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- [S109] 1920 Census (Ancestry.com, and HeritageQuest.com Enumerated January 1920.), Census Place: Brookhaven, Suffolk, New York; Roll T625_1268; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 85; Image: 632.
- [S30] Suffolk County News, Sayville, Islip, NY, 2 June 1899. p. 2.
William A. Smith.
The funeral of William A. Smith, who died on Sunday at Deer Hill Farm, the summer home of his daughter, Bessie Bonehill, the well-known actress, took place from the Roman Catholic Church on Tuesday, the Rev. Father Thomas L. Duhigg officiating. The deceased was born on board a ship in the English Channel 85 years ago.
- [S1346] Richard Bonehill, "," e-mail message from [e-mail for private use] ([street address for private use], St.Ives , Cornwall, TR26 1RJ. United Kingdom), to , ., Bessie Bonehill of Sayville, Long Island, NY & William Seeley, her husband; EMail; 4 January 2010; John Deitz.
See main entry under Bessie Bonehill.
- [S49] Long Island Advance (Long Island Advance, 20 Medford Ave, Patchogue, NY), 9 April 1929, p. 6.
"William Seeley, old-time actor and minstrel man and well known throughout the section as the proprietor of the Better Ole at Brookhaven, died Friday morning in French Hospital, Manhattan. He was 65 years old. He had been ill for several months and had undergone an operation early in the winter. About a month ago he returned to his home in Brookhaven but suffered a relapse and returned to the hospital about two weeks ago.
"Mr. Seeley was on stage for 45 years and traveled all over this country and had made trips to other parts of the world. His inn at Brookhaven was the scene of many parties where stars of today and yesterday were entertained.
"When he retired from the stage he came to Brookhaven a few years ago and opened the inn. During the past year it had been enlarged and beautified to a great extent. He was a member of the Patchogue Lodge of Elks. He leaves his widow, Mrs. Lucille Seeley, and a son William, Jr."
- [S49] Long Island Advance (Long Island Advance, 20 Medford Ave, Patchogue, NY), 12 Apr 1929, 16.
"A number of Brookhaven residents attended the funeral services of William Seeley in New York, Sunday. Mr. Seeley was the proprietor of The Better 'Ole for a number of years."
- [S24] article, New York Times, New York, NY, 7 April 1929. p. 26.
William R. Seeley, Actor
Funeral services for William R. Seeley, ole-time actor and minstrel man, who died on Friday in French Hospital, at the age of 65, will be held tonight by the B.P.O. Elks at the Funeral Church, Broadway and Sixty-sixth Street.
A religious service will be held Monday morning at 10 o'clock.
Mr. Seeley, who was an actor for forty-five years, lived at Brookhaven, L.I. He was a former husband of Bessie Bonehill, famous male impersonator. He left his present wife, Lucille, and a son, William.
This death notice confirms that the William R. Seeley of Brookhaven, N.Y. was a husband of Bessie Bonehill.
- [S30] Suffolk County News, Sayville, Islip, NY, 5 April 1929, p. 12. Obituary.
"William Seeley, proprietor of the Better 'Ole Inn at Brookhaven, died last Friday in the French Hospital in New York City after an illness of several months. Mr. Seeley, who was for many years an old time stage star, had traveled through nearly every state in the Union and although he retired from the stage many years ago, always remained in touch with his theatrical friends and often entertained them at the Better 'Ole. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Lucile Seeley, and a son, William Seeley, Jr. Funeral services were held on Monday morning from the Campbell funeral parlors in New York City."
Oddly, his son John (Jack) and daughters are not mentioned in the obituary, nor was his prior marriage to Bessie Bonehill.
- [S30] Suffolk County News, Sayville, Islip, NY, 21 July 1905. p. 3.
"Mr. William Seeley, accompanied by his bride, arrived in Sayville on Sunday last from London, and is now occupying his country home, Deer Hill Farm, to the north of this village. Mrs. Seeley is known abroad as the society lady juggler and has just completed a tour of portions of Australia, Asia and New Zealand. She is known on the stage as Miss Rhodesia and was married to Mr. Seeley in London."
- [S23] article, Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn, Kings, NY,,, 11 July 1902. p. 7.
See main entry under Bessie Bonehill.
- [S1346] Richard Bonehill, "," e-mail message from [e-mail for private use] ([street address for private use], St.Ives , Cornwall, TR26 1RJ. United Kingdom), to , ., Bessie Bonehill of Sayville, Long Island, NY & William Seeley, her husband; EMail; 4 January 2010; John Deitz.
It was a real pleasure to receive your email . It is always good to hear from someone with a mutual interest. You will be pleased to hear that I can confirm much of your information , correct a little and hopefully add a little. All my familystory information is based on documentation.
Firstly I can confirm that William R Seeley was the second husband of Bessie Bonehill . When I first started researching Bessie I was rather confused because of the use of stage names and nicknames but I was eventually able to establish the trh. William R Seeley was the stage name of William Robert Smith and Bessie Bonehill was the name used by Betsey Bonehill (Christened Betsey not Elizabeth) and buried as Betsey Smith otherwise Bessie Bonehill.
The basic details are as follows ;
Elias Bonehill m Rebecca Rodway 1846
They had five children including Betsey Bonehill b 17 February 1855 West Bromwich.
Betsey married Louis William Abrahams 20 September 1877 Shoreditch.
They had three children ; Selina Abrahams 1878 ( aka Lena Hilbon)
Michael Elias Abrahams 1880 (aka Jack West)
Marion Rebecca Bessie Abrahams 1881 (aka Dappa Grey)
In 14 September 1890 Betsey married William Robert Smith in Saint Pauls Episcopal Church , Buffalo , Erie , New York.
They had one child ; William Smith b about 1891
Other information ;
Bessie Bonehill died 21 August 1902 in Portsmouth , England and was buried as Betsey Smith otherwise Bessie Bonehill . I can confirm that the double act Seeley and West comprised of William Robert Smith and Michael Elias Abrahams (please seetograph attached)
I have been researching the Bonehill family history (when time allows) for the past thirty years and have a great deal of information but I hope the above is of interest . To date I have been able to trace my family back to 1650 . In 2003 I puished a book entitled ‘England's Gem’ (now out of print ) the story of Bessie Bonehill. Following additional research I hope to finish the ‘all dancing and singing’ 2nd Edition this year . This research took me to Sayville , New York and Washington in 2006 . The trip proved to be very useful which included a trip to The Smithsonian Institute who have a couple of Bessie's stage costumes .
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Abt 1868 - 1929 (61 years)
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