In 1849 he wrote and first sung the song that was afterwards in the repertoire of many famous minstrels—“Old Bob Ridley;” this occurred in New Orleans, La.
In the Fall of 1855 he was with the original San Francisco Minstrels in the California metropolis. He subsequently went to Australia and other foreign countries, where for many years he piloted various minstrel organizations.
John Washington Smith was born in the United States about 1815; he died in S. Yarra, Australia, August 31, 1877.
Francis Germon was one of the early comedians and tambourinists in minstrelsy.
December 25, 1839, at Taunton, Mass., in a concert there he was singing the old song of “Sittin’ on a Rail.”
About 1844 he joined the Ethiopian Serenaders, and continued as a member of that party several years.
September 15, 1845, Mr. Germon and the company, as shown on another page, began an engagement at Palmo’s Opera House, New York.
Francis Germon died in Philadelphia, it is said, in the 50’s.
Ned Harper was one of the early black-face performers who ante-dated minstrelsy proper.
He was the author of “Jim Along Josey,” and the first to sing it in his drama, the “Free Nigger of New York,” about 1838.