Sam Collins (born Samuel Thomas Collins Vagg; 22 March 1825 – 25 May 1865) was an English

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

comedian, singer and theatre proprietor. He was born in

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also ) is an area in London, England, and is located in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. Oxford Street forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropo ...

, London, and started work as a

chimney sweep A chimney sweep is a person who inspects then clears soot and creosote from chimneys. The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combust ...

. He began touring the music halls in London in the 1840s, in the guise of an Irish traveller, characteristically "wearing a brimless

top hat A top hat (also called a high hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditionally made of black silk or ...

, a dress coat, knee breeches, worsted stockings, and brogues... his clothes tied up in a bundle and a shillelagh on his shoulder."Richard Anthony Baker, ''British Music Hall: An Illustrated History'', Pen and Sword, 2014, p.17
/ref> His songs, such as "Paddy's Wedding", "Limerick Races", and "

The Rocky Road to Dublin "Rocky Road to Dublin" is a 19th-century Music of Ireland, Irish song written by Irish poet D. K. Gavan about a man's experiences as he travels to Liverpool, England, from his home in Tuam, Ireland. Originally popularized by Harry Clifton (s ...

", earned him the nickname "The Singing Irishman", and "he is still regarded as the prototype stage Irish comic". In 1855, he bought the Rose of Normandy tavern, and turned it into the Marylebone Music Hall, accommodating over 800 patrons. He sold it in 1861, and bought the Lansdowne Arms in

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

, converting it into a larger venue, which became known as

Collins's Music Hall Collins's (sometimes written as Collins') was a music hall in Islington, north London. It opened in 1863, named after its original proprietor, the comedian, singer and impresario Sam Collins (music hall), Sam Collins. He died not long after the ha ...

after it opened in 1863. Collins died in 1865, but his widow continued to run the music hall after his death. It was enlarged in 1897 and remained as a theatre until it was destroyed by fire in 1958.

References

1825 births 1865 deaths British music hall performers 19th-century British singers {{UK-comedian-stub