J. W. Hilton was born in the United States; he died in Liverpool, England, January 2, 1871; age 36 years.
James Unsworth, or just “Unsworth” as he was more familiarly known, was one of those rare performers who were concededly away ahead of the times in which they flourished.
The word “great” may be truly applied to him, for while he excelled in all he undertook, he was famous for his stump speeches, for his banjo solos, and for his singing of Irish songs on the end, of which he was one of the first.
His professional debut was made with Sanford’s Minstrels, in Philadelphia, August 10, 1857; he continued there until January 2, 1858, when he left and joined Bryant’s Minstrels in New York that same month. After a few months with that company he went with Matt. Peel’s Minstrels for a road tour, and opened with them in New York, October 5, 1858; a few weeks later the company was known as Sniffen’s Campbell’s Minstrels, with whom Mr. Unsworth continued for several weeks.
December 6, he rejoined Bryant’s for the season; again opening there the following Fall; he left September 19, 1859, and later joined Anderson’s Minstrels, which had a brief existence. Early in 1860 he opened with Hooley and Campbell’s Minstrels: here he met “Eugene,” and a business alliance was formed which continued uninterruptedly until death intervened, fifteen years later.
He closed with Hooley and Campbell in New York City, January 26, 1861, and with “Eugene” and J. B. Donniker organized Unsworth’s Minstrels. A few months later he sailed for Europe, and subsequently joined Rumsey and Newcomb’s Minstrels in Liverpool; later going to Germany with them. Mr. Unsworth remained abroad playing the Music Halls, also a long engagement with Wilsom and Montague’s Minstrels, until the Spring of 1868, when he returned to America, and again joined Bryant’s Minstrels in New York: he remained two years.
In the Fall of 1870 he joined Hooley’s Minstrels in Brooklyn, N. Y., and later went with that company to Chicago, opening January 2, 1871, for the balance of the season.
Unsworth’s Minstrels again took the road, opening September 2, 1871, at Paterson, N. J.; December 18, he returned to Hooley’s, in Brooklyn, N. Y. In 1872, he was successively with Moran and Dixey’s; and Moran’s Minstrels in Philadelphia.
In the Spring of 1873 he joined Moran and Manning’s Minstrels, and in the Fall of that year again became a member of Bryant’s Company in New York for the season. Mr. Unsworth sailed for England in 1874, opening with Sam Hague’s Minstrels in Liverpool in the Fall of that year; he remained with the company until his death.
James Unsworth was born in Liverpool, England, July 2, 1835; he died there, February 21, 1875.