Derby History Quiz
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Tom Thumb had Derby connections!
This handsome couple pictured in their
wedding garb spent some time in Derby on their wedding tour. The
groom, Charles Sherwood Stratton was much better known by his
stage name - General Tom Thumb
- and his sister was married to Royal Bassett who was the head
of the Birmingham Iron Foundry. The bride's name was Lavinia
Warren. Legend has it that the diminutive couple stood on a
table to receive their guests at the Bassett home which later
became the Bassett House hotel which stood where the Hotel Clark
was eventually built. Following Charles' death, the bride
remarried and returned several times to perform at the Sterling
Theater. Ironically, she had married a second time to an Italian
dwarf, Count Primo Magri who also came to Derby.
Tom
Thumb had actually come to Derby before his marriage to
Lavinia as this November 16, 1848 article from The Derby Journal
shows. As you can see, Tom Thumb was only 16 years old and 28
inches tall at the time. There was no Sterling Opera House or
Gould's Armory at the time, so he performed at the
Congregational Church in Birmingham. In a related news article,
the paper says, "This little great man holds two of his levees
in the Basement of the Cong. Church, Birmingham on Saturday
afternoon and evening on the 18th inst. The General's fame is so
well known that it would be superfluous in us to attempt to give
it farther publicity. He is on his way from Boston to
Bridgeport, and having heard of there being a host of pretty
girls in this region, says he comes to give them all a parting
kiss before he retires for life. He is vey intelligent and those
who attend his levees will be more than repaid for their time
and money. This is the last opportunity."
Correct answers were
received from: Rodger Bowman, Edla, Cyndi Poppa, Shannon
McCormick, Michael J. Flora, Paul C. Varsanik Jr, Ann Searles,
Millie from Ansonia, T. S. Maher, George Sullivan,
Jack Skelding, Paul Comkowycz, Jane Papale, Mayor Marc Garofalo,
rick schreiner, gene wajdowicz, C.F.Douglass, Susan Rouelle, Ken
Dupke, Marsha Pettengill, Howard Bradshaw, MARY BENNARD,
Eileen Krugel, Mary Lou
Boroski, Kathi
Ducharme, Bob Saccone, Jack O'Callaghan,
Joseph F.
Pinto, Joan Driscoll,
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history, click here.
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