Mary Euphemia "Effie" Germon (June 13, 1845 – March 6, 1914) was an American stage actress of the late 19th century from

Augusta, Georgia Augusta is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the third mos ...

, a descendant of the Germons of Baltimore who were an old theatrical family. She excelled as a

soubrette A soubrette is a female minor stock character in opera and theatre, often a pert lady's maid. By extension, the term can refer generally to any saucy or flirtatious young woman. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means " ...

Early life

One of six siblings born to actors Greenberry Carr "Greene" Germon and Jane (''née'' Anderson) Germon, her father was the first to perform the role of Uncle Tom at the Troy Museum in the

George Aiken George David Aiken (August 20, 1892 – November 19, 1984) was an American politician and horticulturist. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 64th governor of Vermont (1937–1941) before serving in the United States Senate for 34 ye ...

adaptation of ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two Volume (bibliography), volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans ...

'' produced by George C. Howard. Effie Germon had two brothers. Her mother, Jane, a cousin of actor Joe Jefferson, began her career at age 8 and continued for 50 years. Effie Germon's theatrical debut was made at the Holliday Street Theatre in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, during the 1857–58 season. She played "Sally Scraggs" in ''Sketches in India''. Germon acted with both the Baltimore and Philadelphia stock companies."Effie Germon Dead At 68", ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', March 7, 1914, pg. 11.

Marriage, return to the stage

She left the theater to marry, at a very early age, violinist Carlo Patti (brother of

Adelina Patti Adelina Patti (19 February 184327 September 1919) was a Spanish-Italian opera singer. At the height of her career, she was earning huge fees performing in the music capitals of Europe and America. She first sang in public as a child in 1851, a ...

and Carlotta Patti), whom she married at

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

. Germon returned to prominence at the Chestnut Street Theatre during the theatrical season of 1863–64. She made her first appearance on the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

stage which opened in 1869 under the management of John Brougham. She appeared with John Gibbs Gilbert at Wallack's Theatre in a production of ''Brother Sam'' in December 1872. At the same venue she acted with

Richard Mansfield Richard Mansfield (24 May 1857 – 30 August 1907) was a German-born English actor-manager best known for his performances in Shakespeare plays, Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and the play ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1887 play), Dr. Jekyll and Mr ...

in ''Prince Karl'', the original production of ''

Little Lord Fauntleroy ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was published as a serial in ''St. Nicholas Magazine'' from November 1885 to October 1886, then as a book by Charles Scribner's Sons, Scribner's (the publisher of ...

''. She paired with Francis Wilson in '' Erminie''. During the 1906–07 season, she performed on the road in ''Sunday''. After divorcing Patti, she remarried to comedian Nelse Seymour.

Lincoln assassination

She was performing in ''Aladdin'' at Grover's Theatre in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, on the evening when

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

was assassinated at

Ford's Theatre Ford's Theatre is a theater located in Washington, D.C., which opened in 1863. The theater is best known for being the site of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. On the night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth entered the theater box where ...

. While she was singing "Sherman Has Marched To The Sea", C.D. Hess, manager of Grover's Theatre, learned of the shooting of Lincoln. A week earlier, Germon was present when

John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assassinated United States president Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the p ...

came into the office of Hess and inquired as to when Lincoln would attend a performance of ''Aladdin''. The President had been invited and had promised to attend."Lincoln's Assassination", '' Palo Alto Reporter'', April 24, 1880, pg. 3. The President's son, Tad Lincoln attended in his place. A photo of Germon was found on Booth when he was shot dead at Richard H. Garrett's farm in 1865.

Death

Germon died at the Actors' Fund Home in

Staten Island, New York Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

in 1914, aged 68, and was interred in Evergreens Cemetery in the Actors' Fund Plot.

References

External links

Effie Germon
photos at

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...

Digital Gallery; retrieved February 13, 2008. *
Effie Germon; North American Theatre Online
retrieved 7-2-2014 {{DEFAULTSORT:Germon, Effie Actresses from Georgia (U.S. state) 19th-century American actresses American stage actresses American vaudeville performers 1845 births 1914 deaths Burials at the Cemetery of the Evergreens