Houston connection

[wpbinzel]

(07-27-2020 02:13 PM)Mrchips Wrote:  Hannibal Hamlin grew up with the Booths and other famous actors around them; indeed his father held acting events at his home and Hannibal Hamlin was deterred from being an actor by his father.

I am most curious as to your source(s) for this statement. Hamlin was born in Paris, in what is now ME, in 1809 (it was part of MA at the time). JBB and MA Holmes arrived in the US in 1821. (Hamlin was already "grown up" at age 29 when JWB was born in 1838, and 33 when he was elected to Congress and moved to WDC in 1842.) I am no expert on the early travels of JBB, and while I know that he played in Boston, I have never seen anything that puts him 150+ miles to the north in ME. My recollection is also that Hamlin's father, Cyrus, was a farmer, so not exactly the type of person who attracted "famous actors" or "held acting events at his home." In addition, Cyrus died in early 1829. Hence, my question, what are the sources that support your statement that there was a connection between the Hamlins and the Booths?