“There is, assuredly, no other country on earth in which Shakespeare and the Bible are held in such general high esteem as in America … If you were to enter an isolated log cabin in the Far West and even if its inhabitant were to exhibit many of the traces of backwoods living … you will certainly find the Bible and in most cases also some cheap edition of the works of the poet Shakespeare.” – Karl Knortz, 1880’s
The popularity of Shakespeare with 19th century audiences seemingly has no modern parallel. Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville assessed that “there [was] hardly a pioneer’s hut that [did] not contain a few odd volumes of Shakespeare” during his travels in 1830’s America. Ragtag troupes of actors traveled the frontiers to perform on makeshift stages for pioneers, gold-miners, and businessmen alike. Audiences were known to be intimately and passionately familiar with the Bard, memorizing lines and offering vocal judgement during performances. In 1849, a riot broke out at a New York opera house during a Shakespearean showdown between English actor William Charles Macready and his American counterpart, Edwin Forrest. Class tensions and nationalism erupted into violence and chaos. Militia intervened with deadly results.
Around the year of that riot, Edwin Booth, a 16-year old actor who’d been named after Forrest, was performing with his actor father on nearby American stages. The young actor would grow to surpass his namesake in Shakespearean achievement, but that accomplishment remains overshadowed to this day by the fact that his brother shot and killed president Abraham Lincoln.
The lives of the Booth family were filled with drama to rival the roles they played on the stage. Like many families, they were torn apart by the Civil War. After his brother assassinated the president, it is said that Edwin (and presumably his reputation) took some comfort in the fact that, by bizarre coincidence, he had saved Abraham Lincoln’s son Robert from being hit by a train a year or so before the assassination.
History may remember Edwin as the brother of John Wilkes Booth first and foremost, but his Shakespearean triumphs are not undocumented. “The greatest Hamlet of the 19th century” doesn’t exactly imply a household name at any rate.
Tudor Hall, Maryland Historical Trust
The Booth brothers were born in Bel Air Maryland at an estate known as Tudor Hall. Although Edwin didn’t reside there for long, the house remains associated with -and some say haunted by– the Booth family.
Edwin Booth’s daughter, Edwina Booth Grossman, devoted much energy to honoring her father’s legacy. In 1894 she penned a book of recollections, including snippets from letters while Edwin was on the road. She also contributed several ‘Tudor Hall’ recipes to “Eat, Drink & Be Merry in Maryland.”
I inaugurated grilling season by making “Lamb Chop Brasseur,” a simple if confusingly named treatment for lamb wherein it is seasoned with cayenne pepper, buttered and grilled and then drizzled with lemon juice and more butter. According to Edwina, Edwin “was fond of Southern cooking and employed colored cooks by preference.”
Edwin Booth with daughter Edwina, National Portrait Gallery
The lamb chops turned out delicious and were juicy enough that I omitted the called for “gravy of butter” when serving. I also opted for adding the lemon juice during grilling so as not to overpower the chops. Remaining juice can be used on side dishes such as grilled vegetables.
Tudor Hall has just recently been opened again to the public and is hosting guided tours and historic programming, including lectures about “the Genius of Edwin Booth”, Tudor Hall’s most esteemed -if not most famous- son.
Recipe:
- lamb chops
- cayenne pepper
- salt
- butter
- juice of 1 lemon
- black pepper
Season lamb chops with cayenne pepper and salt. Butter on both sides and cook over hot charcoals or in the broiler, turning once. When chops are nearly done, drizzle with lemon juice and move to medium heat to finish cooking. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Recipe adapted from Eat, Drink & Be Merry in Maryland
