, Umbria. Mr. Seeley and Miss Rogers will have a quiet little wedding in accordance with the wishes of Mrs. Seeley, immediately upon the arrival of the party in England.
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