He remained with Manning for a long period, and then played the variety houses until 1876, when he formed a partnership with William J. Sully, and as Williams and Sully did a black-face song and dance act for eleven years.
Since which time Mr. Williams did mostly dramatic work. Billy Williams was born in New York, July 1, 1854; he died in Elizabeth, N. J., July 25, 1910.
Patsy Howard, one of the original “Bay State Boys,” made his first appearance as a clog and jig dancer in his native city in 1868, at the old Globe Hall.
September 13, 1869, he organized the above act comprising John Harrington, Jimmy Fitzpatrick, Henry Drummond and Patsy Howard, making their first appearance on that date at the Howard Athenaeum in Boston; they remained there five weeks, doing clog dances. After that engagement they played two weeks at Morris Brother’s Minstrels in the same city. After several variety engagements they returned to their native heath and joined Dougherty, Wild, Barney and Mac’s Minstrels. The four disbanded in 1871, Mr. Howard forming a partnership with Harrington, who took the name of McVickar; Howard that of Sully; they were known as McVicker and Sully until they separated in 1873, after which he formed an alliance with Billy Sully; this lasted a year. Mr. Howard then retired from the profession in 1874, and lived happily ever afterwards.
Patsy Howard was born in Boston, Mass., June 26, 1854.
George Richards, the well-known comedian, for many seasons associated with the late Eugene Canfield, was a member of Emerson’s Minstrels about five years, commencing 1870; he was a regular comic.
Mr. Richards was born in Somerville, Mass., January 3, 1854.
Mackin and Wilson were one of the premier song and dance teams of minstrelsy during a period when that style of performance had its greatest vogue many years ago.
Jimmy Mackin and Francis Wilson (then known as Frank Wilson) were boys in their ’teens when they formed a partnership that lasted for seven years; during which time they played engagements with some of the foremost minstrel organizations of their day.
Their initial appearance as a team was at the Metropolitan Theatre, Indianapolis, Ind., August 7, 1871.