Junius Brutus BOOTH

1868 - 1912  (44 years)

• Name	Junius Brutus BOOTH
  Birth	6 Jan 1868	7 Florence St, Boston, Massachusetts, USA   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	Actor / Physician / Cinematography Prop.
  Burial	1912	Probably Brightlingsea, Essex, England
  Death	6 Dec 1912	19 Tower St, Brightlingsea, Essex, England   [2]
  Person ID	I949	Fitzgerald-Wells Family Tree
  Last Modified	14 Jul 2019

  
  

  Father	Junius Brutus BOOTH, Jnr,   b. 22 Dec 1821, Charelston, Sth Carolina, USA d. 16 Sep 1883, Manchester, Massachusetts, USA (Age 61 years)
  Mother	Marian Agnes Land ROOKES,   b. 4 Oct 1943, Sydney, NSW, Australia d. 2 Jan 1010
  Marriage	1867	New York, New York, USA   [3]
  Family ID	F341	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Folrence Elizabeth Maria Edviga NOAH,   b. May 1959, New York, New York, USA d. 6 Dec 1912, 19 Tower St, Brightlingsea, Essex, England
  Marriage	16 Jun 1894	RC Chapel, Richmond, Surrey, England   [4]
  	Marriage witnesses: Aimee E Bernard Fleury ?? and Eva De Fleury - her sister.
  Family ID	F321	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	14 Jul 2019

  
  

• Notes

  1. He was son of the actor and stage manager, Junius Brutus Booth (I995), grandson of Junius Brutus Booth (I986), the most well-known actor in early American history, nephew of the great Shakespearean actor Edwin Booth and of America's most famous scoundrel, John Wilkes Booth the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. He was a failed actor and physician who murdered his wife and then committed suicide in a hotel room by the English seaside in 1912. 2. At an early age he deserted the classroom for the stage dressing room. After minor experiences playing juvenile roles he appeared with several well-known stars. In 1882 he followed the course taken by him in his youth and left the stage to study medicine. He was not successful as a physician, however, after 10 years he resumed his musical career in stock companies of the US and England. Later he toured the manufacturing centres of great Britain with his own company, but the venture was not profitable and he purchased a motion-picture theatre at Brightlingsea, there he and his wife occupied rooms in a cheap lodging house. On December 6th July 1912 they were found dead from the wound's of a revolver in Junius' hand. Reports stated that his last failures and involvement's in a lawsuit may have been responsible for his actions. 3. Newspaper extracts in family file include: -Inquest verdict was "willful murder and suicide, while insane". -"thought to be taking drugs". -"very excitable" -"much worried because his show had failed to pay ". -A note found said "f have given my wife a sleeping draught to ease her pain. AsI cannot live without her, f will give myself another" (was his wife suffering some illness and so he put an end to her pain and then committed suicide??) -Her cause of death was a gunshot wound to the brain and then he shot himself. 3. His address at their marriage was 2 Beaumont St. West Kensington. Her address at marriage was 2 Park St. Richmond indicating that they married in her Parish Church. 4. His will gives "of Manchester in the State of Massachusetts" but Manchester is not in Boston but lies on the Atlantic coast northeast of Boston between Salem and Gloucester. Jonathan Myers's cousin in Boston sent him the birth details of Junius which gives 7 Florence St. Boston as his birthplace. LDS has his brother Sidney as born in Manchester, Massachusetts. 5. He left his effects of £150 to his brother Sidney Barton Booth who renounced it and it went to his brother in law Richard Bond Turner, glassware merchant who was a creditor. She left her effects of £650 to his wife, Minnie Turner. Minnie Turner was the sister of Florence. Administration dated London 2814 and 2614 respectively. Her DOD given as 6/12/1912 and his as 7/12/1912. 7. Witnesses to his will written 26/11/1894 were Ralph St. Menard, John H. Langdon & Charles H. Pattee.

  
  

• Sources

  [S154] Will of Junius Brutus Booth. [S155] 1913 Will & Administration for Junius Brutus Booth & Florence Booth. [S160] Gerald Bordman, "Oxford Companion to the American Theatre", (New York: Oxford University Press). [S156] Malcolm Stern's "First American Families" refers Noah Genealogical Tree.