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EJ Phillips [Nickinson] Chronology 1830-1904

more detailed Excel chronology

1830-   Childhood in Chatham and Hamilton Canada 
1836 John Nickinson first came to US
1848 Amateur theatrics Hamilton, Ontario 

1852- 1859 John Nickinson  Royal Lyceum Theatre Toronto 
1855  Jan. 12 Benefit for Charlotte Nickinson, The Roll of the Drum playbill, Royal Lyceum, Toronto,  Virginia and Isabella Nickinson and Miss Phillips in this romantic French military drama. Mr. Nickinson was the drum major. 
1857  Uncle Tom's Cabin 
late 1850s, Edwin Forrest   (1806- 1872) is mentioned in EJ Phillips' New York Dramatic Mirror obituary as someone she had acted with.  We have a review from an unidentified newspaper of a performance at the Metropolitan Theatre [probably Hamilton, Ontario, Canada] of his performance in Othello where "Miss Phillips' Emelia was hardly inferior, if at all, to Iago and her last scene was striking. 
Shakespearean roles in Toronto
1858 Charles Alderman Nickinson born Apr. 30, Toronto - died Sept. 1859, Pittsburgh 
May 1860 Prince of Wales Theatre [Royal Lyceum?] Toronto Roy MacGregor
Aug. 24, 1860 Christine Harriet "Hattie" Nickinson born Toronto (died  Philadelphia, Oct. 9, 1946)

Mar 13, 1861 Arcade Hall, Lockport NY The Lady’s Duel [as performed at Wallack’s NY] JN as Baron Monrichard and EJP as the Countess D’Autreval. Concluding with a grand allegorical tableau vivant with John Nickinson as Washington.
Mar 15, 1861 Arcade Hall. Combined companies from Buffalo and Rochester. JN as Capt. Copp in Charles Second or the Merry Monarch and EJP as Lady Clara.
Mar 18, 1861 JN in his beautiful pathetic drama Napoleon’s Old Guard with EJP as Melanie
1861 March  EJ Phillips played Pauline in the Lady of Lyon to John Nickinsons' Col. Damas, 
May 1861 Metropolitan Theatre Octoroon  
1861 Lady Macbeth in Ottawa
Dec. 1861 Ottawa Her Majesty's Theatre Naval Engagements

1862 Oct. EJP joins Pike's Opera House  Cincinnati 
1863 March John Nickinson becomes stage manager Pike's Opera House, Cincinnati
1863 July 8 Albert Edward Nickinson born Cincinnati, Ohio (died  Pensacola, Florida, June 1948) while John Nickinson was appearing at Duffield's Theatre Nashville TN.
Dec. 1863 EJP in Leah the Forsaken
Feb. 1864 John Nickinson dies in Cincinnati
EJP plays Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, Cincinnati
Apr 14, 1865 EJP and Junius Brutus Booth Jr., Othello
1865 Plunkett's Dramatic Co, Charles Plunkett Aug 21 opened Attica NY?
1886 March Pike's Opera House burns
1866 Sept EJP Engaged by Wood's Theatre, Cincinnati

1867-1870 Ben DeBar, St. Louis and New Orleans
1867 2nd day of Sept. Indianapolis engagement commenced.  EJ Phillips' Indianapolis Google Map   An 1880 Indianapolis City Directory lists 3 Fays at 230 North Tennessee Frank P a postal clerk, John J Assistant State Librarian and Louis a clerk at JA Raume  http://indiamond6.ulib.iupui.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/ICD&CISOPTR=5055&REC=12  Google maps locates this address in Danville IN, 20 miles outside of Indianapolis.
1868 Plays Goneril in King Lear, with Edwin Forrest in Indianapolis
1869 Sept Engaged by WR Floyd Varieties Theatre New Orleans
1870 June 1 Census Rockland County, New York, Ramapo  EJ Nickinson is listed with Hattie and Albert with Antonio and Christine Zavistowski.
1870 Sept 3 Children arrived in Indianapolis at 9PM on Sat. Cash account with Mr. Fay for children's board.
1871 Jan-May  joined Marsden  & Stowe's troup, touring New England
1871 Sept engaged by Charles Pope's Olympic Theatre, touring New Orleans, Memphis, Mobile. 
1872-1873 March touring in the South New Orleans, Mobile, Macon, Charleston, Montgomery, Mobile, Memphis
1872 Sept EJP in New York at the Olympic Theatre for one week
1873 April Commenced traveling with  Lawrence Barrett Varieties Theatre, New Orleans
1873 Savannah, Lawrence Barrett as Hamlet, Willie Seymour as Osrick, EJP the Queen
1873 May  touring with Barrett Midwest, New York State, New England,
1874 Aug -1875 May Salary received from Thomas Davey, father of Minnie Maddern Fiske, to tour with Barrett
1874 Oct Cincinnati visited Spring Grove Cemetery
Feb. 1875 Mobile Alabama with Barrett  "Our Gossip" local theatrical paper
1875 Winter in Chicago with Lawrence Barrett 

1875 Sept  joins FF Mackay's Chestnut St. Theatre, Philadelphia
1876 June-Nov  Our Boys   Caste Philadelphia  

1877 Aug- 1885 Union Square Theatre Company  AM Palmer, New York
1877 Pink Dominoes  New York
  Nov The Rivals Chestnut St Theater, Philadelphia
1878 June  Chicago Celebrated Case
1878 Danicheffs  New York
1879 Banker's Daughter  New York
1880 False Friend   Two Orphans   New York
1881 Creole  New York
1881-1882 Lights of London  New York
1882 Rantzaus  New York  Aug Led Astray, Daniel Rochat,  False Friend San Francisco, Sacramento
1883 Climbing Pike's Peak   Aug EJP in San Francisco, Vera the Nihilist in New York City
1883-1884 STORMBEATEN  New York
1884  French Flats New York, Salt Lake City, San Francisco

1885-1891 Madison Square Theatre Company   AM Palmer, New York      1885 Prisoner for Life New York  Our Society  1885-1888   Grover Cleveland's inauguration  Saints & Sinners 1885-1892 

1886 New York Life  1886-1889   Albert moves to Middletown  Feb Saints & Sinners, Engaged Feb-March  April Our Society  Boston  Engaged  Broken Hearts Old Love Letters, Our Society Sealed Instructions Utica, Buffalo  Chicago  McVickers Our Society  Martyr   on the train    San Francisco Al Hayman   Our Society Jim the Penman Saints & Sinners Martyr  Sacramento  Salt Lake City    Denver   Kansas City  Saints & Sinners  St. Joseph  Omaha  New York Brooklyn  Bartholdi Day Statue of Liberty dedicated    Engaged    Jim the Penman 1886-1892    Foregone Conclusion    Martyr 1886-1887  

1887  New York    April Actor's Fund Benefit, Washington DC    Grover Cleveland receives Palmer's company at the White House    Hattie's wedding    Chicago McVickers Saints  & Sinners  Haymarket Affair    Philadelphia baseball  Arch St Theatre Jim the Penman  Boston Sept  Park Theatre  baseball  Fair Fame    Margery's Lovers   New York Martyr

1888  New York    Dr. Nagle, Jacob Riis and the NY Sun    Blizzard of '88    Boston  Jim the Penman  baseball May Jack Dolman born    Philadelphia    Chicago  Palmer house  on the train    San Francisco  Al Hayman Saints & Sinner Partners Heart of Hearts Jim the Penman   Los Angeles    Salt Lake City  Ogden Cheyenne Denver  Kansas City  St. Joseph MO Omaha Chicago    Captain Swift 1888-1889    Heart of Hearts    Partners

1889  New York    Albert's engagement    Centennial of Washington's Inauguration    Boston    Cleveland    Chicago    Albert and Neppie's Thanksgiving wedding

1890   New York   Grippe  Gilbert & Sullivan's Gondoliers  Pillars of Society Wealth  Albert and Neppie set up housekeeping    Boston  Pillars of Society  Philadelphia    on the train  Nampa Idaho   Portland    Tacoma    Seattle  Saints & Sinners    San Francisco Jim the Penman Saints & Sinners  Los Angeles  Stockton Sacramento Ogden  Salt Lake City  Cheyenne  Denver   Kansas City  St. Joseph  Omaha  Saints & Sinners  Chicago    Buffalo  Hamilton   Oct Ted Nickinson born  Philadelphia  Captain Swift Saints & Sinners Jim the Penman   Middleman    Pillars of Society    Pharisee 1890-1891    Wealth 1890-1891

1891  New York  Esther Sandraz Philadelphia  Captain Swift Jim the Penman  Boston  Captain Swift  Pittsfield  Albany Social Fiction A Pair of Spectacles  New York  Wealth Pharisee  Washington DC    Baltimore    Buffalo    Pittsburgh    Philadelphia    Elizabeth Ellen Dolman born May 28  Broken Seal  Palmer's Theatre   Margaret Fleming  Jim the Penman  Esther Sandraz    Judah 

1892  New York  Broken Seal  Sarah Bernhardt's recipe for cold prevention    Actor's Fund Fair May 1892 Broken Seal Williamsburgh [Brooklyn] Chicago Ramsey Morris Frohmans  Philadelphia  June Death of Elizabeth Ellen Dolman  New York  Columbus Celebration Oct 1892  Joseph  Wilmington   Baltimore    Hartford CT    Troy  Herkimer Utica Oswego   Syracuse   Binghampton  Auburn Ithaca Rochester  Niagara Falls  Hamilton   London St. Thomas  Toronto  Detroit  Judge   Buffalo  Wheeling West Virginia  Johnstown Pa Scranton Lancaster Wilkes Barre  Joseph 1892-1893   

1893  Washington DC    Richmond VA  Norfolk Va Charleston West Virginia  Cincinnati Judge Canton Alliance Zanesville Ohio  Cleveland    Milwaukee Feb.  Janesville Wis  Rockford Ill Peoria Ill Chicago   New York March-April  Harlem Opera House  Albany, Troy, Providence RI   Boston    Philadelphia    Pittsburgh  Brooklyn  Sept Lady Windermere's Fan Harlem Charles Frohman  Buffalo  Chicago and the Columbian Exposition 1893  Milwaukee  Detroit Nov    Cleveland Cincinnati  Louisville Evansville Lafayette Peoria  St. Louis Springfield Ill Bloomington Ill Decatur Ill Terre Haute Ind South Bend Ind Grand Rapids Mich Baltimore   Depression of 1893    Judge    Lady Windermere's Fan  1893-1894  BF Keith of Boston takes over Union Square Theatre April

1894  Philadelphia  Rochester Albany  Montreal    Providence Rhode Island   Newport  New London New Haven  Rochester NY    New York  Brooklyn  Philadelphia  Newark  Chicago   Pullman Strike  St. Louis  Lady Windermere's Fan   Pittsburg, Nov 1894  Camille  Transgressor  Washington DC    Baltimore  Rochester Buffalo  Niagara Falls  Toronto    Camille  1894-1895    Romeo & Juliet    Frou-Frou    AMP Madison Garden Theatre

1895  Montreal    Providence  Harlem  Chicago Milwaukee  St. Louis Indianapolis  Columbus  Cleveland  Detroit    Buffalo    Boston Cambridge  Camille  Lawrence Mass Portland Maine  Philadelphia    New York  Richard Mansfield & the Hollands  Joseph Humphreys  Buffalo  New York   Gay Parisians  1895-1897

1896 Gay Parisians   Newark  Detroit  Bicycles    Chicago    William Jennings Bryan nominated    Election 1896    on the train    San Francisco    Los Angeles    Portland  Tacoma  Victoria Vancouver    Seattle    Salt Lake City    Kansas City    Omaha    St. Louis  Decatur Ill Omaha Des Moines Burlington Iowa Davenport Cedar Rapids Dubuque Freeport Ill Milwaukee  Madison, Wisconsin  Rockford Ill  Pittsburgh  Columbus  Philadelphia    

1897  New York  Gay Parisians  Wilmington Del Lancaster PA  Harrisburg, PA  Trenton NJ Easton Pa Scranton Pa Newark  Providence  Charlotte  Asheville  Knoxville  Chattanooga  Birmingham Ala Macon Ga Savannah Ga  Charleston  Augusta Ga    Atlanta    Pensacola Fla    New Orleans   Philadelphia    Louisa Lane Drew's funeral    Melanie Dolman born

1898  Louisville    Recalled from Retirement in  A Bachelor's Romance   Broad St Theatre Philadelphia

1901  Arrival of the 20th Century        1902 Ida Vernon visits    1904  Death of Mrs. EJ Phillips    1998-present  EJ Phillips' 130 year old quilt   

Travel and "vacations" 1886-1897 Earlier years had fewer cities and longer stays

Plays chronology  EJ Phillips' plays by title   Plays by playwrights